SATURDAY, OCTOBER 1, 20211
I am in Deland today. I woke up at 5:30 and decided to give my legs a rest. So no running today and tomorrow. I should be good to go and be in St.Augustine either Tuesday or Wednesday. I plan to spend a day there. I was there once before and want to visit the fort again. The Castillo de San Marcos has an amazing history.
Deland is a nice looking town. Driving around I found that it is the home of Stetson University (I thought that should be in Texas!). It has a very nice and lively downtown area, many good stores around and the streets are lined with beautiful trees. I found this town to be a nice town. There is even a used bookstore that has an excellent selection and about five times the area of most used book stores. The store manager told me it started with a shoe box of books at a garage sale!
I also found out about a strange church down the road in Cassadaga. It is called part of the Southern Cassadaga Spiritual Association. They have a Sunday School so I plan to go tomorrow. I spend the day looking around and watching episodes of Leverage.
Deland is a nice looking town. Driving around I found that it is the home of Stetson University (I thought that should be in Texas!). It has a very nice and lively downtown area, many good stores around and the streets are lined with beautiful trees. I found this town to be a nice town. There is even a used bookstore that has an excellent selection and about five times the area of most used book stores. The store manager told me it started with a shoe box of books at a garage sale!
I also found out about a strange church down the road in Cassadaga. It is called part of the Southern Cassadaga Spiritual Association. They have a Sunday School so I plan to go tomorrow. I spend the day looking around and watching episodes of Leverage.
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2011
I am up and off with a friend to the Cassadaga Spiritual Church. I have no idea what to expect except that there are mediums and reading, etc. I decide to take my Bible, but I think I will be the only one there with one. When we get there, I notice that it is a small town with heavy emphasis on "readings" being advertised in front of many houses. Evidently this is a center for medium work.
I have several questions. What is a medium? How does this church use the Bible? What do they emphasize? Who goes to this church? What do they believe?
I have attended almost every kind of church, so why not this one?
First, Sunday School. They have a guest speaker for Sunday School. He is a well-known medium I find out. He speaks about his experience, adds some positive reinforcement, etc. He bases his experience on seeing his deceased father when he was young. He even felt his father's strong handshake. This convinced him that the medium experience is real and true. I find out that a medium is one who talks to the dead with the help of spirit guides. The talk was entertaining. I found it interesting that the only time the audience showed verbal emotion was when they snickered at the mention of a baptist church person and another reference to a regular church. But the speaker does quote the Bible as an authority. Especially verses about the transfiguration and 'greater things you will do', etc.
These folks believe that many in the established churches do not believe in the supernatural. And that, I think, is why they laugh. But raising Jesus from the dead was a very supernatural act! So, I really don't get their ideas. I do raise my hand when the speaker says these reading should be verified. "How do you verify these readings?", I ask. His answer goes into the ideas of hidden fog machines and other tricks charlatans have used to make people believe they were mediums, but were fakes. I was thinking more of talking directly to the spirit to see if it is from God or not. But they don't do that. I do.
We have a break and chat. Mostly the congregation is made up of women, with a few men in attendance. A group has come from Jacksonville and one even came from Savannah, GA. So, this is a famous place for spiritualists. (As I write this from near a McDonald's near Flagler Beach, the group from Jacksonville just stepped in!) I ask a question but they are just on a potty break and in a hurry to get back to Jacksonville. One says Shelly, the one with the feather in her hair, is the talkative one, but I don't see her. Bummer. I have some questions. The one I did talk to said this is her first time to a spiritualist church, she didn't get a 'reading' and she is a Presbyterian.
Anyway, church begins. Ms. Mary Rose ___. is the pastor. She also give readings. We sing some very familiar hymns. I look through their hymnal. They have some excellent Christian songs, but every verse in these songs that mentions Jesus is omitted. For example, the hymn, "I love to Hear the Story" is there, but the verse of Jesus and His love is nowhere to be found. But anytime there is a verse about a/the spirit it is there.
The guest healer/speaker talks about forgiveness as a way to being healed and ends the talk with self-forgiveness. An odd twist, I thought.
I pick up the booklet and read the nine tenets this church holds and read a list of what they are and are not. They are not witches, etc. They believe in spirit guides who help them talk with the dead, usually dead relatives who give them comfort. (Remember King Saul?) They even cite several biblical references.
After church I help get the food out. It is fun and I get to meet some people. Most of the folks aren't coming forward to meet and greet. Plus, my ride wants to leave and I still have a few questions. So, while putting out the food, I sample it, too! Yummy!
Finally I ask a gent and his wife. He is a medium as well. I have three questions.
"So, you don't accept witches?"
"No. They are the dark ...."
"What about white witches?"
"They are just disguising the fact, they are really..."
"Okay, Thanks. What about hypnosis? It says you don't accept hypnosis."
We don't like the phrases 'hypnosis. It is from ...." Basically what he meant was that the true idea of hypnosis has been ruined by these modern-day hypnotists.
""But during the meditating for healing that was a form of hypnosis."
"Yes, we call that meditation."
"Oh, okay. Thank you. One last question, do you believe in the devil, that there is a real devil?"
"Oh, no!" Then he goes on to say that I might believe there is a devil but that is my problem or something like that.
"Low vibrations. These are the drug users, the murderers, the ..."
"So, high vibrations?"
"The good, ..."
"So, you don't believe in demons either? Just angels?"
"There are no demons and no devil."
"Thanks. Oh, I forgot one more thing! Your last tenet says you believe that you prove the Bible through mediums. Is that right. Because I believe the Bible should prove the medium."
"You are twisting words."
"That's what your tenet says. These words are simple. They are not twisted."
(His wife jumps in at some point.)
Wife: "Have you ever had a past life reading?"
"No. I don't believe in past lives. I believe man is appointed once to die and then judgment." (Heb. 9:27)
Wife: "Oh, you should try it. It will open your mind."
"I don't believe in past lives."
Hubby, "Honey, he has a Bible."
Wife. "Well, if you don't try it, how will you know...?"
Me: "Yes I have a Bible and there is one in front of your pulpit as well. Thanks, I have to go, my ride is waiting."
As I walk out I hear from the hubby. "He is twisting words. He is going to twist what we say..."
So, they don't believe in any type of evil or deceiving spirit. How convenient! What this church seems to offer is healings and hope via direct contact with spirit guides and readings, something the Bible expressly forbids. And it is funny how some church go to extremes to claim the title of church, quote Jesus or what He did, but never use His name or His way. Someone said, we create the god we can deal with, the one in our image! I have done that before myself. But these folks take it to a new level.
However, people do get some sort of healing there. Since I do energy work as well I am curious about this. I personally believe we all have energy. Electromagnetic Energy is easily proven. Freud even discussed it in his work. Many Westerners believe a person is made of only what can be seen. A physical person. But we are body, soul and spirit. But this energy, invisible to the naked eye is easily proven. I believe it is from God and was given at the very beginning of Adam and Eve. It wasn't something that was 'discovered' later even though the New Age has tried to claim it for its own.
Anyway, I personally use the Bible to judge what is right and wrong in the spirit world. I have tested the spirits before and have seen the results of a spirit healing. It happened in Korea. One of my business students was wondering why she couldn't become a Christian. I asked her if she had been healed by a shaman. She, she has. So, sitting there in her small office, I ask if I could say a short prayer. She said yes, so I did. It wasn't one bit theatrical. No strong voice, no shouting, no waving of the hands, etc. I just prayed if this healing was not from God to stop the spirit from hindering her from coming to God. She immediately burst into tears and ran out of the room. Shortly, she came back and was drying her eyes. I asked what happened. (I had no idea.) She said she got so happy she burst into tears. She felt so good. (She had been healed many years ago, by they way.) I then, having studied these things, asked if it was a family member who had healed her. Yes, her grandmother.
I explained that these spirit follow down the family tree and I would like to pray to cut it off from her just in case. She said okay.
So, I prayed. Again just a simple prayer. And I felt this presence from her go right by me and out of there. Wow! She again cried and was very happy. So, sometimes these healings just cover up things and keep people from really coming to God. I don't now how it works. But that is what happens. Kurt Koch has written much about this, as well as others.
