APRIL 2011
Friday, April 1, 2011
Today, my son and I were on the road heading back to Ohio so he could enjoy the rest of spring break with his friends. On the way, we observed a state patrol car pursuing a black corvette. My son said the guy in the corvette was sticking a gun out the window and shooting at the cop. Wow. I slowed down as I didn't want them to hit us by accident. They took off around a curve so I headed down the interstate again. A few miles later I saw the black vet off in the grass and the patrolman crouching behind his door. He saw us and waved to us to stop. So, we skidded to a stop out of the line of fire. At least I thought!
Suddenly, this guy jumps from behind the bushes and, brandishing a gun pointed it at me, telling me to move over. Well, of course I was scared and my son being in the car I was scared for him too. So, I said you, "hop in but I'm driving." I didn't want him to crash us. He had my son move to the back of the cargo van and hopped in the front keeping his gun pointed at me. Shoot! (I mean, Shucks!) I took off while the patrolman was still crouching behind his car door. He hadn't seen anything.
We took off down the interstate and about five miles later he told us to get out. We did. He took off. But amazingly just ahead before the next exit about a mile down the road they had set up a roadblock. They stopped him. He jumped out of the van and started shooting. They shot him dead. Later I learned he was a twice-convicted criminal and vowed never to go back to prison. Later, I learned my son had signaled the crouching patrolman and he had radioed ahead.
After a few hours, after the detectives interviewed us and checked out the van, we got the van back and was on the road, shaken but kind of giddy in a weirdway. The only thing to remind us of incident are the three bullet holes on the left side of the van. I think I will leave them there and you can see them every April First. Maybe... Ulless, of course, this is an April Fool's Joke!
Okay. Enough of that!
Thursday, April 7, 2011
I finally arrive back to St. George Island and I get back in time to attend the wine and appetizer get-together! The folks were nice and the appetizers were excellent. Cecilia Harris was very nice. She offered me a pass to get onto the Plantation after she heard what I was doing. Her husband, Steve, a local real estate agent, got it done for me quickly. Nice folks and you can check them out on my sponsors page.
Friday, April 8, 2011
I get up and get ready to jog the first five miles of St. George Island. Finally! Larry, the guard who wouldn't even make a call to his boss for me before (He just sat there watching his Chrstian TV, uncaring as can be) checks my name and gives me my pass. As I start out I mention two words, "grace and mercy" then I say, "Try it." (Sorry, but people like that bug me, Christians with no grace.) I go through the gate and follow the winding road down to the end. I hop out, go to the beach access and walk to the jetty. A nice fellow out there has just landed his third flounder! I do my sretches, exercises and take off. If feel great! The day is another perfect day. The sun is shining, the waves are about a foot high at the beach and folks are out relaxing and having fun. About two thirds the way down I develop tightness and it is getting worse. By the end of the run I am doing a hop-a-long jog. But I did it and now I can take a break. I can hardly walk. Bummer!
That night while lying down, I couldn't turn over because I couldn't move my left leg. Hmm...
Saturday, April 9, 2011
The leg feel better. Maybe I will jog today. I get up, stage my bike about two miles from the eastern end of the Plantation and go back to jog. While putting on my shoes and socks I begin to think, "What the heck am I doing? I need to give the leg a rest." So, I put my flip flops back on, pick up the bike and head to the Firehouse 9 restaurant. So, what am I going to do today? I look in the free paper at the events and when I see Sopchoppy Worm Gruntin' Festival I know what I have to do. You can read about it as soon I get the article finished and posted.Yesterday, back after almost two weeks of not jogging, I was on the beach at the Plantation at St. George Island. Cecilia and Steve Harris, a happy and nice couple, got me into that place so I could more easily jog the beach. I thoroughly enjoyed the jog, maybe a little two much. By the end of the 5-mile jaunt I was in pain from my lower back to my knee. (Just call me hop-a-long!) Last night wasn't much better. I couldn't walk straight till this morning. It was tender but better.
I got ready to jog anyway. Tough it out, right? That's what I thought, after all I have an agenda and need to be in Orlando by the 15th! But wisdom
proved the better part of me this morning. I am going to let it rest today. Tomorrow is Sunday and I don't run on Sundays so it will be a two-day rest.
So, I picked up the bike I had staged, put and went into the Firehouse #9 Restaurant run by Ed. Belinda is the waitress today. Good. They are all
nice. I grab the local free paper called Forgotten Coast Line and look at the activities, since I am not jogging today might as well relax. And once I saw the Sopchoppy Worm Gruntin' Festival I new I found my daily activity!
First of all, none of the words go together. Sopchoppy? What the heck is that? Yep, a name of a town. A very funny name! Worm ... Festival? Weird people! Worm Gruntin'? Huh? Gruntin' Festival? An odorous affair, I am sure! A Worm Gruntin' Festival? You gotta be kidding! Anyone who sees that, just has to go check it out.
I arrived around 9:30 am. The place was in full swing with vendors up and down two streets selling everything from Fried Green Tomatoes and Brats to microwave baking potato pockets. It was fun! A large portion of the square was under a giant shady oak tree, music was coming from the stage and folks big and small were walking around having fun. But the center of attention was the worm gruntin' exhibition.
There were several gruntin' stations. Each one consisted of a wooden steak (usually cherry or another fruitwood) pounded into the ground and a metal paddle about two feet long. Folks have been gathering worms in these parts for generations this way. Their market for worms reaches as far as Atlanta, Ga. I was watching this long-haired soft-spoken guy demonstrate. The sound is a low grunting vibration that you can feel in feet as well as hear. He asked if anyone would like to try it. Well, heck yeah!
The fellow's name was Snap. He is the son of Gary and Audrey Revell. Gary's dad lived in the forest. So does Gary, Audrey and their son today. They are making a good living worm grunting, working with Florida State University about the ecosystem and education folks, especially kids about life, the simple way.
Anyway, Snap, the fellow who was demonstrating the technique, said I was a natural. That made me feel good. Well, I was done, but he said I should keep going till some worms came up. So, I knelt down and really started grunting! The worms materialized as if by magic. It is probably like fingernails on a chalkboard to those worms.
Then I went and bought a T-shirt and had Gary, Audrey and Snap sign it. I like to wear it. The festival had something fun for everyone. The kids had their events, including, worm gruntin', hula hoops and other fun stuff, too. Three young kids won rods and reels. Cool! The stage was going with some good music and the folks were sitting on the row of picnic tables or one of the many chairs. People from Eastpoint were there as well as many from Tallahassee.
Did you every see episodes on TV like Little House on the Prairie where the town is having a festival and everyone is happy? Kids are playing, even in the evening, folks are talking and dancing and just having a good time? Well, that is the Sopchoppy Worm Gruntin' Festival
It lasted well into the night with a new band designed to get people dancing. It was fun! And for a good cause as well. I believe this year the money
raised goes to the community park. And Sopchoppy is quite a community. In the town itself there is one recording studio, outside of town at least two more (I think Snap has one). There is an organic bakery and coffee shop that has the best coffee on record. There is an upscale restaurant, an eclectic jazz store on the corner where they host named artists, have reading and is just plain cool.
A variety of artists live in and around this small, little town, as well as just regular folks like you and me. If you get the chance to visit this town, especially during the Sopchoppy Worm Gruntin' Festival, you will be happy.
Sunday, April 10, 2011
I am still at Sopchoppy but want to get to a church. So, I head back to St. George Island and find a church on the island. I find the St. George United Methodist Church. It doesn't look like much, but I go in. The folks are nice and the singing is good. At the end of the service the pastor really impressed me by his earnest integrity to the Bible and his love for the church and the world. So, here's their website. sgiumc.org. After church I went fishing and fell asleep on the beach. Next time I think I will wear some sunscreen.
Monday, April 11, 2011
My leg is feeling much better and the weather is beautiful. I plan to stage my bike in two-mile increments as I don't know how my leg will react. The first two miles are great. Folks are already on the beach at 8 in the morning. One lady at the access point waiting for her husband, strikes up a conversation. She walks the beach three times a day, often with her dog. Her hubby, a contractor, picks her up and points and then she takes a break. She goes in the morning, noon and afternoon. She tells me about Murphy, the dog who has the run of the beaches. A friendly dog of medium size and a golden color. His owner also owns the Blue Parrot.
I end up at the Blue Parrot, and ride my bike back, put it in the van and go to the next stage. That went well too. It is now about 11 am. I stop to eat and start up again a few hours later. I do two and a half miles and end up at the beginning of the state park. Interestingly, I meet the same lady on this beach as well. She is fun to talk to. She has two rentals on the island.
I drive through the park about four and a half miles and think that if I can get a ride to the entrance I can jog this and get to Bible study tonight at 6:30. Lo and behold, a wildlife officer, check out some fillets that shouldn't have been filleted yet, asks if he can be of help. I give him my card, explain what I am doing and how he can help. He agrees and takes me back to the entrance when he is finished.
On the way back, hear over the radio that there is an eight-foot alligator in the road and can someone get there to assist. I asked him where that was. He said Tallahassee. He also said that out here folks don't get too excited about it and call the cops, they just drive around it. Wow!
This jog is harder than I thought, but I make it back in time to be just a little late for the Bible study. The study was so well worth it. And they had food, too!!!
That night I spend at the tip of the island. My favorite spot.
Tuesday, April, 12, 2011
It rained last night and the wind was loud too. I hope I can jog today. I want to get off this island and keep going. A truck pulls up and a fisherman gets out. I ask about the weather. He says it won't rain anymore but the will will pick up in a few hours. Guess I had better get started! I bicycle back the 4.2 miles to the gate. I take a short break, do my exercises and get going. It was just plan beautiful. It was a slow jog along the 5 miles I did. Along the way I picked up a really nice horseshoe crab tail, a nice shell and a sponge thing.
I saw a crab hole in the side of the sand as big as my outstretched hand. Wow! It starts to sprinkle. I start to pray! The sprinkling stopped and the day was gorgeous. I finished my jog feeling fine. And met some nice folks along the way. Grandparents from Tallahassee have their son, daughter-in-law and granddaughter from Phoenix. They are a very nice family. He was a tanker in the Marines. But his wife won't let him go jogging for a week with me! Actually, she probably would let him. Nice folks. And the fish were biting! Pompanos, sea trout, Spanish mackerels. People wading out from the point. Calm waters. But I vowed not to fish till I got this site updated! C'est la vie!
I am done! I say goodbye to a few folks and drive away. That night I spend at the Indian Creek Park in Eastpoint. Looking for a bear. No bears, but a beautiful sunset, etc.
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Tax day for me. 'Nough said! Next, a short stretch at Carrabelle Beach and off to Dog Island!!!
I did my taxes at the Franklin County Library at Eastpoint. Annie is one of the full-time workers there and she is great. A former Marine Lifer dropped by to give some special coffee. It tasted good. He is a very nice fellow. Beauford Braxton walked in to donate some Louis L'amore books. I had met him and his wife, Carol, earlier at the park. Nice folks!
