Dragging while draggin

It’s possible Al underestimated how really tired Patty was this morning.  Pleasant Airstream dinner meeting last night but way too much garlic, combined with the usual sleepless night before leaving, some late night alarms and bumps in the night; she was draggin.  We left at the stroke of noon with a revised plan.  What about  Coleman Lake in the Talladega National Forest? 
We took the “back way” up 231, newly resurfaced and really quite pleasant. 140 miles and we were circling a nearly empty campground with level paved pads, water, electricity and HOT showers.  It’s not your father’s National Forest any more.  The managed pine tracts had been freshly burned last time we passed, but the green understory is back and well within federal standards.  This for $8.50 a night and all the solitude you can fry up.
We  lunched, kicked back for a while and took a slow walk around the lake.  We had long chats with two of our neighbors; both live within 50 miles and consider Coleman Lake their special getaway.
“Where are YOU from?  How did you hear about this place?”
Yesterday, reading of our trip ten years ago, it seemed a matter of a few paragraphs before our horizons brightened up.  That may be a little over simple.
WEIGHT AND BALANCE
  With a short driving day and a full “basic load”, we decided this would be a good opportunity to check our weight and balance.  Volumes of Air Forums posts have been devoted to tweaking the trailer/tow vehicle interface and most start with a trip to the CAT scales for a detailed analysis.  We, of course, thought we could make use of the scales at the multi million dollar Montgomery Farmers Market.  This complex was built to replace the tin shed near the capitol offices which had provisioned politicos and plebeians Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays for 80 years.  Predictably, no one left the tin shed to patronize the new complex (which still lies resplendent under the windows of the Agriculture Commissioner who was stunned to find no one felt this Adobe and tile roofed edifice recommended  its promoter to higher office.)
This being our village history, we still expected the scales to be manned and were pretty certain there would be no truck stop crowds.
Well, after waiting a while for the chick who had the keys to finish setting up the ad campaign for the Alabama NATIONAL Fair….
“Lots of cutbacks,” she confided, her hand covering the receiver. “Everybody has four- five jobs now…”
… she took our five bucks and told us our total weight was 12850 pounds. 
“We were hoping to get the weight on each axel… ”
“Oh, they didn’t show me how to do THAT…”
WE PROCEEDED ON…secure in the knowledge that our couplings, tangential stress vectors, pinions,  weight distribution bars and anti sway thingies were at least as put together as the Agriculture department.

9-11-2011

For all of us this weekend has ignited memories of ten years ago. What was confusion and swirling dust then, we now see through a thousand sets of eyes precisely focused on what each saw and felt.  As then, this  weekend of memories was almost too much to bear, but there was more --  personal hardships for our family, a little household carnage, and the  desolating  news that we will soon lose a dear and valued friend.   
Just ten days after the towers fell, we were tired and heartsick and seeking some solace. Then, we headed for quiet  parts of the Smoky Mountains where we have always found our peace. 
Tomorrow we will leave on the same mission. The pictures and narrative (written afterwards) focus on a couple of lovers, some fishing and frolic and good meals in a quiet, beautiful place.  It seems idyllic now, looking back, and it was wonderfully cleansing, but tonight  it is really just the pain we felt as we left that is so very palpable.

LAST DAY…

I guess we are beached out.  We let the “golden Hour” for photos slip away as we played in the AC.  Reports from the hurricane zone weren’t terrible, but lots of trees down and standing water around the house in New Jersey.  Tim, we really wish you were here and not having to deal with that!
We all wore the tie dye that Emilyn lovingly crafted and distributed to us the first night and Cassie’s bracelet that she handed out the last full night with everybody.They matched the colors of the tie dye t-shirt!!   We made quite an impression at the beachside. 