The ladies from the meeting today are still here at McDonald's so I chat with them. Most are willing to chat. For many, this is there first time at these meetings. They are having a good day. It's like the first day of fall down here. Brrr... It is down to 76 degrees!
This is rather heavy for a journal, but, hey, can't be jogging the beach all the time!
I hope to spend the night near Flagler Beach so I can get a good start tomorrow. And it was a fun day!
I have several questions. What is a medium? How does this church use the Bible? What do they emphasize? Who goes to this church? What do they believe?
I have attended almost every kind of church, so why not this one?
First, Sunday School. They have a guest speaker for Sunday School. He is a well-known medium I find out. He speaks about his experience, adds some positive reinforcement, etc. He bases his experience on seeing his deceased father when he was young. He even felt his father's strong handshake. This convinced him that the medium experience is real and true. I find out that a medium is one who talks to the dead with the help of spirit guides. The talk was entertaining. I found it interesting that the only time the audience showed verbal emotion was when they snickered at the mention of a baptist church person and another reference to a regular church. But the speaker does quote the Bible as an authority. Especially verses about the transfiguration and 'greater things you will do', etc.
These folks believe that many in the established churches do not believe in the supernatural. And that, I think, is why they laugh. But raising Jesus from the dead was a very supernatural act! So, I really don't get their ideas. I do raise my hand when the speaker says these reading should be verified. "How do you verify these readings?", I ask. His answer goes into the ideas of hidden fog machines and other tricks charlatans have used to make people believe they were mediums, but were fakes. I was thinking more of talking directly to the spirit to see if it is from God or not. But they don't do that. I do.
We have a break and chat. Mostly the congregation is made up of women, with a few men in attendance. A group has come from Jacksonville and one even came from Savannah, GA. So, this is a famous place for spiritualists. (As I write this from near a McDonald's near Flagler Beach, the group from Jacksonville just stepped in!) I ask a question but they are just on a potty break and in a hurry to get back to Jacksonville. One says Shelly, the one with the feather in her hair, is the talkative one, but I don't see her. Bummer. I have some questions. The one I did talk to said this is her first time to a spiritualist church, she didn't get a 'reading' and she is a Presbyterian.
Anyway, church begins. Ms. Mary Rose ___. is the pastor. She also give readings. We sing some very familiar hymns. I look through their hymnal. They have some excellent Christian songs, but every verse in these songs that mentions Jesus is omitted. For example, the hymn, "I love to Hear the Story" is there, but the verse of Jesus and His love is nowhere to be found. But anytime there is a verse about a/the spirit it is there.
The guest healer/speaker talks about forgiveness as a way to being healed and ends the talk with self-forgiveness. An odd twist, I thought.
I pick up the booklet and read the nine tenets this church holds and read a list of what they are and are not. They are not witches, etc. They believe in spirit guides who help them talk with the dead, usually dead relatives who give them comfort. (Remember King Saul?) They even cite several biblical references.
After church I help get the food out. It is fun and I get to meet some people. Most of the folks aren't coming forward to meet and greet. Plus, my ride wants to leave and I still have a few questions. So, while putting out the food, I sample it, too! Yummy!
Finally I ask a gent and his wife. He is a medium as well. I have three questions.
"So, you don't accept witches?"
"No. They are the dark ...."
"What about white witches?"
"They are just disguising the fact, they are really..."
"Okay, Thanks. What about hypnosis? It says you don't accept hypnosis."
We don't like the phrases 'hypnosis. It is from ...." Basically what he meant was that the true idea of hypnosis has been ruined by these modern-day hypnotists.
""But during the meditating for healing that was a form of hypnosis."
"Yes, we call that meditation."
"Oh, okay. Thank you. One last question, do you believe in the devil, that there is a real devil?"
"Oh, no!" Then he goes on to say that I might believe there is a devil but that is my problem or something like that.
"Low vibrations. These are the drug users, the murderers, the ..."
"So, high vibrations?"
"The good, ..."
"So, you don't believe in demons either? Just angels?"
"There are no demons and no devil."
"Thanks. Oh, I forgot one more thing! Your last tenet says you believe that you prove the Bible through mediums. Is that right. Because I believe the Bible should prove the medium."
"You are twisting words."
"That's what your tenet says. These words are simple. They are not twisted."
(His wife jumps in at some point.)
Wife: "Have you ever had a past life reading?"
"No. I don't believe in past lives. I believe man is appointed once to die and then judgment." (Heb. 9:27)
Wife: "Oh, you should try it. It will open your mind."
"I don't believe in past lives."
Hubby, "Honey, he has a Bible."
Wife. "Well, if you don't try it, how will you know...?"
Me: "Yes I have a Bible and there is one in front of your pulpit as well. Thanks, I have to go, my ride is waiting."
As I walk out I hear from the hubby. "He is twisting words. He is going to twist what we say..."
So, they don't believe in any type of evil or deceiving spirit. How convenient! What this church seems to offer is healings and hope via direct contact with spirit guides and readings, something the Bible expressly forbids. And it is funny how some church go to extremes to claim the title of church, quote Jesus or what He did, but never use His name or His way. Someone said, we create the god we can deal with, the one in our image! I have done that before myself. But these folks take it to a new level.
However, people do get some sort of healing there. Since I do energy work as well I am curious about this. I personally believe we all have energy. Electromagnetic Energy is easily proven. Freud even discussed it in his work. Many Westerners believe a person is made of only what can be seen. A physical person. But we are body, soul and spirit. But this energy, invisible to the naked eye is easily proven. I believe it is from God and was given at the very beginning of Adam and Eve. It wasn't something that was 'discovered' later even though the New Age has tried to claim it for its own.
Anyway, I personally use the Bible to judge what is right and wrong in the spirit world. I have tested the spirits before and have seen the results of a spirit healing. It happened in Korea. One of my business students was wondering why she couldn't become a Christian. I asked her if she had been healed by a shaman. She, she has. So, sitting there in her small office, I ask if I could say a short prayer. She said yes, so I did. It wasn't one bit theatrical. No strong voice, no shouting, no waving of the hands, etc. I just prayed if this healing was not from God to stop the spirit from hindering her from coming to God. She immediately burst into tears and ran out of the room. Shortly, she came back and was drying her eyes. I asked what happened. (I had no idea.) She said she got so happy she burst into tears. She felt so good. (She had been healed many years ago, by they way.) I then, having studied these things, asked if it was a family member who had healed her. Yes, her grandmother.
I explained that these spirit follow down the family tree and I would like to pray to cut it off from her just in case. She said okay.
So, I prayed. Again just a simple prayer. And I felt this presence from her go right by me and out of there. Wow! She again cried and was very happy. So, sometimes these healings just cover up things and keep people from really coming to God. I don't now how it works. But that is what happens. Kurt Koch has written much about this, as well as others.
The ladies from the meeting today are still here at McDonald's so I chat with them. Most are willing to chat. For many, this is there first time at these meetings. They are having a good day. It's like the first day of fall down here. Brrr... It is down to 76 degrees!
This is rather heavy for a journal, but, hey, can't be jogging the beach all the time!
I hope to spend the night near Flagler Beach so I can get a good start tomorrow. And it was a fun day!
MONDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2011
56 Degrees! Chilly! I want to say in bed! But up I get. Have my cold oatmeal and get ready for the day. I hope to jog this whole island today, but if not, I want to do at least 10 miles. I have a plan of doing two 6-mile jogs and finishing up with a 4-mile jog.
But then I think, why stage my stuff three times. Let’s do about ten and six miles or something like that. So, I look for a likely spot. Marineland Park! It is a beautiful park and a good place to leave my van. Maybe I can hitchhike to Flagler Beach Pier. I grab a water and secure my van and get out onto A1A. I give myself ten minutes. Nope, didn’t happen.