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Woke up after nine. But I had woken up three times earlier that night. I wanted to see a bear. The first time I heard a noise and was startled, no bear. The second time and third times nothing as well. I did think I heard a sound our two but thy then was too tired to get up and see. The spot I was in was absolutely gorgeous. But I woke up tired. I drove to Carrabelle beach and stopped at the Chamber of Commerce to get better directions to Cape St., my starting point. They were nice and we got on line to google maps and then she told me how to get there. I parked at the old lighthouse, very nice by the way. I crossed the road to the beach and did my morning exercises. Let me say that I always having morning Bible reading and prayer before I jog. Gotta start the day right!
I jogged about 100 yards and stopped to meet this interesting looking fellow. His name is Kufu. He is a black fellow who was a boxer at FSU and I studiedAfrican cultures. He has been to Africa, Egypt and Ethiopia and have a very good philosophy. A nice fellow who was taking the day off to fish. He caught several yesterday. (It's not always the jog, it's the moment.) I continued and found it to be a lovely beach and not too crowded. I guess it can be that way on the weekend though. Along the way I met several stingrays, the first I had seen outside of an aquarium. They were moving towards shore but skittish when I moved toward them. There were several. I saw at least five. Each was about 1 to 1 and 1/2 foot in length.
The beach arches beautifully, like a mini-Mexico Beach. I went to the point and followed the turn up to the marshes. That little area had many exquisite shells, but each was the home of a hermit crab. I grabbed one shell and tried a few way to separate the crab from the shell. And I can tell now that the acidic nature of urine doesn't work. Bummer!
I finished my jog and went to Al's 2, a restaurant where I staged my bike. They have the best fries I had in Florida, and the cheese sandwich was very good as well. I am tired today so decided to backtrack to Port St. Joe and then Mexico Beach just to rest. I end up back at Apalachicola at the Ranch Inn. It has a bath!!! The lady who runs it is nice, the rates are very good for that area. I soaked in the bath for a good long time. Then off to sleep.
Friday, April 15, 2011
Good Morning! Boy, do I feel better, not back to 100% yet but much better. They gave me an extra hour at the motel and even offer the same rate for that night, which is a weekend night. I thank them and move on. I need to get to Dog Island. I head down to Carrabelle, a quaint, picturesque, small town. I stop by the Chamber of Commerce to see what they know. They point me in the right direction. I meet Russ who runs the ferry. A very nice fellow whoexplained that Monday would be the best day for me because the shuttle runs in the morning and evening. So I can jog Dog Island and get back on one day. Cool!
I spend the day taking in the area and working on the computer. The library here is just wonderful. Just like the one at Eastpoint. A local lady had won a Paul Newman Gumbo cooking contest. She won $50,000 for her charity, which I guess helped the libraries. The folks are super-friendly and the amenities are great. WiFi 24/7 whether they are open or not. That's cool.
Monday, April 18, 2011
I slept at the marina area where the shuttle takes off. I figured all the commotion would wake me up if I overslept. I can't miss this one! The shuttle leaves at 8 and I am up just after seven. I get ready for the day, double check my little pack I take. Since I am not sure about the island and might just have to spend the night there, I pack for overnight: two bladders of water, poncho liner, some venison I got from the church on Sunday, a lighter, insect stuff, knife, small rod and reel I pickup up at the hardware store, camera, phone, and a few other things. Eight o'clock comes along and no one is there. I thought everybody wanted to go to Dog Island and there would be at least 10 people waiting. I don't even see the boat. After a few worried moments I call Russ. He answers and says he will be there in 5 minutes. I forget that I am not on city time, but people time. Ah, that's a good thought.
Russ shows up and I am the only one to go. I hope on and take a seat. He heads out and we talk. He used to live on island for years, but has since moved inland (two blocks into the town of Carrabelle). He has been running that service for years. Plus he has a towing service. Tow US I think it is called. He is a cool guy with lots of stories. I mention how many different stories I have heard about Dog Island and he says that he's pretty sure that Dog Island got its name from dog sailors, those sailors who were shanghaied at other ports and the captains would put them off on a island before entering port so they wouldn't escape.
We get there and there isn't much there. A few rows of old cars and trucks. But today is also mail day. (It comes three times a week there) So folks are coming to get their mail. I start hiking to my starting point 7 miles away. I wasn't going to ask for a ride unless offered. Well, this lady stops and asks what I am doing, so I tell her. She offers me a ride as far as the road goes, I would just have to wait till the mail gets there. Super!!! Later, we take off. It is a type of gator thing, with 4-wheel drive. And we need it. There are no paved roads on the island, all sand.
As she is taking me, we talk. Water moccasins are bad around here, life is nice slow, but folks come all the time. Either annual vacationers with their own places or grand kids. So, she is always doing somethings. By the way her name Susan Bankerman(?) She is very nice. Her hubby is a semi-retired doctor. They have been living there for over 20 years, and they love it!
She drops me off. I hike the rest of the way to the point. Now I can see St. George from my new vantage point. I always like to do that. I take a break and stretch. I am a little tired, but gotta get this island done. So, off I go, a nice slow jog. I measured it at 9 miles and am guessing that it will take at least four hours with the pace I have started. But it is the right pace for me today. There are few people on the beach and the sand is soft. I can hardly find hard sand to jog on. This makes it a little tougher, but gotta do it. Sometimes I am jogging in the surf.
I start jogging at 10:25. At the half hour mark I stop and take a little break, taking some venison out of my pocket and having a bite. No sitting down though. I didn't take a sitting break this whole run. Scared I would get back up! I take of again. I did this a few more times. Often I pick an object or place in the distance and try to stop there. Finally I round the island. Now I know I have about two miles to go. Cool. A while later I run out of houses and see two dolphins in water. God knows they boost my spirits, and I keep going. Finally I round the end of the island and stop. It is 2:00. Three and a half hours. Not too bad. (Later I find that the distance is only 8.5 miles, still not too bad.) Tada! Boy do I feel good!
I keep walking around this little cove and I walk out into the shallow water to put some cold around my ankles and knees. Then I get out and walk up the cove a ways, debating to continue this way or cut across to the beach I just jogged. I sit down a take a break. Then I see this fin in the water. It looks a little different from the dolphin, so I check out the tail. Yep, it's a shark about my size swimming in the shallow water. Wow! First shark I have seen in the wild that was any big.
I cross back to the beach I jogged and start walking up it. Slowly. I see two horseshoe crabs, evidently on their honeymoon. About 50 yards down the beach I see two more, big ones! Then I see this long-haired,tall thin, fellow. Todd. He is setting up a few line for fishing. While he is setting up the second one, the first one catches a fish. He doesn't see it as he is working on the other line. I suggest he has a fish and he grabs the line. This fish put up quite a fight. It was a beautiful red fish, within the right sizes to eat too. He is having a good day, and so am I.
I walk up to a road and pray for a ride. I'm beat. The sun had done a number on me today and sapped my strength. So I pray. I get a ride to the docks and after a short while there, and a nice conversation with one of my brothers I hitch a ride back to Carrabelle. I call Russ and tell him I am back so he doesn't have to worry about me.
Now I need to finish this panhandle. I have been here too long, but the places and the people deserved my time. (Go to Destin!) That's my joke for around here. Destin is an excellent place, but this is special.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Right now I am at the library getting some insurance work done. It's after 3 pm and I am finally done. I wanted to jog about five miles today, but that probably won't be possible. And I am not sure about a few places. I have asked around but it seems there's a beach area that people forgot about. I head up to something called Summer Camp(?) The sign reads "No Trespassing" etc. And there is a phone number. It is after 5, but I call anyway. I get a recording. Oh, well. It looks empty, so I go ahead. There are a few big places out there but many more open spots. Later I learn that a company started a new community, but ran out of funds.
I find an empty lot, yell hello to any neighbors and head to the water to see if there is a beach. Yep. Tada! It doesn't seem very big so I walk west to the end. I have to cross several rocks and many pointed tree stumps. But there are several horseshoe crabs in the middle of mating season. Many are on their backs on the shore, not moving. If they have their tails, I nudge them and if they move turn them over so they can get back to the water. They were just too tired to flip over. I find four males surrounding a female. One seems to be joined. I just don't think it fair, so I find a stick, a big one, and try to move him off. For some reason, he doesn't want to go! I even flip them over. After several attempts he loses a leg, so I guess he means business and I leave him alone. Wow. Talk about tenacity!
The beach is nice, but there are tree stumps barely sticking out of the ground. Dangerous, I think, and I jog carefully. Horseshoe crabs all over the place. I get to the end and walk back. It was a nice jog. I head out to find the next beach. I turn down this road that has many mailboxes and after about a half mile see someone walking. Her name is Cecilia. She says that this is St. Teresa beach and I can park at the dead end. I park there and can't find the access. I don't want to enter someone's yard. I walk a few houses back where I spy some movement. Then Cecilia, who is out on a power walk, comes by and say I can cut through the yard at the last house. Cool.
I walk down to the beach and realize I looked at it from the other area. The dock goes across the marsh to the beach. It is rickety and no hand rails. Well, just keep walking! I am on the beach! I start walking westward to the end. It is a little longer than I thought and I walk at least a half mile.
Cool. I jog back to the dock and by now it is getting late, Almost 7 pm. The sun will be down soon and I don't want to jog this beach in the dark. I could make it the few miles to the end but to walk back would be hard at night. So, I take off in the van thinking that if is two miles or less I can stage the bike and jog the beach. But the beach extends a little longer so I call it a day. At least I know where to start tomorrow!
I head to Panacea. Nothing there, so I turn right and find the beach. Very nice! I cook dinner there. I ask some kids walking by how long it is. They don't know. But they said Crawfordville is only 15 minutes away. Really? Wow. Walmart Hilton! I think I will get a few things and spend the night there.
It takes a little longer, but I get there. After getting my things I take them out to the van. A young lady, about 30 years old is putting stuff away in her car next to my van. We chat. She has just come from church. The Good News Assembly. Great name for a church. I guess that it is an Assembly of God church and am right. Great. I like those churches. She said there is a Bible study Wed. night at seven. Well, I tell her I plan to be there.
Goodnight.
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
After a restful night, I get up about 8:30 am. A little late, but I was tired. I stop by McDonald's to check my email and get a quick bite to eat. Then I am off to St. Teresa Beach. I get to the beach and take off. Another beautiful day. I get to the end of the beach and try to hitchhike back on Hwy 98. No luck. But it is a beautiful day so I just start walking. I soon tire of this and cut down a road to the beach. Ahh. Nice. I walk through a yard yelling hello and apologizing. But beach access points are almost nil here. And that is very strange. Most beaches have clearly marked beach access points. I guess these Tallahassee folks like to keep this to themselves.