Cassie’s comments:
Anthony has been cracking us up mimicking everybody and playing  games like hide and go seek. Anthony can’t stay hidden long; he always comes out or makes a big noise!! LOL!! I love him!
 I also found out Anthony is very ticklish and that he wants Emilyn’s iPad since Emilyn let him play on it.  Anthony also helps Meme win the card games by holding the important cards and drawing cards from the deck making sure Meme doesn't give away the good cards like she has done a couple of times . Now when Meme is usually talking to herself she has an excuse to say she is talking to Anthony.
The waves were so big yesterday! There was even an undertow so I had to go out in the water with daddy and he would help us not get pulled away! Emilyn and I would both try to swim against the undertow but the furthest we got without being really tired was like 5-10 yards !! But not to worry he made sure we would not get past him. He said that we couldn’t go boogie-boarding on the towering 5-10 ft. waves (even though I wanted to boogie-board them so so much!! ) Well that is all of Cassie’s comments  I’ll try and blog later !! bye!!

Our own beach

Weekdays at the beach after school has started –SERENE.


We are up pre-dawn. Papa and Anthony search for reptiles, preferably pterodactyls, but without success.  We found a sign that said “Do not feed small children to the Alligators; It makes them very sick.”


We decided to go to the Beach and we had a full half mile of sugar soft sand to ourselves. 

We had a nice day at the beach waiting for Cassie and Emilyn, Aunt Trina and crazy Uncle Jeff.  Here is  place where you can see the pictures….
Anthony's day at the beach

Joanie and Anthony Arrive

 

Ok, so we probably didn’t have to get to the airport TWO hours early, but we had strolled the oft photographed Airsteam food vendors at Seaside, declared them both picturesque and overpriced and the weather at noon really really HOT.  

 

…and unknown perils of the highway might have delayed us… and the beach traffic on a school day Wednesday notoriously congested out there on  US 98… and sit down dining might take forever…So,  we choked down a Sub and drove direct.  Picture two doddering old folks in beach clothes lined up in the arriving passengers aisle nodding awake with every announcement.

Hi Meme,  I really missed you.

 

Let’s go to the Beach…

 

 

 

Ok that looks serious, lets go to the Airstream.

Dear Tim,

 

We are down here at Grayton Beach State Park in Florida awaiting the arrival of your little family.  I guess they will be glad to escape the week-long torrential rains.  It’s clear and sunny here with highs in the 90’s and, of course, the steady onshore breeze. 

Geeze, just heard about the EARTHQUAKE.  Did it disrupt the flood repair efforts?

We just got back from an early morning dip in the turquoise waters of the Gulf.  We had 700 yards of soft sugar white beach all to ourselves.  Well there are turtles, but they haven’t hatched yet, so they aren’t doing much to disturb the tranquility. It’s nice and shady here in the campground and the air conditioner seems to be able to provide a cool spot to return  to when    the beach gets crowded.  We had to leave earlier this morning because another couple wanted to use the 700 yards of beach, but the walk through the dunes was nice.  This park has been lucky; the dunes weren’t hit too hard by the hurricane. OMG!  HURRICANE. Look out. There is one coming your way.  Hope it doesn’t hit the Jersey Shore.  Oh the humanity.

 

 

 

Thinking of You…..

Should trip preparations go off half-baked?

Around here, we have always understood that we are never ready to go until Patty has the brownies baked. No matter how many (or how few) critical details remain before a Trip, Al will be found in front of the computer and Patty will be banging baking pans. Supposedly, Al is marking electronic maps, checking fuel prices, or checking weather but it’s likely he’s cruising other sites. Ironically, he is often researching the NEXT trip; does that make any sense to anybody?

Patty’s “Brownie Habit” started long ago when this was a release from the multiple pressures on a mother, wife, business owner and caregiver. Likely it was the wife part that …. Whatever the cause, it was axiomatic in our house that everybody get very quiet and “on task” whenever it was whispered that “Mom is baking brownies…!” Even today I get Joanie’s full attention when the phone call starts with reference to pastry preparations.

Well today large jars of cookies (two kinds)are baked, beach toys are on board, food boxed and catalogued, secret surprises prepared…fridge is cooling in the ‘stream and two days remain before launch. Al has removed nonessential winter clothes, hiking shoes and fishing gear while creating multiple “load outs” for future expeditions --the house looks like a warehouse. Patty is straying across gender specific lines and checking weather reports on Tropical depression Irene, inquiring about oil changes and Al is printing recipes . Can this mean we have a little too much prep time?