I go back to the van and start to pull out the bike. Flat tire on the front wheel. That is the one I patched before. Either the patch didn’t hold or there is another leak. I take the bike out and flip it over. There is a quick release for the front tire and I have it off in no time. The tube is out and I look at the old patch. It has creases in it. Maybe that is it. I pump up the tire and check for leaks. None. I keep checking. I check the tire for any punctures. None.
The tire was completely flat and I have no idea why. I pump of the tube some more and it seems to hold. I release the air and put the tube back into the tire and put the tire back on. Again I pump up the tube and it seems to hold. I hope it does for there is at least a twelve-mile ride ahead of me.
With the van secured, I take off, keeping an eye on the front tire. It looks good. An hour later I arrive at Flagler Beach Pier. It is just after 9:30 and I hope to be jogging by 10 AM and finished by 2 PM. Then after an hour break, jog the rest of the island. I do my exercises and stretches and take off at 10. The tide is right, the sand is firm and the sun is out.
It isn’t as warm, but it feels great to be jogging. I speed up my pace and it doesn’t affect me at all. I keep this up for a long time. They beach seems to be at low tide and the beach and water are just wonderful here with flat, wide beaches and wave after wave rolling in. A little higher waves than last week. I keep jogging. And keep jogging. I don’t want to stop. I keep my pace fast, my stride normal and feel that I am really making some progress.
I don’t want to look at my watch because I don’t want to think about a schedule. I pick a place in the distance and decide to take a break there. It is a big building at least two to three more miles away. I reach the building and find a series of tall, resort buildings.
Just before the building though I see a beach access with water and a restroom. They are located under a wooden bridge. That’s weird. I haven’t seen one of those on a beach before. (Later, while online I check and it is a bridge for golf carts. There is a golf course on both sides of the beach access.) And the distance is 9.33 miles! Wow! I didn’t know that.
When I stop at the beach access it is 11:41. I have jogged for one hour and 41 minutes. I feel I have come a long way and take a nice long break. Twenty minutes. That's where I took a pic of the beach. I take a 20-minute break and lie back on a bench and let the sun refresh me. Then I take off again.
NOTE: Whenever I take off 'again', it means I hobble to the starting point. My Achilles's tendons are inflamed, I guess. Once I start jogging a ways they feel just fine or almost just fine.
The folks on the beach are probably tourists. And this is resort area. Some are nice, some are not. It’s funny, sometimes when I say hi to a couple, the wife smiles and say hi and the guy often ignores me. Or gives me a look and then grudgingly says hi. "Why is that?", I wonder. Do men see other men as a threat or of no consequence? Either to be watched or ignored? Surely there is a middle ground. And there is. Many guys do say hi. But many don’t as well.
I wave at some people sometimes. But normally on the Atlantic side, it is like pulling teeth . Except for from Palm Beach to Melbourne. Flagler too! There are many really nice folks on the beach.
I take another break. Those three packets of oatmeal aren’t going as far as I would like. I feel I need some carbs. I am running out of gas. Except for my legs. They just keep going. I stop again and take a seat in the sand. Tired. Not sure how far to go, but it can’t be more than four or five miles. I am kind of wondering why I am so tired. But then I think I only had 3 packets of oatmeal for breakfast and I did ride my bike 12 miles before I started jogging. Well, that should do it! After a few minutes I am up and jogging again. About a mile down the beach I take another break. Not bad. A break a mile.
Coquina Rocks! And lots of them. This means soft sand and slow going. And it is getting worse. I have to stop jogging because there is no sand here, just rocks. I lay back in the sand and let the warm sun rejuvenate me. After about 10 minutes I get up slowly and start walking across the rocks. It lasts for quite a while. I see state park signs. This is good because it means I probably have no more than two miles to go. And that is good!
Finally there is enough sand to jog, so I start a nice, slow jog. Sometimes I have to stop and walk because of the rocks, but this jog is pretty continuous. It is at the top of the beach only. The rest is rocks. I think about waiting for low tide thinking that might make a difference, but I really don’t have time for that.
I see some palm trees in the distance and this usually means a park of some sort. So, I hope it is my park. It is already well past 2 PM and I don’t know what time it is now. I keep jogging and reach more sand, firm sand! Yes! Small clumps of rock still reach the water, but mostly I can jog the beach. I see a nice, wide park and think this is it. But before I stop to check I want to get all the rocks behind me so I keep jogging until I come to a different kind of rocks. Boulders dumped on the beach for some reason. Probably an anti-erosion measure. I jog to the point they meet the water and stop. The sand here is just like the sand at Siesta Key. Nice.
I walk up to the boardwalk over the dunes and see my van! I check the time. Exactly 3 PM. Later I check the miles and it is 14 miles. Not bad at all. But I am whipped! And hungry! I hop in the van and grab some bread and open a can of beef stew. Yummy! That will do for now.
I go to a couple of places that seem really nice at Flagler Beach to see if I can sell them some ad space on my home page. No luck. (Did I say that I was in sales?)
Off to McDonald's where I can get online and a few more bites to eat. I order two items from the dollar menu and sit down to get online. There is no outlet there, except the one behind the flat screen TV which I was told not to use the other day. So, I sit in a booth. The next booth over the mother is going over her daughter's first-grade homework. Really cute! The grandma is there too. The little girl leans over to my booth and the mother tries to shoo her away from bothering me. I tell the mother that it's fine. My kids are a little older and I understand. The little girl shows me her spelling paper where she got them all right! I ask her to spell some of the words, "hop", "top" and "yes". She gets them all correct! Yeah! The mom is working on something for her bank. She is heading to Phoenix to train some folks on something. Nice folks.
My battery is almost out and I can't use their outlet by the TV. I ask the manager to tell the owner, Sigrid Rielly, that he should put some outlets for customers. Anyway, there is a strip mall across the street so I drive over there thinking how to charge my computer and get back to Mickey D's to get online. I see two hotels, a Hampton Inn and a Holiday Express. Hampton Inn is closer so I take my computer briefcase in and sit down and charge it and begin to work. The lady behind the desk is Judy. She comes over and we chat. Her hubby, Mike, an IT guy, has been out of work for two years. (How many times have I heard similar stories on my journey!) So, times are tough, but she is very nice. I get a coffee and a few oranges.
My computer is charged and I stop by the front desk with a question. Maybe I can turn some ad space into a night's stay here. I ask her if it is possible and she says the boss is still here and he is a good guy. She introduces me to him and I give him my card, explain what I am doing and what I propose. He takes my card into his office and about five minutes later comes out. The upshot is I get a room for the night! Yes!!! Thanks Johan!
Even before I got the room, I commented on how nice the place is. Everyone I meet is friendly, even the maintenance guy! A Polish fellow from Chicago. So, here I sit at Hampton Inn in Palm Coast typing away. What a nice ending to the day! Now, if you will excuse me while I lay back on this beautiful and firm king-sized bed and watch my Tigers win a close one. Good night!
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2011
Up and down to breakfast by 6:30. I plan to pack in a lot of food this morning. I have on my Tigers T-shirt. As I enter the room, four officers from the local Sheriff's office (I think two different offices) are enjoying breakfast. They see me coming and ask about the game last night as they don't know the score yet. Well, the Tigers beat the Yankees in game three 5-4 and I am excited. One officer uses his officer's tone to slow me down. And I obey. Why is that?
I get it. Officers are used to dealing authoritatively with situations and don't even realize, I think, they are doing it off work as well. And I, the obedient citizen, obey. But next time, I will ask the officer if he is on duty, and if not, it will be fun! One is happy because he is not a Yankee fan. The rest aren't so happy. I am double happy. The Tigers won, I slept in a very nice and firm bed last night. (The room was very clean - if it were a person I would say "Not one hair out of place!". And all the folks there are nice, every one.) and hot chow that I didn't cook!
I fill up with two waffles, scrambled eggs, yogurt, English muffin, bacon, three cups of milk, coffee plus other stuff. the funny thing is I don't feel stuffed!
I ask the officers about Daytona Beach. And one agrees that drugs and prostitution have ruined that place. Another one adds that the local police department's agenda has something to do with it as well. And that is what I had been thinking. I hope they crack down on the nasty stuff there as it really is a beautiful spot.