After I shout out a "hello" while passing through a yard to get to the beach, a family says hi from there back porch and I start walking to the beach. Then I turn around and ask them if I can chat for a minute. They invite me in and I take a seat. I want to know what kind of people live at St. Teresa Beach. They answer is that most people have a cottage, albeit some very nice cottages, there or time share one. And this has been in their family for years. It is a Tallahassee crowd and yes, it is upper middle class.
These folks don't make a living around here, they just keep their section of the beach. I have ambivalent feelings about that. There seems to be no interaction with the nice local folks. They don't seem to care at all about them. Now, on islands and at places like Mexico Beach there is plenty of mutual respect. I don't think it is here. Nice people at St. Teresa to a degree, but they keep to themselves, possibly too much.
Anyway, I finally get back to my van and take off for Alligator Point. But first I want to check out the restaurant that Oyster radio has been talking about. A dozen oysters for $3.99! Umm.. Lunch. It is located in Panacea, named for the sulfur springs there as hydrotherapy was in full swing during the naming of the town. Closed! Bummer. I stop in a place that offer haircuts. The nice lady, Arlene, tells me that the hairdresser is off for a few months for medical reasons. I ask about the area and oysters. Her hubby runs that place and her son runs a seafood place across the street. She calls over and orders my some oysters. Cool! Back in the panhandle I know.
I thank her and pop over there. Yummy! Big, fresh oysters. Now I am truly spoiled. Chris shucked them for me. Thanks! I ask the girl working there how she likes Panacea. She loves it and doesn't plan to leave. She is 22 and is very happy where she is at. Wow. No big city, no glamour, no hunks? Nope! She is happy there. I think she has chosen wisely.
I head back to Alligator Point and stop at Bald Beach State Park to check out the end of my run before the county line. The beach is beautiful and the fishare biting. Tempting! But I want to get to Alligator Point. As I drive I plan tomorrow's jog. I arrive at Alligator Point, and after a futile attempt to get close to the nature preserve, I park at the beach access about a half mile away and start walking. It is about two to two and a half miles to the point. A very nice walk. I hurry at is is already after 4 pm and I want to be done by 6 pm so I can make the Bible study in Crawfordville. I get to the point about 5:20 and realize I will be late. But it is so beautiful. All kinds of birds are there, and the horseshoe crabs are once again very busy.
I take off and have a nice jog. I see several catfish on the shore. The middle of them had been bitten out. A few days ago I heard that dolphins go for the middle of fish and let the rest of it go, and that's why sharks often follow dolphins, to get the rest of the fish. I finish about 6:20 and get to the Bible study a little late. Pastor Fielding is conducting the adult Bible study and it is open and encouraging. I like it! Of course, I interject my thoughts. Go figure! But it is relaxed and comfortable. I have a prayer request and they jump on it like it was the Sunday pot roast. And then we pray for some others. It is nice to fellowship. And a unique thing about the pastor. He doesn't feel obliged to know everything! If a point comes up and he doesn't know the answer, it's okay. Now that's rare. And I liked it very much.
Back at the Walmart Hilton. Nite.
Thursday, April 21, 2011
I am up and at 'em today. This is the day I finish the major beaches of the panhandle. I'm guessing it is about 8 miles, probably a little less due to the weather washing away part of the beach at Alligator Point. I plan to do it in stages and most stages are one and a half miles except for the last stage which is two and a half miles.
The first stage is fun! The weather is excellent again, there are a few folks at the beach and I feel great. It is done in no time. I reach the end and find a crew putting up a wall against the water in front of two houses. I ask the guy in charge about it. He says it is for Mr. C..., an area contractor. His two beach houses need this wall or the next storm might destroy them. The wall costs about $50,000, cheap for the job. The job has to be done by the first of May as no work can be done past the house after that. State law to protect the turtles, I think he said.
I take a little break, leave my bike at the next staging point and drive back to jog another mile and a half. It is again a beautiful beach, but becoming rather narrow. In fact, in my pics you can see where the beach seems to end. Hmm... What is on the other side? Nothing to do but jog and see. It's not bad, just have to jog in the water a few times. When I clear that watery obstacle, the beach is beautiful and there is that guy I saw before fishing by himself. Now I know why he is fishing along. This area is like having a private beach. Just beyond his point is a sign signifying state park territory.
Again, that was a pleasant jog. I load my K-mart Schwinn back into the van and take off. The next stop is a little state park shelter and beach access about a mile and a half down the road and from there is will be two and ha half miles to finish. But before that it is time for lunch. I feel like taking a break and go fishing. I was there checking it out yesterday and saw several people fishing. So, I used my fake bait and took my gear, including my chair, and hit the beach. There were just a few people out there.
Cathy was fishing. She is often there. She has a friend who works for the state there as a volunteer. She hasn't caught anything yet. I catch a medium sized white fish and keep it. If I get one more that will be lunch! Alas, no such luck. A lot of fish were jumping, but not onto my hooks. Cathy doesn't want the fish so I let it go. I cook some chow and drive back, park the van and meet a DEP (Division of Environmental Protection) officer. We chat. Interestingly, he can act as a state trooper, sheriff or policeman as well as a DEP officer. Pretty neat.
I take off. The beach is wonderful. Not many go this way and that makes it even better. I see Cathy fishing and know that part of the run is over. I chat a while and then take my bike and drive to the end of the park. The small pier there is unique in that it is wheelchair accessible. This seems to be a favorite fishing stop of the locals. I am hoping to get a ride back so I don't have to stage my bike. My brother calls and we chat. I see a van turn around and hang up on him after a brief goodbye. The lady kindly gives me a lift. She is a local looking for some of her visitors who say they are fishing at the boat ramp here. (There is no boat ramp on this side.) She drops me off and I thank her and wish her well.
Cathy has caught a good sized sea trout. She has already filleted it. A volunteer comes to clean the area. Her and Cathy know each other. Cathy calls her over because she thinks she sees an alligator in the gulf. By golly, she does! The gator is about three foot long and just lying parallel to the coast about 20 yards out. Neat! Evidently this is a rare thing because they are both excited. Me too.
I take off. It is late afternoon and I feel good, but a little tired. It is a good run. I pass a few rentals, some with people. But I have the beach to myself. The sun is warm and I take off my shirt. A deer fly soon finds me and searches out chinks in my armor. Dang! I can' lose it. I try clapping when it comes near my forehead, but can't squish it. Finally, I put my shirt back on. I come to a nice curve in the beach and see the pier. My run is about over. It has been a good day. I get to the pier and jog the little after it. The pier is full of some guys I had seen earlier. They are locals and were casting a bait net into a nearby pond. Only 5 bait. One said this was the lowest he has seen the pond. Also, that pond is the home of a very large alligator, so he won't go near it at night. Me neither! They are catching fish. They have the disease and it won't let them go. If they are married, I pity their wives.
The day is over for me. Tomorrow I finish any small beaches on the panhandle. There are two beaches left and a nice fellow, Jerry Brown (No, not that one!) tells me of two other beaches. As I go through Panacea I am supposed to turn down a road and go quite a ways, then the next one is down the road at the big oak tree where the guy is selling boiled peanuts.
Friday, April 22, 2011
Yes! After a lively night at the Walmart Hilton in Crawfordville, I am ready to finish the panhandle! The first stop is the little beach at the west end of the bridge before Panacea. There is a boat ramp there and a newly constructed fishing pier. A young lady, about 30, is getting her fishing pole out. She is dressed in casual business clothes and this piques my interest. We chat. She is a sales person, and this part of her territory. She has been in sales a long time and enjoys it. She is from this area and left it for New York City. She spent a few years there and returned to the panhandle. She is happier here. She is on a break and decided to try out the new pier. What a territory!
I jog the beach and am on my way top Mashes Island County Park Beach. This is a beautiful little beach about a mile long. It seems to have everything: sugar sand, a fishing pier which from my direction I had to wade some water to get to that part of the beach, a few pools of water next to marsh grass and sand. And bikinis! I guess bikini season officially started today. I have seen more bikinis here than anywhere else, and there aren't that many people here! I see the waitress from last night. She looks nice in a bikini, too! The place was the Angelo and Sons Seafood Restaurant. It was a touristy place. The cone-on was a dozen oysters for $3.99. They were the smallest oysters since Pensacola. I was totally disappointed. I looked over the menu and found it extremely pricey. The location of the restaurant is nice, but the prices are unreasonable. If you wish to show off or waste your money, that's the place for you. I much prefer the Coastal Restaurant. A small building containing the best restaurant around. The place is usually packed with locals. Go there. Your taste buds and wallet will be much happier.
I finish the jog. These little jogs are cute. Kind of like a walk in the park. The sun, the water, the folks. Love it. I asked this lady about my age if I could sit a few minutes. She is local as well. Very nice person. She had cancer back in the 80's and a few bouts since. But she is a survivor. Having gone through the treatment for cancer with a friend, who also survived, I have a special place in my heart for these folks, knowing what they had to endure with chemo and stuff. I get up and try to find the next beach.
First I stop at the marina in Panacea. I wanted to confirm the way to the small beaches. I stopped at Posey's Dockside Cafe and asked the girl. She directed me to the tiki bar in the back. Lee, a young, on-the-ball guy was working. I got my drink and ordered a dozen oysters. Love those things! Sittingnearby three young folks were chatting. All from Tifton, GA, but one had relocated here a few years ago. His name is Zack and he does a variety of things including charter boats and other stuff. He looks very happy and content. He friends, a couple still living in Tifton, GA are here for a few days. They love it here as well. I get the scoop on directions to the beaches and after a fun chat and a belly full of oysters, off I go.
I get back on Hwy 98 and turn right at the right street. The road takes me through miles of marshes, but the road is paved. I hope there is a beach out there. I get to the end and find ... not much. Some stones and shells and mud. I jog it anyway. After all, it's only about 30 feet long. The view is very nice though and worth the trip. I get back in my cargo van and hit Hwy 98 looking for that big oak tree where they are selling boiled peanuts.
I find the tree! I turn right and enter a pine forest where the road is sand! Shoot. I can drive on ice and snow, but sand is relatively new to me and I am not sure about it. What if I get stuck in the woods? I just treat it like snow and promise myself not to stop. It does get a little dicey for me, but the the road goes through some marshes and the ground is firm and very bumpy. Then I hit sand again and decide to stop the first change I get and walk the rest of the way. Finally I find a place to stop where I can turn around. I walk a minute to the "beach". I would call this spit of land among the marshes with a beautiful view of Bald Point State Park and the surrounding area, "Oyster Beach". Basically it's about 20 feet of oyster shells, stones and some sandy mud. But abeautiful location. And there are campers here!
