Soooo, our welcome to Gulf Shores included 20 degree weather and 4” of snow the Tuesday after we arrived. Sooo not what we’d imagined!
I was ‘stick a fork in it’ done!
My mantra for that week was, “I want a house and I want it now”. It took a week for the sun to warm us again but eventually we saw 70 degree weather, with evenings around the fire pit. We even grilled sandwiches outdoors. And this week we’ve been near 80 and humid enough to use the air conditioning.
My mantra is recovering.
We’ve had time to explore, eat in a few places, see the beach and catch up on RV stuff. Like most American beach communities, there are plenty of burger/diner options, miniature golf, every kind of water rental and lots of bikes. Kitschy in places, more suburban in others. The abundance of shellfish, especially shrimp is epic. If you can’t find fresh shrimp at the Circle K, you’re aren’t at the Gulf! The beach is beautiful, long shore with nice stretches to walk. I plan to take pics of the local store signs, some are hilarious, others nostalgic.
RV scrubbers came to clean the outside last week. It was the first big wash it’s had in 19 months. After the campground in Terre Haute, where we were pelted with acorns and leaves, along with snow accumulation on the slides and the roof, it was more than due. Bruce was excited. He tried cleaning it himself with mixed results, and never will he attempt the roof.
He doesn’t do heights…
Last Saturday saw us driving east, (Fort Walton Beach FL) to meet up with new Detroit friends for breakfast. They were on their way to the Ocala FL area, and stopped to catch up with us. These are folks who attend Hope Church in Detroit, where we plan to spend spring and summer. It’s a joy to know them! I can’t even begin to describe how it feels when Gary says “When you get home in April”… the sense of belonging somewhere is irresistible. We’re anticipating a really special summer with the church, and time in Detroit proper. It’s no accident that this transition is a process. It’s not necessarily an easy city to move to.
We visited a church. We’ve done it a few times on this adventure, always knowing, we had a home church waiting for us in Detroit. It’s been a way to avoid that whole ‘We’re just visiting’ thing. We also have so many people we’ve accumulated in our lives, who are Kingdom family for us. The support we enjoy is beyond measure as we travel. Phone calls, FaceTime, emails and even the occasional visit from friends, have all managed to reach us as we migrate to various places. I can’t imagine this l life without them. As for this church, we’ll likely visit again.
Our next door neighbor has a springer/doodle dog named Woodruff.
He has a ‘meet the neighbors’ disorder. He just knows we want him to bathe us with kisses every time we see him! He made friends with the RV scrubbers, fetching for them when he wouldn’t for us. He’s an awesome guy, so glad to have him next door. There are lots of dogs in this camp. There’s an empty field behind us that allows for lots of exercise and they enjoy it often.
Gulf Shores is also well equipped to handle snow bird medical needs. Bruce is going through the gamut of physical appointments, specialists and annual tests out here. He’s overdue. They can access our records from IL, transfer everything to doctors in Detroit and get us organized for a life that may be divided between winter/summer homes.
We’re making lists.
Lastly, I dropped in on crafting day. Every Tuesday from 10-3 crafters (mostly quilters) get together in a barn with big tables and decent lighting, to ply their particular obsession. I had a project that needed a large space for cutting, so I marched my piece over there and enjoyed the community and the space. It’s only been a year in the planning, nice to finally get it finished.
That’s the latest here. It’s hard to believe we’re already into the 2nd week of February. March is when the spring breakers descend. Traffic will pile up, lines at resturants will extend and the beach will be packed. But we have a campground that we can enjoy till they all go back home!
It’s a great way to spend the winter!
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