As they leave, one officer, a Yankee fan, asks me the make of my vehicles, etc. Just in case he sees this Tiger fan on the road! That's funny! Of course, I don't tell him!
I am off to jog I get to the end of the island and stage my bike near Mi Casa, an 3-apartment building at the end of the road. The tires are good. Then I drive back to Marineland Park and start jogging. The tide is out and the beach looks much different from yesterday. Instead of the water coming over the rocks, it is about 20 yards out and the beach is flat and firm! Yes! The distance covers less than three miles and I have fun on this jog. The architecture has been very scenic since Flagler Beach. The houses on the beaches are neither ornate nor opulent, but they are very attractive with many different designs, colors and motifs. I have been enjoying jogging by these places for the past few days.
I feel so good I jog backwards for a ways, something I haven't done in a while. Trying to make ground, I guess. But this is fun too! Soon, I am at the end of the beach which is just at the bridge. I climb up the rocks to the road and get to my bike. Front tire is flat. Again. It was fine earlier. This is not good. I pump it up and it barely holds. I start riding back and go over a bridge where they are dong construction. I ask a worker if he has a compressor. He says yes and invites me over the barrier. They finally find the right tool and he puts air in my tire. I thank him and am on my way.
The tires is quickly getting flat, but it lasts until I get to the van, barely. Whew!
Well, that's it for me. I don't want to take any more chances I need to get a new tube. .But first there is a piece of beach that I can drive to. I checked last night and it's near the park where I stayed a few nights ago. I drive over there and walk to the beach. Even though there is boulders in front of the beach, I jog it. I want to be sure to get every beach. It is part of the national monument, Motanzas Fort Park.
With that done, I go to find a bike shop or some other place I can get a tube. I ask the lady at General Dollar and she doesn't have any but she tells me there is a bike shop a few miles down the road, just before the Texaco station.
I drive down and find it in a strip mall area which also has, Publix, Dollar Tree, Starbucks, etc. Sweet! I have found my place! I get the tube for a little over $6 and borrow their pump which is way better than mine. I put the new tube on and it works great! I also stop at the Dollar Tree and get just a few things. I also stop at Starbucks and get online to do some work. But I need to jog some more so I drive back to the southern end of this island, which includes one of my key landmarks on this journey, St. Augustine Beach! On the way I see the Fort Matanzas National Monument and stop by. The tour is free and doesn't take long. I catch the last tour of the day at 4:45.
I have to wait 20 minutes and the rest in the sun feels good. A few others gather and Park Ranger/Tour Guide Carter takes us to the outpost. And that is just what it is - an outpost to guard the back entrance to St. Augustine. The Spanish troops were sent from Castillo de San Marcos for a month at a time for guard duty here. It is a tine, but well-built station. It overlooks Matanzas Inlet, which was too shallow for warship, but some of their boast might try. (Later I learn that Matanzas is the Spanish word for 'slaughter' as they slaughtered the remnants of some French forces there. The French were without supplies and the slaughter has been deemed unnecessary by many.)
Carter gives an excellent spiel about the place and is energetic even though this is her final talk of the day. I ask some questions and have fun walking through the place. Finally we go back and I am off quickly because I want to jog about four more miles before the sun sets today. I will stage my van at Crescent Beach Park and ride my bike back. That way if it gets dark I won't have to ride the bike in the dark.
As I walk quickly to the van, two ladies ride by on bikes and one flags me down. Her seat keeps coming loose and she asks if I can fix it. Sure! I stop thinking about the jog for a few minutes and get my toolbox. I tighten the seat and ask her to check it to make sure. Yep, it's fixed. So, we exchange names and I take off to Crescent Beach. I park the van, get the bike out and take off. The tire is holding fine! I reach the end of the island and park at another part of the national monument.
I take off and start jogging from the boardwalk on the south side, go around and under the bridge and find the straightaway. The wind is in my face a little, but that doesn't bother me too much anymore. As long as the legs are pumping, I am moving. And feeling good. I think it is about four miles to the park. I start at 5:55 and because I start jogging from the south side it is actually over 5 miles. The sun is setting and I am still on the beach. I am not sure where to get off and rely on time to get to the right spot. I should be there before 7:30. There are many people enjoying the beach. One man jogs past me and I feel like stepping up my pace and passing him, but I don't. I do ask him about the park and he is not sure. He thinks it is about two and a half miles away. I am sure that is not the case. He must be thinking of a different park.
The sun is almost set, I decide to pass the guy anyway. A little competitive maybe, but what the heck. I step it up. Before I get to him he turns around and starts on the way back. We exchange pleasantries and both continue on our ways. I see a spot ahead that has no building and a few light poles and I guess that is the park. About 5 minutes I find out that I am right! Great! I hop in the van and take off. I need to find a place for this evening so I head to US 1 and find the Wally World. As I get ready for a nap I look behind and see that my bike is not there. I forgot my bike!
Shoot! I am tired, but I head out and travel the 14 or so miles and find my bike at the park. Whew! It is dark out and I really don't want to go back so I drive across the bridges and go back into the area where they put boats in and spend the night there.
I get it. Officers are used to dealing authoritatively with situations and don't even realize, I think, they are doing it off work as well. And I, the obedient citizen, obey. But next time, I will ask the officer if he is on duty, and if not, it will be fun! One is happy because he is not a Yankee fan. The rest aren't so happy. I am double happy. The Tigers won, I slept in a very nice and firm bed last night. (The room was very clean - if it were a person I would say "Not one hair out of place!". And all the folks there are nice, every one.) and hot chow that I didn't cook!
I fill up with two waffles, scrambled eggs, yogurt, English muffin, bacon, three cups of milk, coffee plus other stuff. the funny thing is I don't feel stuffed!
I ask the officers about Daytona Beach. And one agrees that drugs and prostitution have ruined that place. Another one adds that the local police department's agenda has something to do with it as well. And that is what I had been thinking. I hope they crack down on the nasty stuff there as it really is a beautiful spot.
As they leave, one officer, a Yankee fan, asks me the make of my vehicles, etc. Just in case he sees this Tiger fan on the road! That's funny! Of course, I don't tell him!
I am off to jog I get to the end of the island and stage my bike near Mi Casa, an 3-apartment building at the end of the road. The tires are good. Then I drive back to Marineland Park and start jogging. The tide is out and the beach looks much different from yesterday. Instead of the water coming over the rocks, it is about 20 yards out and the beach is flat and firm! Yes! The distance covers less than three miles and I have fun on this jog. The architecture has been very scenic since Flagler Beach. The houses on the beaches are neither ornate nor opulent, but they are very attractive with many different designs, colors and motifs. I have been enjoying jogging by these places for the past few days.
I feel so good I jog backwards for a ways, something I haven't done in a while. Trying to make ground, I guess. But this is fun too! Soon, I am at the end of the beach which is just at the bridge. I climb up the rocks to the road and get to my bike. Front tire is flat. Again. It was fine earlier. This is not good. I pump it up and it barely holds. I start riding back and go over a bridge where they are dong construction. I ask a worker if he has a compressor. He says yes and invites me over the barrier. They finally find the right tool and he puts air in my tire. I thank him and am on my way.
The tires is quickly getting flat, but it lasts until I get to the van, barely. Whew!
Well, that's it for me. I don't want to take any more chances I need to get a new tube. .But first there is a piece of beach that I can drive to. I checked last night and it's near the park where I stayed a few nights ago. I drive over there and walk to the beach. Even though there is boulders in front of the beach, I jog it. I want to be sure to get every beach. It is part of the national monument, Motanzas Fort Park.
With that done, I go to find a bike shop or some other place I can get a tube. I ask the lady at General Dollar and she doesn't have any but she tells me there is a bike shop a few miles down the road, just before the Texaco station.
I drive down and find it in a strip mall area which also has, Publix, Dollar Tree, Starbucks, etc. Sweet! I have found my place! I get the tube for a little over $6 and borrow their pump which is way better than mine. I put the new tube on and it works great! I also stop at the Dollar Tree and get just a few things. I also stop at Starbucks and get online to do some work. But I need to jog some more so I drive back to the southern end of this island, which includes one of my key landmarks on this journey, St. Augustine Beach! On the way I see the Fort Matanzas National Monument and stop by. The tour is free and doesn't take long. I catch the last tour of the day at 4:45.