A young couple from Tallahassee are camping out. She is from north Tallahassee and he from south Tallahassee. Evidently, she is the rich girl hooked up with the other-side-of-the-tracks guy. They are having difficulty pitching a tent. Someone forgot the stakes. (I know how that feels!) So, I offer to give them four of my stakes. They are happy to agree and I go back to the van and get the stakes. The ground is hard there, all oyster shells. The there is no hammer so I suggest their tire iron as I really don't want to go back and get my I make it back through the sand and get back on Hwy 98. Whew! And, no, I didn't stop for boiled peanuts. I tried them twice. Not my taste.
I drive on to Shell Point, the last beach on the panhandle. I arrive and find it to be a nice little beach with a series of condos built near it. The golf carts are out and young people and seniors alike are enjoying the sun and water. This is not a beach I would come back to though. It's too built up. I walk out to the beach and start down towards the western end. I spy a frisbee at the shore and no one around to claim it. I leave it there as I usually don't pick up anything but shells. I arrive at the end, going by some private residences to get to the end of the beach. I jog back and on a whim I pick up the green frisbee. I turn it over and it reads da da da company, Destin, FL. LOL This is my reminder to tell all you folks to go to Destin! The panhandle this side is full. I want to be the last person let in! Bugs! Small towns! Biting bugs! No Burger King or McDonald's. Not Starbucks or Outbacks! No malls! Hot! Go to Destin!
Saturday, April 23, 2011
I spend the day visiting Wakulla Springs State Park. I heard that if I take a boat ride, I can see the tree Tarzan, Johnny Weissmuller, swung from! So, off I go! The park is beautiful. There is a spring there, one of the deepest in the world and kids and adults are jumping from a platform into it. Lots of fun going on there! I get a ticket for the boat 3 pm boat ride. The ride turns out to be very beautiful and interesting. The volunteer giving the tour, Susie, is excellent with her knowledge and energy. The animals, including unique bird life, gators, snakes and trees and plan are amazing. Don't miss it when you come down this way. We go by a stump sticking out of the water. She laments that this is all that remains of the Tarzan Tree. I suggest it is doing better than Johnny! But I really was looking forward to seeing that tree. It's like the Council Oak near my home in Wauseon, OH. When I was I could drive by that majestic tree and wonder. Now it is a stump and a plaque. But I sill showed my kids.
That night for some reason I think I should go to St. Marks, the second oldest town in America. Two rivers meet there and there is supposed to be some dancing going on. I am a little surprised I feel led to to there as it is more of a party place than most leadings. I get there and meet some nice folks who direct me on where to go and what to do. Some of these parties are in full swing and it's only 5 or 6 pm. At one place it is Hawaiian Theme Night along with all the jokes and coconut shells (on the guys!). It is fun. I then head to the next place where there is supposed to be dancing later. The waitress, named Joyce, and I chat. She is young, about 32, with a couple of kids. She has done most every kind of dangerous outdoor work possible. Amazing. Her next goal is to obtain her pilot's license. She wants to fly search and rescue choppers! We talk and in the course of talking I tell her that God really does love her and that she might become interested in flying choppers for missionaries. Now that is a dangerous job! She says she got chills with that comment. So, maybe she will! Anyway, that's why I went there I believe.
The band is fantastic. I will post their card soon. Every song is excellent, music and vocals. I don't dance, but stay and listen. It's hard to find someone to dance with who isn't with someone. I am a bit picky, I guess, but I like a good dance. There is one lady to is excellent, but alas, taken. I am not one to hit on someone's date. That's rude. I leave the place and camp out in the parking lot across the street. The next day is Easter and I am hoping to attend a sunrise service somewhere.
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Easter! I wake up before dawn. I didn't sleep too well and was eager to go, I thought about about going back to Mashes Island County Park Beach,but I really didn't want to go backwards, so I went east on Hwy 98 through Perry looking for a sunrise service. But it was by now too late for sunrise services so I would have to wait for a regular service. I ask directions to the nearest beaches and am told to turn down a certain road. This jives with my map so I head out planning to stop at the first church I see to worship with other believers this Easter morning.
I pass through Perry and stop at a gas station. The girl behind the counter is helpful and there is an old fellow there, too, who helps out. I am looking for beaches and they turn me on to a few. Fortunately these are the same as I had previously discovered. So, no surprises so far. I turn at the caution light onto County Road (CR) 361 (aka Beach Road) and take off looking for the first church. I find a sign that says there is a church two miles down this side road. I follow this dusty road and find this nice little church with a beautiful 6-acre area. It is 7:30 am and church starts at 10:30 and I am tired.
I park under a tree and take a chair out of the back and have a seat. I may have dozed for a little while. But then I cook breakfast, clean it up and sit to await the arrival of folks. I hope they have church today and didn't have an early service! The day is quite warm and I am sleepy. I start to re-arrange the cargo van, putting things away. I nice pickup truck drives along the road and pulls into the area. I think that is is probably the pastor and I am tired so don't walk the 300 yards to say hi. He is probably getting things ready for church. I doze a little and he comes over to introduce himself. I tell him why I am here and he welcomes me. He came from a baptist church and felt God led him to preach but no the confines of the baptist church. He has no formal training. This is his second church.
Others start to show up. It is a small congregation with kids, families and older folks. They have a good piano player and a good singer as well. An older gent gets up front with his banjo. I can't understand the words to his two or three songs, but it is nice to be in church. They have a few more congregational hymns, make a few announcements and anoint a few with oil for healing. It is nice to be in church this day. The sermon reveals the preachers lack of training due to is lack of depth. But it is good to be among Christians. And when C.H. Spurgeon got saved as a child it was by an old baptist preacher who probably lacked depths as well. But God uses whoever is willing to obey!
One lady make beautiful small crosses with ribbons attached as bookmarks. The preacher's wife holds the basket up and tells us to come and get them. After watching her I notice they she leads as much as she can and I think she controls everything she can as well. Preacher envy!
Church ends with communion which I am happy to take. Especially among fellow Christians. It's over and I head to a beach. I usually don't run beaches on Sunday, but today I have to. I have to be in Tampa tomorrow to pick up a friend and supporter who wants to jog with me for a while.
The first beach at the end of Beach Road is not a beach. Marsh, all marshes. An older couple from Gainesville are out looking for beaches today as well. They have a map of beaches in the area and are as confused as I am. He puts on his walking shoes and starts down a path. I don't because I have tried that before. If no beach is where it should be, they isn't one next to it as well. I take off and see them get ready to leave as well. Oh, well. Another day look for a sandy beach.
I get back on CR 361 turning right. Just down the road I discover a bar called "Beach Bar". I stop, it's open and I walk in. The barmaid is behind the the and one gentleman is sitting at the bar. I as where the beaches are. They really don't know. I chat a few minutes and head out.
I arrive at Keaton Beach and jog this little thing. Then I go in the restaurant across the street to have a bite to eat. I wouldn't recommend the place, but it was adequate. I keep going to visit beaches where there really is none. But I have to check each lead. I stop at another place and see the older couple's car. I walk into a very nice restaurant and walk around till I find them. They recognize me and we chat. I ask them if they found any more beaches. They shake their heads no.
Off to Cedar Key. It looks like there is a beach there and some islands that have beaches on them as well. It is getting dark when I arrive. I really like this place. The water and land here is beautiful. And the town consists of two parts, one a quite village and the other a touristy waterfront. I like it! And there is the beach.
I need a place to sleep. I decide to try the fishing pier but nix that idea. I enter an RV park a few miles outside of town and ask if I can stay for $10 since I will be camping primitive. Basically I just want to use the shower. They try to help and tell me that they can go for that price but that there is one place to stay for $5 for a tent. They tell me how to get there. It's about 5 miles away. I get there and sleep in my van. The next morning, Steve, who works there, a navy submariner, tells me which places are for $5 and I sign on for three night.
Monday, April 25, 2011
I commence to set my tent up and find the gnats are terrible. Instead of breakfast, I just make some coffee and call it quits. The tent is up and I unload some stuff from my van. Then I clean the inside of the van, taking everything out, pulling out the rubber flooring and washing it.
I have a friend who wants to jog with me for a while. So I need to get to Tampa airport to pick her up. She has been a friend and a supporter of my quest for a long time. I pick her up and we head back to Cedar Key. I could have tried to do Cedar Key before in the morning. I had a boat lined up, etc. But decided that it was so beautiful here, she should see it. (Many folks told me to stop at Cedar Key and I am glad they did!)
And two of the best meals I have had in my life I had at Cedar Key. The first was breakfast at Annie's. We found this place by asking around. We both felt the food was excellent. Annie is the grandmother of the lady who runs it now, Laura, I think her name is. It was by far the best western omelet I have ate and the grits were excellent. The second meal was that night at the Island Room at Cedar Cove a condo community just off the beach. Service was completely top notch. They even got a phone number for me off the Internet! Anything you get there will be excellent and the price is very fair. Don't miss these two places when you go there!
The cafe downtown for breakfast had very nice people, but the food was poorly made. Our waitress, a woman in her 50's, maybe, was very interesting. She had dropped out of law school for a particular reason and came to Cedar Key not more than ten years ago. (She was at law school in 40's!) She married and is very happy here. The other waitress, a young girl, was just as impressive as the one at the Island Room. Both had graduated from Cedar Key High School, (or whatever they call it) and both were well poised, intelligent and very nice people. This one said her graduating class had 16 people in it. It is the smallest school district in Florida.
We rented a double kayak from Tom Yakak. His last name is actually a German name, but since he likes to talk and is in they kayak business, he put TomYakak on his shirt! This is a far cry from the Curmudgeonalia Store. They fellow had an excellent selection of books and was a true curmudgeon! Go in there for the humor and books! But don't stay too long or the negative bug will bite you!
Now, Tom is a nice fellow and a business man as well. When a kayak renter doesn't talk about currents, you know there is a reason for that. We found out heading to the second island! It took a looonnngg time to get there. The fist island, North Key was a few miles away and we had a good time going there. We discovered "Royal Minion's Reef on the way. My kayak friend aptly named that! There were two beaches on the island and we jogged them. Small, but beaches nonetheless. We weren't allowed to go to one of the islands because half the pelican populations begins their life there and it was that time of years. No one was allowed within 100 feet of the island. And, of course, we honored that. I like pelicans!
So, we kayaked to the next island, Snake Island. It was a slow go against the current. But we finally made it. Not much to jog there but a nice beach! We met a couple there who were very nice. I think he said he was a contractor from the Tampa area and he and his wife were on a little vacation. He was redder than a firetruck!
We kayaked toward shore to the next and last island. I jogged that beach, going into the surf to avoid bushes, etc. It was shortly after 5 when we made it back to shore. After a few pictures, we stowed the gear where he said and took off to jog the little beach. There was a little beach past that that I wanted to jog as well. So, I swam the 10 foot channel and got to that beach,jogged it and came back. That was fun! I did fall down part of a pier, though. C'est la vie!
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
We take off down the road to St. Pete Beach. There is a dance that I am always bragging about and I wanted to show my friend. But first we have to hit a few beaches along the way.
Today, my son and I were on the road heading back to Ohio so he could enjoy the rest of spring break with his friends. On the way, we observed a state patrol car pursuing a black corvette. My son said the guy in the corvette was sticking a gun out the window and shooting at the cop. Wow. I slowed down as I didn't want them to hit us by accident. They took off around a curve so I headed down the interstate again. A few miles later I saw the black vet off in the grass and the patrolman crouching behind his door. He saw us and waved to us to stop. So, we skidded to a stop out of the line of fire. At least I thought!
Suddenly, this guy jumps from behind the bushes and, brandishing a gun pointed it at me, telling me to move over. Well, of course I was scared and my son being in the car I was scared for him too. So, I said you, "hop in but I'm driving." I didn't want him to crash us. He had my son move to the back of the cargo van and hopped in the front keeping his gun pointed at me. Shoot! (I mean, Shucks!) I took off while the patrolman was still crouching behind his car door. He hadn't seen anything.
We took off down the interstate and about five miles later he told us to get out. We did. He took off. But amazingly just ahead before the next exit about a mile down the road they had set up a roadblock. They stopped him. He jumped out of the van and started shooting. They shot him dead. Later I learned he was a twice-convicted criminal and vowed never to go back to prison. Later, I learned my son had signaled the crouching patrolman and he had radioed ahead.
After a few hours, after the detectives interviewed us and checked out the van, we got the van back and was on the road, shaken but kind of giddy in a weirdway. The only thing to remind us of incident are the three bullet holes on the left side of the van. I think I will leave them there and you can see them every April First. Maybe... Ulless, of course, this is an April Fool's Joke!
Okay. Enough of that!
Thursday, April 7, 2011
I finally arrive back to St. George Island and I get back in time to attend the wine and appetizer get-together! The folks were nice and the appetizers were excellent. Cecilia Harris was very nice. She offered me a pass to get onto the Plantation after she heard what I was doing. Her husband, Steve, a local real estate agent, got it done for me quickly. Nice folks and you can check them out on my sponsors page.
Friday, April 8, 2011
I get up and get ready to jog the first five miles of St. George Island. Finally! Larry, the guard who wouldn't even make a call to his boss for me before (He just sat there watching his Chrstian TV, uncaring as can be) checks my name and gives me my pass. As I start out I mention two words, "grace and mercy" then I say, "Try it." (Sorry, but people like that bug me, Christians with no grace.) I go through the gate and follow the winding road down to the end. I hop out, go to the beach access and walk to the jetty. A nice fellow out there has just landed his third flounder! I do my sretches, exercises and take off. If feel great! The day is another perfect day. The sun is shining, the waves are about a foot high at the beach and folks are out relaxing and having fun. About two thirds the way down I develop tightness and it is getting worse. By the end of the run I am doing a hop-a-long jog. But I did it and now I can take a break. I can hardly walk. Bummer!
That night while lying down, I couldn't turn over because I couldn't move my left leg. Hmm...
Saturday, April 9, 2011
The leg feel better. Maybe I will jog today. I get up, stage my bike about two miles from the eastern end of the Plantation and go back to jog. While putting on my shoes and socks I begin to think, "What the heck am I doing? I need to give the leg a rest." So, I put my flip flops back on, pick up the bike and head to the Firehouse 9 restaurant. So, what am I going to do today? I look in the free paper at the events and when I see Sopchoppy Worm Gruntin' Festival I know what I have to do. You can read about it as soon I get the article finished and posted.Yesterday, back after almost two weeks of not jogging, I was on the beach at the Plantation at St. George Island. Cecilia and Steve Harris, a happy and nice couple, got me into that place so I could more easily jog the beach. I thoroughly enjoyed the jog, maybe a little two much. By the end of the 5-mile jaunt I was in pain from my lower back to my knee. (Just call me hop-a-long!) Last night wasn't much better. I couldn't walk straight till this morning. It was tender but better.
I got ready to jog anyway. Tough it out, right? That's what I thought, after all I have an agenda and need to be in Orlando by the 15th! But wisdom
proved the better part of me this morning. I am going to let it rest today. Tomorrow is Sunday and I don't run on Sundays so it will be a two-day rest.
So, I picked up the bike I had staged, put and went into the Firehouse #9 Restaurant run by Ed. Belinda is the waitress today. Good. They are all
nice. I grab the local free paper called Forgotten Coast Line and look at the activities, since I am not jogging today might as well relax. And once I saw the Sopchoppy Worm Gruntin' Festival I new I found my daily activity!
First of all, none of the words go together. Sopchoppy? What the heck is that? Yep, a name of a town. A very funny name! Worm ... Festival? Weird people! Worm Gruntin'? Huh? Gruntin' Festival? An odorous affair, I am sure! A Worm Gruntin' Festival? You gotta be kidding! Anyone who sees that, just has to go check it out.
I arrived around 9:30 am. The place was in full swing with vendors up and down two streets selling everything from Fried Green Tomatoes and Brats to microwave baking potato pockets. It was fun! A large portion of the square was under a giant shady oak tree, music was coming from the stage and folks big and small were walking around having fun. But the center of attention was the worm gruntin' exhibition.
There were several gruntin' stations. Each one consisted of a wooden steak (usually cherry or another fruitwood) pounded into the ground and a metal paddle about two feet long. Folks have been gathering worms in these parts for generations this way. Their market for worms reaches as far as Atlanta, Ga. I was watching this long-haired soft-spoken guy demonstrate. The sound is a low grunting vibration that you can feel in feet as well as hear. He asked if anyone would like to try it. Well, heck yeah!
The fellow's name was Snap. He is the son of Gary and Audrey Revell. Gary's dad lived in the forest. So does Gary, Audrey and their son today. They are making a good living worm grunting, working with Florida State University about the ecosystem and education folks, especially kids about life, the simple way.
Anyway, Snap, the fellow who was demonstrating the technique, said I was a natural. That made me feel good. Well, I was done, but he said I should keep going till some worms came up. So, I knelt down and really started grunting! The worms materialized as if by magic. It is probably like fingernails on a chalkboard to those worms.
Then I went and bought a T-shirt and had Gary, Audrey and Snap sign it. I like to wear it. The festival had something fun for everyone. The kids had their events, including, worm gruntin', hula hoops and other fun stuff, too. Three young kids won rods and reels. Cool! The stage was going with some good music and the folks were sitting on the row of picnic tables or one of the many chairs. People from Eastpoint were there as well as many from Tallahassee.
Did you every see episodes on TV like Little House on the Prairie where the town is having a festival and everyone is happy? Kids are playing, even in the evening, folks are talking and dancing and just having a good time? Well, that is the Sopchoppy Worm Gruntin' Festival
It lasted well into the night with a new band designed to get people dancing. It was fun! And for a good cause as well. I believe this year the money
raised goes to the community park. And Sopchoppy is quite a community. In the town itself there is one recording studio, outside of town at least two more (I think Snap has one). There is an organic bakery and coffee shop that has the best coffee on record. There is an upscale restaurant, an eclectic jazz store on the corner where they host named artists, have reading and is just plain cool.
A variety of artists live in and around this small, little town, as well as just regular folks like you and me. If you get the chance to visit this town, especially during the Sopchoppy Worm Gruntin' Festival, you will be happy.
Sunday, April 10, 2011
I am still at Sopchoppy but want to get to a church. So, I head back to St. George Island and find a church on the island. I find the St. George United Methodist Church. It doesn't look like much, but I go in. The folks are nice and the singing is good. At the end of the service the pastor really impressed me by his earnest integrity to the Bible and his love for the church and the world. So, here's their website. sgiumc.org. After church I went fishing and fell asleep on the beach. Next time I think I will wear some sunscreen.
Monday, April 11, 2011
My leg is feeling much better and the weather is beautiful. I plan to stage my bike in two-mile increments as I don't know how my leg will react. The first two miles are great. Folks are already on the beach at 8 in the morning. One lady at the access point waiting for her husband, strikes up a conversation. She walks the beach three times a day, often with her dog. Her hubby, a contractor, picks her up and points and then she takes a break. She goes in the morning, noon and afternoon. She tells me about Murphy, the dog who has the run of the beaches. A friendly dog of medium size and a golden color. His owner also owns the Blue Parrot.
I end up at the Blue Parrot, and ride my bike back, put it in the van and go to the next stage. That went well too. It is now about 11 am. I stop to eat and start up again a few hours later. I do two and a half miles and end up at the beginning of the state park. Interestingly, I meet the same lady on this beach as well. She is fun to talk to. She has two rentals on the island.
I drive through the park about four and a half miles and think that if I can get a ride to the entrance I can jog this and get to Bible study tonight at 6:30. Lo and behold, a wildlife officer, check out some fillets that shouldn't have been filleted yet, asks if he can be of help. I give him my card, explain what I am doing and how he can help. He agrees and takes me back to the entrance when he is finished.
On the way back, hear over the radio that there is an eight-foot alligator in the road and can someone get there to assist. I asked him where that was. He said Tallahassee. He also said that out here folks don't get too excited about it and call the cops, they just drive around it. Wow!
This jog is harder than I thought, but I make it back in time to be just a little late for the Bible study. The study was so well worth it. And they had food, too!!!
That night I spend at the tip of the island. My favorite spot.
Tuesday, April, 12, 2011
It rained last night and the wind was loud too. I hope I can jog today. I want to get off this island and keep going. A truck pulls up and a fisherman gets out. I ask about the weather. He says it won't rain anymore but the will will pick up in a few hours. Guess I had better get started! I bicycle back the 4.2 miles to the gate. I take a short break, do my exercises and get going. It was just plan beautiful. It was a slow jog along the 5 miles I did. Along the way I picked up a really nice horseshoe crab tail, a nice shell and a sponge thing.
I saw a crab hole in the side of the sand as big as my outstretched hand. Wow! It starts to sprinkle. I start to pray! The sprinkling stopped and the day was gorgeous. I finished my jog feeling fine. And met some nice folks along the way. Grandparents from Tallahassee have their son, daughter-in-law and granddaughter from Phoenix. They are a very nice family. He was a tanker in the Marines. But his wife won't let him go jogging for a week with me! Actually, she probably would let him. Nice folks. And the fish were biting! Pompanos, sea trout, Spanish mackerels. People wading out from the point. Calm waters. But I vowed not to fish till I got this site updated! C'est la vie!
I am done! I say goodbye to a few folks and drive away. That night I spend at the Indian Creek Park in Eastpoint. Looking for a bear. No bears, but a beautiful sunset, etc.
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Tax day for me. 'Nough said! Next, a short stretch at Carrabelle Beach and off to Dog Island!!!
I did my taxes at the Franklin County Library at Eastpoint. Annie is one of the full-time workers there and she is great. A former Marine Lifer dropped by to give some special coffee. It tasted good. He is a very nice fellow. Beauford Braxton walked in to donate some Louis L'amore books. I had met him and his wife, Carol, earlier at the park. Nice folks!