I have to wait 20 minutes and the rest in the sun feels good. A few others gather and Park Ranger/Tour Guide Carter takes us to the outpost. And that is just what it is - an outpost to guard the back entrance to St. Augustine. The Spanish troops were sent from Castillo de San Marcos for a month at a time for guard duty here. It is a tine, but well-built station. It overlooks Matanzas Inlet, which was too shallow for warship, but some of their boast might try. (Later I learn that Matanzas is the Spanish word for 'slaughter' as they slaughtered the remnants of some French forces there. The French were without supplies and the slaughter has been deemed unnecessary by many.)
Carter gives an excellent spiel about the place and is energetic even though this is her final talk of the day. I ask some questions and have fun walking through the place. Finally we go back and I am off quickly because I want to jog about four more miles before the sun sets today. I will stage my van at Crescent Beach Park and ride my bike back. That way if it gets dark I won't have to ride the bike in the dark.
As I walk quickly to the van, two ladies ride by on bikes and one flags me down. Her seat keeps coming loose and she asks if I can fix it. Sure! I stop thinking about the jog for a few minutes and get my toolbox. I tighten the seat and ask her to check it to make sure. Yep, it's fixed. So, we exchange names and I take off to Crescent Beach. I park the van, get the bike out and take off. The tire is holding fine! I reach the end of the island and park at another part of the national monument.
I take off and start jogging from the boardwalk on the south side, go around and under the bridge and find the straightaway. The wind is in my face a little, but that doesn't bother me too much anymore. As long as the legs are pumping, I am moving. And feeling good. I think it is about four miles to the park. I start at 5:55 and because I start jogging from the south side it is actually over 5 miles. The sun is setting and I am still on the beach. I am not sure where to get off and rely on time to get to the right spot. I should be there before 7:30. There are many people enjoying the beach. One man jogs past me and I feel like stepping up my pace and passing him, but I don't. I do ask him about the park and he is not sure. He thinks it is about two and a half miles away. I am sure that is not the case. He must be thinking of a different park.
The sun is almost set, I decide to pass the guy anyway. A little competitive maybe, but what the heck. I step it up. Before I get to him he turns around and starts on the way back. We exchange pleasantries and both continue on our ways. I see a spot ahead that has no building and a few light poles and I guess that is the park. About 5 minutes I find out that I am right! Great! I hop in the van and take off. I need to find a place for this evening so I head to US 1 and find the Wally World. As I get ready for a nap I look behind and see that my bike is not there. I forgot my bike!
Shoot! I am tired, but I head out and travel the 14 or so miles and find my bike at the park. Whew! It is dark out and I really don't want to go back so I drive across the bridges and go back into the area where they put boats in and spend the night there.
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2011
Just getting light out and I am up and getting ready. I drive to the Crescent Beach Park and have some oatmeal, get ready and walk out to check the beach. Low tide and a fine day with some wind! I double check my van. There are just a few cars there, people enjoying the sunrise. I walk out onto the beach do my stretches and exercises and take off!
It feels good to jog and there are several joggers out already! This is a pretty active community. I can see the pier from the start and it is getting closer and closer. Finally I reach it and that is very close to the end point of the first jog. But then I have an idea to just keep going. I have to catch a bus anyway so it doesn't matter if I jog the last 4 or 5 miles, then walk back to the bus, or catch the bus now and then drive up to this point and jog.
I opt for keeping on jogging. I feel very good, the tide is low and I am smiling. So, cool! There is no road out this way, just beach, trees and dunes. There are less and less people, but still some as far out as I go. I am about a mile or so from the end and I see this older lady, (at least in her 70's) riding a bike back from the end. She is smiling too. I like her idea of getting old. Stay as active as you can and enjoy life.
I reach the sand dune that was my target and realize there is more to jog. I pass a few others and they are very beautiful. I think the dunes are some of the most beautiful parts of Florida. I reach the big curve and discover here it is lined with boulders in order to keep the beach from eroding. I still jog along the beach beside the boulders till I come to the end of sand. It was fun!
Looking at Google Maps earlier I find there is a sort of a road if I go down the beach on the inland side. This might be a short cut. So, I take it and round the bend. My eyes find what they have been hoping to see for a few days now. The Castillo de San Marcos. This Spanish fort is almost as impressive as the Alamo. The history, the times, etc. Unlike the Alamo, It was never taken in battle. The view from this island is unique and wonderful. I walk along the beach till it ends and look for the road out. I try a few areas and can't find it. The brush is too thick.
I have to go back as the underbrush probably harbors too many snakes for me! So, I walk back. It is after 12 PM now but the sun is out and it is wonderfully refreshing day. I reach the boulders and plan to cut across the tip of the island at an angle since the underbrush isn't so bad. The landscape is beautiful with some flowers, some cacti, other plants and the whitest sand you have ever seen. Sand in the dunes, especially in the hollows or depressions is the whitest sand you will ever see. I take a break and lie back on a hill of pure white sand letting the sun bathe my face. I wouldn't mind camping here someday.
Finally, after about ten minutes I get up and start moving again. Something is a little strange. I seem to be heading back to the boulders that line the northern end of the island. I should be heading south. I keep going and decide to get out of the area so I head for the beach. When I get to the beach I see the end of boulders in front of me. So much for my navigational sills! But it was a fun hike!
I take off down the beach and am happy it is still low tide so the sand is firm. There are a few people out there. One lady, barefoot and in a bathing suit, says she hikes out here often to the end. She says it take about two hours. I am not sure if that is one way or round trip. I ask about the bus stop and she says I can catch a bus at Anastasia Sate Park which is just before the pier.
I keep walking and for a while close my eyes for a few steps. I am not exhausted, but just a little tired. I decide to play a game. How long and straight can I walk with my eyes closed. There are so few people on the beach that I shouldn't run into anyone. So, I close my eyes and walk. I make 22 steps and open them. Oops! I try it again and do about the same. I do it again forcing myself to keep my eyes closed. I make 200 steps, then 400. Cool! Now I can sleep walking if I ever want to! Not really. But it was fun.
I reach the parking lot of the state park and head for the store. I ask about the bus and they say the bus doesn't come into the park but I can catch it outside the park. How far? About a mile down the road.
Hun? They see my fallen expression and go "Awww." So, I buck it up, smile and thank them. I buy a snicker's bar and head out. It is going on 1:30 and I am tired by now. But I keep going, walking on the grass beside the road or sidewalk. I don't like hard surfaces anymore. I call the Sunshine Bus Company, the country's bus system. The bus will by the Surf Shop. The guy on the other end thinks I am a local. I tell him I don't know what he is talking about and I can't understand what he is saying as he is talking way too fast. He doesn't quite get it. But after a little while, I get the info. The Surf Shop is at the end of the state park road, I need to cross the street to catch the bus. The bus stops every two hour and thirty minutes. There are no bus stops, just flag it down. Next bus in about 50 minutes.
Wow! Strange and interesting bus system they have here. I finally wave the bus down. I have to change buses. The bus drivers are nice. And flagging down a bus instead of finding a bus stop seems like a better idea the more I think about it. I get back to my van! It has been a long, but good day!
I hop in the van and open a can of something. Then I notice a paper taped to my window. Is this good or bad? Hmm... It is taped well and folded. I pull it off the window and open it. The lady and her daughter, whose bike I fixed invited me to dinner! Yes! Good food tonight! I give them a call and we agree around 6:30 to 7. That give me time to do some typing in my journal.
Dinner is very nice. Nancy and her daughter, Heather, are wonderful hosts. Nancy has walked across Spain so she knows what it means to be a 'pilgrim' as she calls it. So, I am offered a shower (yes!) and a place to sleep for the night on the couch (yes!). Well, this is nice! The food and the conversation is good. I spend the night there.
It feels good to jog and there are several joggers out already! This is a pretty active community. I can see the pier from the start and it is getting closer and closer. Finally I reach it and that is very close to the end point of the first jog. But then I have an idea to just keep going. I have to catch a bus anyway so it doesn't matter if I jog the last 4 or 5 miles, then walk back to the bus, or catch the bus now and then drive up to this point and jog.
I opt for keeping on jogging. I feel very good, the tide is low and I am smiling. So, cool! There is no road out this way, just beach, trees and dunes. There are less and less people, but still some as far out as I go. I am about a mile or so from the end and I see this older lady, (at least in her 70's) riding a bike back from the end. She is smiling too. I like her idea of getting old. Stay as active as you can and enjoy life.
I reach the sand dune that was my target and realize there is more to jog. I pass a few others and they are very beautiful. I think the dunes are some of the most beautiful parts of Florida. I reach the big curve and discover here it is lined with boulders in order to keep the beach from eroding. I still jog along the beach beside the boulders till I come to the end of sand. It was fun!
Looking at Google Maps earlier I find there is a sort of a road if I go down the beach on the inland side. This might be a short cut. So, I take it and round the bend. My eyes find what they have been hoping to see for a few days now. The Castillo de San Marcos. This Spanish fort is almost as impressive as the Alamo. The history, the times, etc. Unlike the Alamo, It was never taken in battle. The view from this island is unique and wonderful. I walk along the beach till it ends and look for the road out. I try a few areas and can't find it. The brush is too thick.
I have to go back as the underbrush probably harbors too many snakes for me! So, I walk back. It is after 12 PM now but the sun is out and it is wonderfully refreshing day. I reach the boulders and plan to cut across the tip of the island at an angle since the underbrush isn't so bad. The landscape is beautiful with some flowers, some cacti, other plants and the whitest sand you have ever seen. Sand in the dunes, especially in the hollows or depressions is the whitest sand you will ever see. I take a break and lie back on a hill of pure white sand letting the sun bathe my face. I wouldn't mind camping here someday.
Finally, after about ten minutes I get up and start moving again. Something is a little strange. I seem to be heading back to the boulders that line the northern end of the island. I should be heading south. I keep going and decide to get out of the area so I head for the beach. When I get to the beach I see the end of boulders in front of me. So much for my navigational sills! But it was a fun hike!
I take off down the beach and am happy it is still low tide so the sand is firm. There are a few people out there. One lady, barefoot and in a bathing suit, says she hikes out here often to the end. She says it take about two hours. I am not sure if that is one way or round trip. I ask about the bus stop and she says I can catch a bus at Anastasia Sate Park which is just before the pier.
I keep walking and for a while close my eyes for a few steps. I am not exhausted, but just a little tired. I decide to play a game. How long and straight can I walk with my eyes closed. There are so few people on the beach that I shouldn't run into anyone. So, I close my eyes and walk. I make 22 steps and open them. Oops! I try it again and do about the same. I do it again forcing myself to keep my eyes closed. I make 200 steps, then 400. Cool! Now I can sleep walking if I ever want to! Not really. But it was fun.
I reach the parking lot of the state park and head for the store. I ask about the bus and they say the bus doesn't come into the park but I can catch it outside the park. How far? About a mile down the road.
Hun? They see my fallen expression and go "Awww." So, I buck it up, smile and thank them. I buy a snicker's bar and head out. It is going on 1:30 and I am tired by now. But I keep going, walking on the grass beside the road or sidewalk. I don't like hard surfaces anymore. I call the Sunshine Bus Company, the country's bus system. The bus will by the Surf Shop. The guy on the other end thinks I am a local. I tell him I don't know what he is talking about and I can't understand what he is saying as he is talking way too fast. He doesn't quite get it. But after a little while, I get the info. The Surf Shop is at the end of the state park road, I need to cross the street to catch the bus. The bus stops every two hour and thirty minutes. There are no bus stops, just flag it down. Next bus in about 50 minutes.
Wow! Strange and interesting bus system they have here. I finally wave the bus down. I have to change buses. The bus drivers are nice. And flagging down a bus instead of finding a bus stop seems like a better idea the more I think about it. I get back to my van! It has been a long, but good day!
I hop in the van and open a can of something. Then I notice a paper taped to my window. Is this good or bad? Hmm... It is taped well and folded. I pull it off the window and open it. The lady and her daughter, whose bike I fixed invited me to dinner! Yes! Good food tonight! I give them a call and we agree around 6:30 to 7. That give me time to do some typing in my journal.
Dinner is very nice. Nancy and her daughter, Heather, are wonderful hosts. Nancy has walked across Spain so she knows what it means to be a 'pilgrim' as she calls it. So, I am offered a shower (yes!) and a place to sleep for the night on the couch (yes!). Well, this is nice! The food and the conversation is good. I spend the night there.
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2011
I wake up and say my thanks and head out. Today is a day off for me. I want to explore St. Augustine again. I was here about four years ago and didn't get enough of it then. But first I stop at the World Famous Oasis which advertises good meals. And they are right! I get a very filling breakfast of two eggs, home fries, sausage, toast and coffee. I ask the waitress why they call it 'world famous'. Her answer is superb! "Because you are here!" Great advertising, that! I park at the old drug store near the fort, pay $5 for parking, which also means I can park there all night, which means I can sleep in my van there tonight! I get my bike out of the van. A bike tour of this place seems in order.
The first place is the fort! The ticket is $6 and well worth it. I park my bike behind the ticket office and walk down to the moat. I want to take my time here. I want to see it slowly from the bottom up. I make my tour around the moat and walk up the original steps. I am told not to do that again. I won't, but I did it once! The making of this place, the history of the battles here, how it changed hands more than once, etc. makes me want to know more and to savor the feeling of being here. Those Spanish sure did a great job!
I ask several questions about the place and Jake, the fellow who will later give a talk in the courtyard, proves a wealth of knowledge, and he is still excited about the history and it shows! I would tell you what I know of the pirates, the several attempts to take this fort, the work done on the forts and the rest of the defensive perimeter, the first free black settlement in America, etc., but I hope you explore that for yourself. It is fun to look out at the inlet and think of how the guards did just the same thing well over three hundred years ago.
I spend over two hours there. While there, Nancy and Heather show up. I thought they were going to the Fountain of Youth today, but they couldn't for some reason and came here instead. They invite me over again and I accept. It sure beats sleeping in back of the van. And the Tigers are playing the Yankees in game 5 of the playoffs! I really want to watch that game!
I say goodbye for now and continue to explore the city. There is Flagler College, the Lightener Museum, the Lighthouse Museum, St. George Street and other places of exquisite architecture and history. Biking down these streets on a sunny day, watching the tourists, etc. makes for a most relaxing day.
I see all I want and head back to the beaches and Starbucks for some typing. Then I grab a rotisserie chicken and take it to the condo as my share of the meal. They are both busy. One is chillin' and the other is on the phone most of the night working on a computer program with a client. I get to watch the game. Tigers win!!! What a game!
But Nancy isn't feeling well at all. She isn't sick enough to go to the emergency room, but if she get worse, she really should. She had an episode earlier this week with some shrimp and this might be happening again.
The first place is the fort! The ticket is $6 and well worth it. I park my bike behind the ticket office and walk down to the moat. I want to take my time here. I want to see it slowly from the bottom up. I make my tour around the moat and walk up the original steps. I am told not to do that again. I won't, but I did it once! The making of this place, the history of the battles here, how it changed hands more than once, etc. makes me want to know more and to savor the feeling of being here. Those Spanish sure did a great job!
I ask several questions about the place and Jake, the fellow who will later give a talk in the courtyard, proves a wealth of knowledge, and he is still excited about the history and it shows! I would tell you what I know of the pirates, the several attempts to take this fort, the work done on the forts and the rest of the defensive perimeter, the first free black settlement in America, etc., but I hope you explore that for yourself. It is fun to look out at the inlet and think of how the guards did just the same thing well over three hundred years ago.