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Woke up after nine. But I had woken up three times earlier that night. I wanted to see a bear. The first time I heard a noise and was startled, no bear. The second time and third times nothing as well. I did think I heard a sound our two but thy then was too tired to get up and see. The spot I was in was absolutely gorgeous. But I woke up tired. I drove to Carrabelle beach and stopped at the Chamber of Commerce to get better directions to Cape St., my starting point. They were nice and we got on line to google maps and then she told me how to get there. I parked at the old lighthouse, very nice by the way. I crossed the road to the beach and did my morning exercises. Let me say that I always having morning Bible reading and prayer before I jog. Gotta start the day right!
I jogged about 100 yards and stopped to meet this interesting looking fellow. His name is Kufu. He is a black fellow who was a boxer at FSU and I studiedAfrican cultures. He has been to Africa, Egypt and Ethiopia and have a very good philosophy. A nice fellow who was taking the day off to fish. He caught several yesterday. (It's not always the jog, it's the moment.) I continued and found it to be a lovely beach and not too crowded. I guess it can be that way on the weekend though. Along the way I met several stingrays, the first I had seen outside of an aquarium. They were moving towards shore but skittish when I moved toward them. There were several. I saw at least five. Each was about 1 to 1 and 1/2 foot in length.
The beach arches beautifully, like a mini-Mexico Beach. I went to the point and followed the turn up to the marshes. That little area had many exquisite shells, but each was the home of a hermit crab. I grabbed one shell and tried a few way to separate the crab from the shell. And I can tell now that the acidic nature of urine doesn't work. Bummer!
I finished my jog and went to Al's 2, a restaurant where I staged my bike. They have the best fries I had in Florida, and the cheese sandwich was very good as well. I am tired today so decided to backtrack to Port St. Joe and then Mexico Beach just to rest. I end up back at Apalachicola at the Ranch Inn. It has a bath!!! The lady who runs it is nice, the rates are very good for that area. I soaked in the bath for a good long time. Then off to sleep.
Friday, April 15, 2011
Good Morning! Boy, do I feel better, not back to 100% yet but much better. They gave me an extra hour at the motel and even offer the same rate for that night, which is a weekend night. I thank them and move on. I need to get to Dog Island. I head down to Carrabelle, a quaint, picturesque, small town. I stop by the Chamber of Commerce to see what they know. They point me in the right direction. I meet Russ who runs the ferry. A very nice fellow whoexplained that Monday would be the best day for me because the shuttle runs in the morning and evening. So I can jog Dog Island and get back on one day. Cool!
I spend the day taking in the area and working on the computer. The library here is just wonderful. Just like the one at Eastpoint. A local lady had won a Paul Newman Gumbo cooking contest. She won $50,000 for her charity, which I guess helped the libraries. The folks are super-friendly and the amenities are great. WiFi 24/7 whether they are open or not. That's cool.
Monday, April 18, 2011
I slept at the marina area where the shuttle takes off. I figured all the commotion would wake me up if I overslept. I can't miss this one! The shuttle leaves at 8 and I am up just after seven. I get ready for the day, double check my little pack I take. Since I am not sure about the island and might just have to spend the night there, I pack for overnight: two bladders of water, poncho liner, some venison I got from the church on Sunday, a lighter, insect stuff, knife, small rod and reel I pickup up at the hardware store, camera, phone, and a few other things. Eight o'clock comes along and no one is there. I thought everybody wanted to go to Dog Island and there would be at least 10 people waiting. I don't even see the boat. After a few worried moments I call Russ. He answers and says he will be there in 5 minutes. I forget that I am not on city time, but people time. Ah, that's a good thought.
Russ shows up and I am the only one to go. I hope on and take a seat. He heads out and we talk. He used to live on island for years, but has since moved inland (two blocks into the town of Carrabelle). He has been running that service for years. Plus he has a towing service. Tow US I think it is called. He is a cool guy with lots of stories. I mention how many different stories I have heard about Dog Island and he says that he's pretty sure that Dog Island got its name from dog sailors, those sailors who were shanghaied at other ports and the captains would put them off on a island before entering port so they wouldn't escape.
We get there and there isn't much there. A few rows of old cars and trucks. But today is also mail day. (It comes three times a week there) So folks are coming to get their mail. I start hiking to my starting point 7 miles away. I wasn't going to ask for a ride unless offered. Well, this lady stops and asks what I am doing, so I tell her. She offers me a ride as far as the road goes, I would just have to wait till the mail gets there. Super!!! Later, we take off. It is a type of gator thing, with 4-wheel drive. And we need it. There are no paved roads on the island, all sand.
As she is taking me, we talk. Water moccasins are bad around here, life is nice slow, but folks come all the time. Either annual vacationers with their own places or grand kids. So, she is always doing somethings. By the way her name Susan Bankerman(?) She is very nice. Her hubby is a semi-retired doctor. They have been living there for over 20 years, and they love it!
She drops me off. I hike the rest of the way to the point. Now I can see St. George from my new vantage point. I always like to do that. I take a break and stretch. I am a little tired, but gotta get this island done. So, off I go, a nice slow jog. I measured it at 9 miles and am guessing that it will take at least four hours with the pace I have started. But it is the right pace for me today. There are few people on the beach and the sand is soft. I can hardly find hard sand to jog on. This makes it a little tougher, but gotta do it. Sometimes I am jogging in the surf.
I start jogging at 10:25. At the half hour mark I stop and take a little break, taking some venison out of my pocket and having a bite. No sitting down though. I didn't take a sitting break this whole run. Scared I would get back up! I take of again. I did this a few more times. Often I pick an object or place in the distance and try to stop there. Finally I round the island. Now I know I have about two miles to go. Cool. A while later I run out of houses and see two dolphins in water. God knows they boost my spirits, and I keep going. Finally I round the end of the island and stop. It is 2:00. Three and a half hours. Not too bad. (Later I find that the distance is only 8.5 miles, still not too bad.) Tada! Boy do I feel good!
I keep walking around this little cove and I walk out into the shallow water to put some cold around my ankles and knees. Then I get out and walk up the cove a ways, debating to continue this way or cut across to the beach I just jogged. I sit down a take a break. Then I see this fin in the water. It looks a little different from the dolphin, so I check out the tail. Yep, it's a shark about my size swimming in the shallow water. Wow! First shark I have seen in the wild that was any big.
I cross back to the beach I jogged and start walking up it. Slowly. I see two horseshoe crabs, evidently on their honeymoon. About 50 yards down the beach I see two more, big ones! Then I see this long-haired,tall thin, fellow. Todd. He is setting up a few line for fishing. While he is setting up the second one, the first one catches a fish. He doesn't see it as he is working on the other line. I suggest he has a fish and he grabs the line. This fish put up quite a fight. It was a beautiful red fish, within the right sizes to eat too. He is having a good day, and so am I.
I walk up to a road and pray for a ride. I'm beat. The sun had done a number on me today and sapped my strength. So I pray. I get a ride to the docks and after a short while there, and a nice conversation with one of my brothers I hitch a ride back to Carrabelle. I call Russ and tell him I am back so he doesn't have to worry about me.
Now I need to finish this panhandle. I have been here too long, but the places and the people deserved my time. (Go to Destin!) That's my joke for around here. Destin is an excellent place, but this is special.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Right now I am at the library getting some insurance work done. It's after 3 pm and I am finally done. I wanted to jog about five miles today, but that probably won't be possible. And I am not sure about a few places. I have asked around but it seems there's a beach area that people forgot about. I head up to something called Summer Camp(?) The sign reads "No Trespassing" etc. And there is a phone number. It is after 5, but I call anyway. I get a recording. Oh, well. It looks empty, so I go ahead. There are a few big places out there but many more open spots. Later I learn that a company started a new community, but ran out of funds.
I find an empty lot, yell hello to any neighbors and head to the water to see if there is a beach. Yep. Tada! It doesn't seem very big so I walk west to the end. I have to cross several rocks and many pointed tree stumps. But there are several horseshoe crabs in the middle of mating season. Many are on their backs on the shore, not moving. If they have their tails, I nudge them and if they move turn them over so they can get back to the water. They were just too tired to flip over. I find four males surrounding a female. One seems to be joined. I just don't think it fair, so I find a stick, a big one, and try to move him off. For some reason, he doesn't want to go! I even flip them over. After several attempts he loses a leg, so I guess he means business and I leave him alone. Wow. Talk about tenacity!
The beach is nice, but there are tree stumps barely sticking out of the ground. Dangerous, I think, and I jog carefully. Horseshoe crabs all over the place. I get to the end and walk back. It was a nice jog. I head out to find the next beach. I turn down this road that has many mailboxes and after about a half mile see someone walking. Her name is Cecilia. She says that this is St. Teresa beach and I can park at the dead end. I park there and can't find the access. I don't want to enter someone's yard. I walk a few houses back where I spy some movement. Then Cecilia, who is out on a power walk, comes by and say I can cut through the yard at the last house. Cool.
I walk down to the beach and realize I looked at it from the other area. The dock goes across the marsh to the beach. It is rickety and no hand rails. Well, just keep walking! I am on the beach! I start walking westward to the end. It is a little longer than I thought and I walk at least a half mile.
Cool. I jog back to the dock and by now it is getting late, Almost 7 pm. The sun will be down soon and I don't want to jog this beach in the dark. I could make it the few miles to the end but to walk back would be hard at night. So, I take off in the van thinking that if is two miles or less I can stage the bike and jog the beach. But the beach extends a little longer so I call it a day. At least I know where to start tomorrow!
I head to Panacea. Nothing there, so I turn right and find the beach. Very nice! I cook dinner there. I ask some kids walking by how long it is. They don't know. But they said Crawfordville is only 15 minutes away. Really? Wow. Walmart Hilton! I think I will get a few things and spend the night there.
It takes a little longer, but I get there. After getting my things I take them out to the van. A young lady, about 30 years old is putting stuff away in her car next to my van. We chat. She has just come from church. The Good News Assembly. Great name for a church. I guess that it is an Assembly of God church and am right. Great. I like those churches. She said there is a Bible study Wed. night at seven. Well, I tell her I plan to be there.
Goodnight.
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
After a restful night, I get up about 8:30 am. A little late, but I was tired. I stop by McDonald's to check my email and get a quick bite to eat. Then I am off to St. Teresa Beach. I get to the beach and take off. Another beautiful day. I get to the end of the beach and try to hitchhike back on Hwy 98. No luck. But it is a beautiful day so I just start walking. I soon tire of this and cut down a road to the beach. Ahh. Nice. I walk through a yard yelling hello and apologizing. But beach access points are almost nil here. And that is very strange. Most beaches have clearly marked beach access points. I guess these Tallahassee folks like to keep this to themselves.