I spend over two hours there. While there, Nancy and Heather show up. I thought they were going to the Fountain of Youth today, but they couldn't for some reason and came here instead. They invite me over again and I accept. It sure beats sleeping in back of the van. And the Tigers are playing the Yankees in game 5 of the playoffs! I really want to watch that game!
I say goodbye for now and continue to explore the city. There is Flagler College, the Lightener Museum, the Lighthouse Museum, St. George Street and other places of exquisite architecture and history. Biking down these streets on a sunny day, watching the tourists, etc. makes for a most relaxing day.
I see all I want and head back to the beaches and Starbucks for some typing. Then I grab a rotisserie chicken and take it to the condo as my share of the meal. They are both busy. One is chillin' and the other is on the phone most of the night working on a computer program with a client. I get to watch the game. Tigers win!!! What a game!
But Nancy isn't feeling well at all. She isn't sick enough to go to the emergency room, but if she get worse, she really should. She had an episode earlier this week with some shrimp and this might be happening again.
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2011
In the morning she can't make it down the stairs. It is time to call 911, so I call and they come and get her. I take her daughter to the hospital and we wait until the ambulance arrives. We are told she is here and we can go back to the emergency area now. The nurse is very good. Blood work is done, etc. The doctor sees here, she gets a shot of something and begins to improve. So, finally she can sleep and she does.
Her daughter and I get some breakfast at Flagler Hospital. It is omelet Friday! We order omelets Heather wants some potato so she goes to the other area and gets them. I get some ketchup for us. Unfortunately it turns out to be barbecue sauce! I don't even know it until Heather tells me. (It turns out that barbecue sauce is pretty good on a omelet!) The omelet girl, Becca, tells here she could have asked her as she would have given her some potatoes. So I ask,and I add as a joke for some steak as well.
She gives me a big helping of potatoes and strips of steak! (Never hurts to ask!) We finish breakfast and head back to the emergency area. It is going to be a few more hours as Nancy still can't keep anything down and they won't release her until she can. So, we wait. I sleep.
About 1 PM her daughter and I go to lunch. As this is her vacation, I ask her where she wants to go. We decide on TGI Fridays. Good chow. When we get back the mother is good enough to go home. I drive and we arrive back at the condo. I really didn't lose any time jogging because the weather has turned very bad. This is the worst weather since the Saturday storm in the St. Pete area. There is a big storm off-shore and the wind and rain doesn't seem to stop. Since it is late, I spend the night again on a couch.
Her daughter and I get some breakfast at Flagler Hospital. It is omelet Friday! We order omelets Heather wants some potato so she goes to the other area and gets them. I get some ketchup for us. Unfortunately it turns out to be barbecue sauce! I don't even know it until Heather tells me. (It turns out that barbecue sauce is pretty good on a omelet!) The omelet girl, Becca, tells here she could have asked her as she would have given her some potatoes. So I ask,and I add as a joke for some steak as well.
She gives me a big helping of potatoes and strips of steak! (Never hurts to ask!) We finish breakfast and head back to the emergency area. It is going to be a few more hours as Nancy still can't keep anything down and they won't release her until she can. So, we wait. I sleep.
About 1 PM her daughter and I go to lunch. As this is her vacation, I ask her where she wants to go. We decide on TGI Fridays. Good chow. When we get back the mother is good enough to go home. I drive and we arrive back at the condo. I really didn't lose any time jogging because the weather has turned very bad. This is the worst weather since the Saturday storm in the St. Pete area. There is a big storm off-shore and the wind and rain doesn't seem to stop. Since it is late, I spend the night again on a couch.
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2011
The weather is still terrible. No jogging today. I mention that I am going to Oasis for breakfast and they decide that that is a good idea. She is feeling much better. Breakfast again is excellent! And Nancy decides to pay to thank my for my help yesterday. That's nice. After breakfast, I go back and get my computer and head out. Nice folks, but it is time to go.
And now I am at Starbucks typing away on this wet and windy day. Funny thing is the weather back home is beautiful! It had been rainy and cold for the past two weeks and not it is sunny and warm! Indian Summer we call it. I'd rather be here.
Don't know where I will spend the night, and it was very nice to meet folks and enjoy human fellowship, but it is good to be on my own.
The Tigers are playing tonight in the first playoff game against Texas. So, I go to Oasis which has 44 TVs, good food and nice folks. The game in in at least three TVs upstairs. The folks are nice again. (I tell you, make sure you stop here when you are in town!) I start watching the game and it is a good one.
,
I get a call from Margie, whom I had left a voice mail. She has dances in the area. She says there is no dance but if I go to Panama Hatties there are sure to be people my age to dance with. And I get the feeling I should go. Hope the Tigers win without me watching! I finish my one brew and am off.
Panama Hattie's is just down the road a mile or two, across from the pier. There is a band downstairs and a dj upstairs. I need to change! Off with the flip flops (my beloved flip flops!) and on with shoes. Off with the T-shirt and on with a nice long sleeved shirt. As I am changing my shirt I have the side doors open. A lady parks next to me and gets out. I think I must look odd to her, changing like that, so I say, with my back to her, "Just passing through!" and she responds with something. She is my age and rather cute so I think maybe I will get a change to dance tonight!
I walk in and the band hasn't started yet, but I do see the lady from the car. Her daughter and a friend are there as well. Her daughter works for a magazine that promotes music in the area so she is checking out the scene. I am invited to join them after asking the lady if she likes to dance. They are very nice folks.
The dancing starts and the dj upstairs isn't so good, but the dancing is. Finally, I get to dance again! Feels great. We have fun dancing for a long time. She is a good dancer and enjoys life. The conversation also is good as we are both active seekers in life. (Again, the difference between existing and living) The lady, Jayne, leaves for home and I stay because I want to sleep at the place. There are other cars there all night so this looks natural and I wait till the place closes and hop in the van and sleep very well.
Almost done with this adventure. 62 miles to go or thereabouts. Plan to savor the ending. Hope to finish Wednesday, the 19th.
And now I am at Starbucks typing away on this wet and windy day. Funny thing is the weather back home is beautiful! It had been rainy and cold for the past two weeks and not it is sunny and warm! Indian Summer we call it. I'd rather be here.
Don't know where I will spend the night, and it was very nice to meet folks and enjoy human fellowship, but it is good to be on my own.
The Tigers are playing tonight in the first playoff game against Texas. So, I go to Oasis which has 44 TVs, good food and nice folks. The game in in at least three TVs upstairs. The folks are nice again. (I tell you, make sure you stop here when you are in town!) I start watching the game and it is a good one.
,
I get a call from Margie, whom I had left a voice mail. She has dances in the area. She says there is no dance but if I go to Panama Hatties there are sure to be people my age to dance with. And I get the feeling I should go. Hope the Tigers win without me watching! I finish my one brew and am off.
Panama Hattie's is just down the road a mile or two, across from the pier. There is a band downstairs and a dj upstairs. I need to change! Off with the flip flops (my beloved flip flops!) and on with shoes. Off with the T-shirt and on with a nice long sleeved shirt. As I am changing my shirt I have the side doors open. A lady parks next to me and gets out. I think I must look odd to her, changing like that, so I say, with my back to her, "Just passing through!" and she responds with something. She is my age and rather cute so I think maybe I will get a change to dance tonight!
I walk in and the band hasn't started yet, but I do see the lady from the car. Her daughter and a friend are there as well. Her daughter works for a magazine that promotes music in the area so she is checking out the scene. I am invited to join them after asking the lady if she likes to dance. They are very nice folks.
The dancing starts and the dj upstairs isn't so good, but the dancing is. Finally, I get to dance again! Feels great. We have fun dancing for a long time. She is a good dancer and enjoys life. The conversation also is good as we are both active seekers in life. (Again, the difference between existing and living) The lady, Jayne, leaves for home and I stay because I want to sleep at the place. There are other cars there all night so this looks natural and I wait till the place closes and hop in the van and sleep very well.
Almost done with this adventure. 62 miles to go or thereabouts. Plan to savor the ending. Hope to finish Wednesday, the 19th.