After I shout out a "hello" while passing through a yard to get to the beach, a family says hi from there back porch and I start walking to the beach. Then I turn around and ask them if I can chat for a minute. They invite me in and I take a seat. I want to know what kind of people live at St. Teresa Beach. They answer is that most people have a cottage, albeit some very nice cottages, there or time share one. And this has been in their family for years. It is a Tallahassee crowd and yes, it is upper middle class.
These folks don't make a living around here, they just keep their section of the beach. I have ambivalent feelings about that. There seems to be no interaction with the nice local folks. They don't seem to care at all about them. Now, on islands and at places like Mexico Beach there is plenty of mutual respect. I don't think it is here. Nice people at St. Teresa to a degree, but they keep to themselves, possibly too much.
Anyway, I finally get back to my van and take off for Alligator Point. But first I want to check out the restaurant that Oyster radio has been talking about. A dozen oysters for $3.99! Umm.. Lunch. It is located in Panacea, named for the sulfur springs there as hydrotherapy was in full swing during the naming of the town. Closed! Bummer. I stop in a place that offer haircuts. The nice lady, Arlene, tells me that the hairdresser is off for a few months for medical reasons. I ask about the area and oysters. Her hubby runs that place and her son runs a seafood place across the street. She calls over and orders my some oysters. Cool! Back in the panhandle I know.
I thank her and pop over there. Yummy! Big, fresh oysters. Now I am truly spoiled. Chris shucked them for me. Thanks! I ask the girl working there how she likes Panacea. She loves it and doesn't plan to leave. She is 22 and is very happy where she is at. Wow. No big city, no glamour, no hunks? Nope! She is happy there. I think she has chosen wisely.
I head back to Alligator Point and stop at Bald Beach State Park to check out the end of my run before the county line. The beach is beautiful and the fishare biting. Tempting! But I want to get to Alligator Point. As I drive I plan tomorrow's jog. I arrive at Alligator Point, and after a futile attempt to get close to the nature preserve, I park at the beach access about a half mile away and start walking. It is about two to two and a half miles to the point. A very nice walk. I hurry at is is already after 4 pm and I want to be done by 6 pm so I can make the Bible study in Crawfordville. I get to the point about 5:20 and realize I will be late. But it is so beautiful. All kinds of birds are there, and the horseshoe crabs are once again very busy.
I take off and have a nice jog. I see several catfish on the shore. The middle of them had been bitten out. A few days ago I heard that dolphins go for the middle of fish and let the rest of it go, and that's why sharks often follow dolphins, to get the rest of the fish. I finish about 6:20 and get to the Bible study a little late. Pastor Fielding is conducting the adult Bible study and it is open and encouraging. I like it! Of course, I interject my thoughts. Go figure! But it is relaxed and comfortable. I have a prayer request and they jump on it like it was the Sunday pot roast. And then we pray for some others. It is nice to fellowship. And a unique thing about the pastor. He doesn't feel obliged to know everything! If a point comes up and he doesn't know the answer, it's okay. Now that's rare. And I liked it very much.
Back at the Walmart Hilton. Nite.
Thursday, April 21, 2011
I am up and at 'em today. This is the day I finish the major beaches of the panhandle. I'm guessing it is about 8 miles, probably a little less due to the weather washing away part of the beach at Alligator Point. I plan to do it in stages and most stages are one and a half miles except for the last stage which is two and a half miles.
The first stage is fun! The weather is excellent again, there are a few folks at the beach and I feel great. It is done in no time. I reach the end and find a crew putting up a wall against the water in front of two houses. I ask the guy in charge about it. He says it is for Mr. C..., an area contractor. His two beach houses need this wall or the next storm might destroy them. The wall costs about $50,000, cheap for the job. The job has to be done by the first of May as no work can be done past the house after that. State law to protect the turtles, I think he said.
I take a little break, leave my bike at the next staging point and drive back to jog another mile and a half. It is again a beautiful beach, but becoming rather narrow. In fact, in my pics you can see where the beach seems to end. Hmm... What is on the other side? Nothing to do but jog and see. It's not bad, just have to jog in the water a few times. When I clear that watery obstacle, the beach is beautiful and there is that guy I saw before fishing by himself. Now I know why he is fishing along. This area is like having a private beach. Just beyond his point is a sign signifying state park territory.
Again, that was a pleasant jog. I load my K-mart Schwinn back into the van and take off. The next stop is a little state park shelter and beach access about a mile and a half down the road and from there is will be two and ha half miles to finish. But before that it is time for lunch. I feel like taking a break and go fishing. I was there checking it out yesterday and saw several people fishing. So, I used my fake bait and took my gear, including my chair, and hit the beach. There were just a few people out there.
Cathy was fishing. She is often there. She has a friend who works for the state there as a volunteer. She hasn't caught anything yet. I catch a medium sized white fish and keep it. If I get one more that will be lunch! Alas, no such luck. A lot of fish were jumping, but not onto my hooks. Cathy doesn't want the fish so I let it go. I cook some chow and drive back, park the van and meet a DEP (Division of Environmental Protection) officer. We chat. Interestingly, he can act as a state trooper, sheriff or policeman as well as a DEP officer. Pretty neat.
I take off. The beach is wonderful. Not many go this way and that makes it even better. I see Cathy fishing and know that part of the run is over. I chat a while and then take my bike and drive to the end of the park. The small pier there is unique in that it is wheelchair accessible. This seems to be a favorite fishing stop of the locals. I am hoping to get a ride back so I don't have to stage my bike. My brother calls and we chat. I see a van turn around and hang up on him after a brief goodbye. The lady kindly gives me a lift. She is a local looking for some of her visitors who say they are fishing at the boat ramp here. (There is no boat ramp on this side.) She drops me off and I thank her and wish her well.
Cathy has caught a good sized sea trout. She has already filleted it. A volunteer comes to clean the area. Her and Cathy know each other. Cathy calls her over because she thinks she sees an alligator in the gulf. By golly, she does! The gator is about three foot long and just lying parallel to the coast about 20 yards out. Neat! Evidently this is a rare thing because they are both excited. Me too.
I take off. It is late afternoon and I feel good, but a little tired. It is a good run. I pass a few rentals, some with people. But I have the beach to myself. The sun is warm and I take off my shirt. A deer fly soon finds me and searches out chinks in my armor. Dang! I can' lose it. I try clapping when it comes near my forehead, but can't squish it. Finally, I put my shirt back on. I come to a nice curve in the beach and see the pier. My run is about over. It has been a good day. I get to the pier and jog the little after it. The pier is full of some guys I had seen earlier. They are locals and were casting a bait net into a nearby pond. Only 5 bait. One said this was the lowest he has seen the pond. Also, that pond is the home of a very large alligator, so he won't go near it at night. Me neither! They are catching fish. They have the disease and it won't let them go. If they are married, I pity their wives.
The day is over for me. Tomorrow I finish any small beaches on the panhandle. There are two beaches left and a nice fellow, Jerry Brown (No, not that one!) tells me of two other beaches. As I go through Panacea I am supposed to turn down a road and go quite a ways, then the next one is down the road at the big oak tree where the guy is selling boiled peanuts.
Friday, April 22, 2011
Yes! After a lively night at the Walmart Hilton in Crawfordville, I am ready to finish the panhandle! The first stop is the little beach at the west end of the bridge before Panacea. There is a boat ramp there and a newly constructed fishing pier. A young lady, about 30, is getting her fishing pole out. She is dressed in casual business clothes and this piques my interest. We chat. She is a sales person, and this part of her territory. She has been in sales a long time and enjoys it. She is from this area and left it for New York City. She spent a few years there and returned to the panhandle. She is happier here. She is on a break and decided to try out the new pier. What a territory!
I jog the beach and am on my way top Mashes Island County Park Beach. This is a beautiful little beach about a mile long. It seems to have everything: sugar sand, a fishing pier which from my direction I had to wade some water to get to that part of the beach, a few pools of water next to marsh grass and sand. And bikinis! I guess bikini season officially started today. I have seen more bikinis here than anywhere else, and there aren't that many people here! I see the waitress from last night. She looks nice in a bikini, too! The place was the Angelo and Sons Seafood Restaurant. It was a touristy place. The cone-on was a dozen oysters for $3.99. They were the smallest oysters since Pensacola. I was totally disappointed. I looked over the menu and found it extremely pricey. The location of the restaurant is nice, but the prices are unreasonable. If you wish to show off or waste your money, that's the place for you. I much prefer the Coastal Restaurant. A small building containing the best restaurant around. The place is usually packed with locals. Go there. Your taste buds and wallet will be much happier.
I finish the jog. These little jogs are cute. Kind of like a walk in the park. The sun, the water, the folks. Love it. I asked this lady about my age if I could sit a few minutes. She is local as well. Very nice person. She had cancer back in the 80's and a few bouts since. But she is a survivor. Having gone through the treatment for cancer with a friend, who also survived, I have a special place in my heart for these folks, knowing what they had to endure with chemo and stuff. I get up and try to find the next beach.
First I stop at the marina in Panacea. I wanted to confirm the way to the small beaches. I stopped at Posey's Dockside Cafe and asked the girl. She directed me to the tiki bar in the back. Lee, a young, on-the-ball guy was working. I got my drink and ordered a dozen oysters. Love those things! Sittingnearby three young folks were chatting. All from Tifton, GA, but one had relocated here a few years ago. His name is Zack and he does a variety of things including charter boats and other stuff. He looks very happy and content. He friends, a couple still living in Tifton, GA are here for a few days. They love it here as well. I get the scoop on directions to the beaches and after a fun chat and a belly full of oysters, off I go.
I get back on Hwy 98 and turn right at the right street. The road takes me through miles of marshes, but the road is paved. I hope there is a beach out there. I get to the end and find ... not much. Some stones and shells and mud. I jog it anyway. After all, it's only about 30 feet long. The view is very nice though and worth the trip. I get back in my cargo van and hit Hwy 98 looking for that big oak tree where they are selling boiled peanuts.
I find the tree! I turn right and enter a pine forest where the road is sand! Shoot. I can drive on ice and snow, but sand is relatively new to me and I am not sure about it. What if I get stuck in the woods? I just treat it like snow and promise myself not to stop. It does get a little dicey for me, but the the road goes through some marshes and the ground is firm and very bumpy. Then I hit sand again and decide to stop the first change I get and walk the rest of the way. Finally I find a place to stop where I can turn around. I walk a minute to the "beach". I would call this spit of land among the marshes with a beautiful view of Bald Point State Park and the surrounding area, "Oyster Beach". Basically it's about 20 feet of oyster shells, stones and some sandy mud. But abeautiful location. And there are campers here!
A young couple from Tallahassee are camping out. She is from north Tallahassee and he from south Tallahassee. Evidently, she is the rich girl hooked up with the other-side-of-the-tracks guy. They are having difficulty pitching a tent. Someone forgot the stakes. (I know how that feels!) So, I offer to give them four of my stakes. They are happy to agree and I go back to the van and get the stakes. The ground is hard there, all oyster shells. The there is no hammer so I suggest their tire iron as I really don't want to go back and get my I make it back through the sand and get back on Hwy 98. Whew! And, no, I didn't stop for boiled peanuts. I tried them twice. Not my taste.
I drive on to Shell Point, the last beach on the panhandle. I arrive and find it to be a nice little beach with a series of condos built near it. The golf carts are out and young people and seniors alike are enjoying the sun and water. This is not a beach I would come back to though. It's too built up. I walk out to the beach and start down towards the western end. I spy a frisbee at the shore and no one around to claim it. I leave it there as I usually don't pick up anything but shells. I arrive at the end, going by some private residences to get to the end of the beach. I jog back and on a whim I pick up the green frisbee. I turn it over and it reads da da da company, Destin, FL. LOL This is my reminder to tell all you folks to go to Destin! The panhandle this side is full. I want to be the last person let in! Bugs! Small towns! Biting bugs! No Burger King or McDonald's. Not Starbucks or Outbacks! No malls! Hot! Go to Destin!
Saturday, April 23, 2011
I spend the day visiting Wakulla Springs State Park. I heard that if I take a boat ride, I can see the tree Tarzan, Johnny Weissmuller, swung from! So, off I go! The park is beautiful. There is a spring there, one of the deepest in the world and kids and adults are jumping from a platform into it. Lots of fun going on there! I get a ticket for the boat 3 pm boat ride. The ride turns out to be very beautiful and interesting. The volunteer giving the tour, Susie, is excellent with her knowledge and energy. The animals, including unique bird life, gators, snakes and trees and plan are amazing. Don't miss it when you come down this way. We go by a stump sticking out of the water. She laments that this is all that remains of the Tarzan Tree. I suggest it is doing better than Johnny! But I really was looking forward to seeing that tree. It's like the Council Oak near my home in Wauseon, OH. When I was I could drive by that majestic tree and wonder. Now it is a stump and a plaque. But I sill showed my kids.
That night for some reason I think I should go to St. Marks, the second oldest town in America. Two rivers meet there and there is supposed to be some dancing going on. I am a little surprised I feel led to to there as it is more of a party place than most leadings. I get there and meet some nice folks who direct me on where to go and what to do. Some of these parties are in full swing and it's only 5 or 6 pm. At one place it is Hawaiian Theme Night along with all the jokes and coconut shells (on the guys!). It is fun. I then head to the next place where there is supposed to be dancing later. The waitress, named Joyce, and I chat. She is young, about 32, with a couple of kids. She has done most every kind of dangerous outdoor work possible. Amazing. Her next goal is to obtain her pilot's license. She wants to fly search and rescue choppers! We talk and in the course of talking I tell her that God really does love her and that she might become interested in flying choppers for missionaries. Now that is a dangerous job! She says she got chills with that comment. So, maybe she will! Anyway, that's why I went there I believe.
The band is fantastic. I will post their card soon. Every song is excellent, music and vocals. I don't dance, but stay and listen. It's hard to find someone to dance with who isn't with someone. I am a bit picky, I guess, but I like a good dance. There is one lady to is excellent, but alas, taken. I am not one to hit on someone's date. That's rude. I leave the place and camp out in the parking lot across the street. The next day is Easter and I am hoping to attend a sunrise service somewhere.
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Easter! I wake up before dawn. I didn't sleep too well and was eager to go, I thought about about going back to Mashes Island County Park Beach,but I really didn't want to go backwards, so I went east on Hwy 98 through Perry looking for a sunrise service. But it was by now too late for sunrise services so I would have to wait for a regular service. I ask directions to the nearest beaches and am told to turn down a certain road. This jives with my map so I head out planning to stop at the first church I see to worship with other believers this Easter morning.
I pass through Perry and stop at a gas station. The girl behind the counter is helpful and there is an old fellow there, too, who helps out. I am looking for beaches and they turn me on to a few. Fortunately these are the same as I had previously discovered. So, no surprises so far. I turn at the caution light onto County Road (CR) 361 (aka Beach Road) and take off looking for the first church. I find a sign that says there is a church two miles down this side road. I follow this dusty road and find this nice little church with a beautiful 6-acre area. It is 7:30 am and church starts at 10:30 and I am tired.
I park under a tree and take a chair out of the back and have a seat. I may have dozed for a little while. But then I cook breakfast, clean it up and sit to await the arrival of folks. I hope they have church today and didn't have an early service! The day is quite warm and I am sleepy. I start to re-arrange the cargo van, putting things away. I nice pickup truck drives along the road and pulls into the area. I think that is is probably the pastor and I am tired so don't walk the 300 yards to say hi. He is probably getting things ready for church. I doze a little and he comes over to introduce himself. I tell him why I am here and he welcomes me. He came from a baptist church and felt God led him to preach but no the confines of the baptist church. He has no formal training. This is his second church.
Others start to show up. It is a small congregation with kids, families and older folks. They have a good piano player and a good singer as well. An older gent gets up front with his banjo. I can't understand the words to his two or three songs, but it is nice to be in church. They have a few more congregational hymns, make a few announcements and anoint a few with oil for healing. It is nice to be in church this day. The sermon reveals the preachers lack of training due to is lack of depth. But it is good to be among Christians. And when C.H. Spurgeon got saved as a child it was by an old baptist preacher who probably lacked depths as well. But God uses whoever is willing to obey!
One lady make beautiful small crosses with ribbons attached as bookmarks. The preacher's wife holds the basket up and tells us to come and get them. After watching her I notice they she leads as much as she can and I think she controls everything she can as well. Preacher envy!
Church ends with communion which I am happy to take. Especially among fellow Christians. It's over and I head to a beach. I usually don't run beaches on Sunday, but today I have to. I have to be in Tampa tomorrow to pick up a friend and supporter who wants to jog with me for a while.
The first beach at the end of Beach Road is not a beach. Marsh, all marshes. An older couple from Gainesville are out looking for beaches today as well. They have a map of beaches in the area and are as confused as I am. He puts on his walking shoes and starts down a path. I don't because I have tried that before. If no beach is where it should be, they isn't one next to it as well. I take off and see them get ready to leave as well. Oh, well. Another day look for a sandy beach.
I get back on CR 361 turning right. Just down the road I discover a bar called "Beach Bar". I stop, it's open and I walk in. The barmaid is behind the the and one gentleman is sitting at the bar. I as where the beaches are. They really don't know. I chat a few minutes and head out.
I arrive at Keaton Beach and jog this little thing. Then I go in the restaurant across the street to have a bite to eat. I wouldn't recommend the place, but it was adequate. I keep going to visit beaches where there really is none. But I have to check each lead. I stop at another place and see the older couple's car. I walk into a very nice restaurant and walk around till I find them. They recognize me and we chat. I ask them if they found any more beaches. They shake their heads no.
Off to Cedar Key. It looks like there is a beach there and some islands that have beaches on them as well. It is getting dark when I arrive. I really like this place. The water and land here is beautiful. And the town consists of two parts, one a quite village and the other a touristy waterfront. I like it! And there is the beach.
I need a place to sleep. I decide to try the fishing pier but nix that idea. I enter an RV park a few miles outside of town and ask if I can stay for $10 since I will be camping primitive. Basically I just want to use the shower. They try to help and tell me that they can go for that price but that there is one place to stay for $5 for a tent. They tell me how to get there. It's about 5 miles away. I get there and sleep in my van. The next morning, Steve, who works there, a navy submariner, tells me which places are for $5 and I sign on for three night.
Monday, April 25, 2011
I commence to set my tent up and find the gnats are terrible. Instead of breakfast, I just make some coffee and call it quits. The tent is up and I unload some stuff from my van. Then I clean the inside of the van, taking everything out, pulling out the rubber flooring and washing it.
I have a friend who wants to jog with me for a while. So I need to get to Tampa airport to pick her up. She has been a friend and a supporter of my quest for a long time. I pick her up and we head back to Cedar Key. I could have tried to do Cedar Key before in the morning. I had a boat lined up, etc. But decided that it was so beautiful here, she should see it. (Many folks told me to stop at Cedar Key and I am glad they did!)
And two of the best meals I have had in my life I had at Cedar Key. The first was breakfast at Annie's. We found this place by asking around. We both felt the food was excellent. Annie is the grandmother of the lady who runs it now, Laura, I think her name is. It was by far the best western omelet I have ate and the grits were excellent. The second meal was that night at the Island Room at Cedar Cove a condo community just off the beach. Service was completely top notch. They even got a phone number for me off the Internet! Anything you get there will be excellent and the price is very fair. Don't miss these two places when you go there!
The cafe downtown for breakfast had very nice people, but the food was poorly made. Our waitress, a woman in her 50's, maybe, was very interesting. She had dropped out of law school for a particular reason and came to Cedar Key not more than ten years ago. (She was at law school in 40's!) She married and is very happy here. The other waitress, a young girl, was just as impressive as the one at the Island Room. Both had graduated from Cedar Key High School, (or whatever they call it) and both were well poised, intelligent and very nice people. This one said her graduating class had 16 people in it. It is the smallest school district in Florida.
We rented a double kayak from Tom Yakak. His last name is actually a German name, but since he likes to talk and is in they kayak business, he put TomYakak on his shirt! This is a far cry from the Curmudgeonalia Store. They fellow had an excellent selection of books and was a true curmudgeon! Go in there for the humor and books! But don't stay too long or the negative bug will bite you!
Now, Tom is a nice fellow and a business man as well. When a kayak renter doesn't talk about currents, you know there is a reason for that. We found out heading to the second island! It took a looonnngg time to get there. The fist island, North Key was a few miles away and we had a good time going there. We discovered "Royal Minion's Reef on the way. My kayak friend aptly named that! There were two beaches on the island and we jogged them. Small, but beaches nonetheless. We weren't allowed to go to one of the islands because half the pelican populations begins their life there and it was that time of years. No one was allowed within 100 feet of the island. And, of course, we honored that. I like pelicans!
So, we kayaked to the next island, Snake Island. It was a slow go against the current. But we finally made it. Not much to jog there but a nice beach! We met a couple there who were very nice. I think he said he was a contractor from the Tampa area and he and his wife were on a little vacation. He was redder than a firetruck!
We kayaked toward shore to the next and last island. I jogged that beach, going into the surf to avoid bushes, etc. It was shortly after 5 when we made it back to shore. After a few pictures, we stowed the gear where he said and took off to jog the little beach. There was a little beach past that that I wanted to jog as well. So, I swam the 10 foot channel and got to that beach,jogged it and came back. That was fun! I did fall down part of a pier, though. C'est la vie!
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
We take off down the road to St. Pete Beach. There is a dance that I am always bragging about and I wanted to show my friend. But first we have to hit a few beaches along the way.