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2011
Up by 7:30 as I want to find get to church and Sunday School. I hop out of the van and realize that the pier is just across the street. I haven't really taken a good look at the stormy waves yet so I drive over. After paying the dollar fee I walk out and see the water churning, rip tides strong, and big, nasty looking waves coming right up to the rocks. No beach.
It looks awesome! I walk to the end and just watch the waves some in. No surfing today for folks! Later, I hear that the Weather Channel comes out to the same place and does a piece about the weather here.
I shave in the restroom there. Hot water! And then head to the Anastasia Baptist Church. Brian, a fellow I met at Starbucks on Saturday, told me about it. Brian is a young guy who has a college ministry, does triathalons and enjoys reading the Bible. (He was reading Philippians when I met him.) He works with everynation.org.
The Anastasia Baptist Church is a sprawling affair. I follow some folks to the door and ask the door keeper where the Sunday School is. He responds that they don't have Sunday School. "Huh?" I ask. "We call it Cell Groups, now." he says in somewhat a smug manner. I wanted to say, "Well, excuse me for my use of the words Sunday School, your dork!". But I don't.
I enter the place and look for some coffee. They have a place that sells coffee and muffins, etc. Like most big churches these day, I guess. I ask where the free coffee is. One lady says, "It's only a dollar." and the other lady tells me in on the second floor. Just take the elevators and it s right there. I go up and grab some coffee and come back down. I ask someone about Sunday School and they refer me to the counter to my left. I ask the lady there about the classes and she guides me through a brochure on the classes they have. They have a lot of classes! Some are for marrieds, some unmarrieds,some for men only, women only and coed.
She suggest a men's only class. Why would I do that? Give me coed. It is much more fun and usually more real. She points on the brochure to a class that is for ages 45+, but says I don't want that one. "Why", I ask. "Because you are too young for that one." she replies. I tell her I am 57 years old. She can't believe it.
This brings me top the idea that the older we get the younger younger people look. I see someone having a drink and think, "They are way to young to be able to have a drink in public!" I think someone is in her or his 30's, but they turn out to be in the mid-40 range. But they are just kids! So, this lady was in her 70's and thought I was a kid, I guess. But on the other hand, what hair I have is gray!
First is church. We gather in a big auditorium which seats at least 300 - 400 people. It is the casual service and I can take my coffee with me someone says. Cool. I take a seat and the place begins to fill up. The worship begins with singing, the band is good and the worship leaders are good as well. The songs are a little sappy for me. Slow and emotional. But I am sure many folks like that stuff. So, good! Not quite pentecostal in their verve, but there is some movement. And the folks are nice.
The sermon is good. They are doing something called "r12". I ask what that is and the reply is Romans Chapter 12. This refers to how Christians should live toward God and each other. They are on verses 9 through 13 and talk about the community of believers. It goes well and I would like some words explained,such as 'righteousness' and 'spiritual' because I think most folks have these words tainted with the religious ideas as opposed to the relationship to God ideas. For example, Joseph and Mary. Joseph was called 'righteous' and was planning to put Mary away quietly. In that culture at that time he could have had her stoned (and I am not blowing smoke!). So, to me, righteousness has a more broader concept than doing the right thing. It is doing the right thing with the right attitude. And the right thing may not be the letter-of-the law thing, but something more related to the situation. Compassion is a part of "righteousness".
Anyway, the sermon is good. But it falls into the Baptist trap of, and I quote the preacher here, "a teaching point". He was talking about when a small group went out to find and help folks. One guy gave $20 to a recently homeless fellow. The fellow had tears in his eyes, he was so thankful. And this was the "teaching point". I would think it is a "Come to God through Jesus" point myself. But having attended and graduated from a Baptist Bible College, I can say that they often focus on the trees and don't see the forest. Love and Grace are often overlooked for the other 'teaching points'. But having said that, I think they are good Christians who are doing their best to serve Him. But sometimes they get confused and teach to do things and hope the spiritual part will catch up. Striving in the human spirit without resting in God's spirit. Sort of.
What Sunday School to attend? So many choices! I choose two and head to the second floor. Hmm... Food in this one! But it is for marrieds with children. I wonder to the end and enter a room that is coed and adult. The fellow there welcomes me and invites me to the class. He says in this class people say whatever they want. I ask, "Whatever they want? Really?" He say, "Yes." and I respond with something like, "Okay, you said it!" So, this is an open discussion class with a leader. Good. My kind of class.
There are about 6 in the class and we chat for a time. Then it is video time. They are going to show the video and go over the sermon we heard this morning. The machine isn't working right and we have a discussion. The leader mentions 'spiritual fervor' from Romans. I ask him to define the phrase. I know what spiritual means and fervor, but I want a clear understanding of what we are discussing. The wife of the fellow who invited me in give her definition and others as well. Before it is clearly defined the video is working and we watch it. The one thing I get from the video and the place is no 'joy' expressions. Maybe I am picky. The folks are very nice and sincere Christians I have no doubt. And we have a fun and lively discussion. This is good class and the leaders does very well to try to control it. I would attend this class again if I were in the area.
Church is out. Now what? I go to George St. and hang around for awhile. This is really a cool place. Then I go to the beaches of Vilano and north o there because I want to check where to park the van, etc. It is still cool, overcast and wet. Once I drive my jogging route, I pull off at a national estuary thing and take a nap.
Hungry! I passed a Hungry Howie's on US 1 so I backtrack. Maybe they have a buffet. They do and it is less than $10 with drink included. I want to eat a lot of carbs because I think I need it for jogging. I really pack it in, pizza, pasta and more. It is now 8 PM and I need a place to sleep. It is still wet and chilly so if the price is right I will spend the night at a motel. There are several to choose from and I see one for $39 for the night. But before I go there I want to check the Howard Johnson's I saw earlier. There was no price mentioned but I want to see of they have a similar price.
I pull up and enter the lobby. Stephany is the clerk and is waiting on a lady with two kids. I wait and during a break in the discussion I ask about prices. The lady checking in asks if I am staying the night. She has coupons for a free night's stay that she can't use as they will expire. Would I like one? Sure! This is great! I ask the Stephany how much for the next night. They lady give me another certificate, her last one. Yes! I pay her taxes and mine as well. This is great. Two free nights at HoJo's! I can hardly believe it. Darlene, the lady checking in, explains that she got them at a radio auction in Jacksonville and never used them. So, she doesn't want them to go to waste. I thank her profusely!
A hot bath, a soft bed. Nice.
It looks awesome! I walk to the end and just watch the waves some in. No surfing today for folks! Later, I hear that the Weather Channel comes out to the same place and does a piece about the weather here.
I shave in the restroom there. Hot water! And then head to the Anastasia Baptist Church. Brian, a fellow I met at Starbucks on Saturday, told me about it. Brian is a young guy who has a college ministry, does triathalons and enjoys reading the Bible. (He was reading Philippians when I met him.) He works with everynation.org.
The Anastasia Baptist Church is a sprawling affair. I follow some folks to the door and ask the door keeper where the Sunday School is. He responds that they don't have Sunday School. "Huh?" I ask. "We call it Cell Groups, now." he says in somewhat a smug manner. I wanted to say, "Well, excuse me for my use of the words Sunday School, your dork!". But I don't.
I enter the place and look for some coffee. They have a place that sells coffee and muffins, etc. Like most big churches these day, I guess. I ask where the free coffee is. One lady says, "It's only a dollar." and the other lady tells me in on the second floor. Just take the elevators and it s right there. I go up and grab some coffee and come back down. I ask someone about Sunday School and they refer me to the counter to my left. I ask the lady there about the classes and she guides me through a brochure on the classes they have. They have a lot of classes! Some are for marrieds, some unmarrieds,some for men only, women only and coed.
She suggest a men's only class. Why would I do that? Give me coed. It is much more fun and usually more real. She points on the brochure to a class that is for ages 45+, but says I don't want that one. "Why", I ask. "Because you are too young for that one." she replies. I tell her I am 57 years old. She can't believe it.
This brings me top the idea that the older we get the younger younger people look. I see someone having a drink and think, "They are way to young to be able to have a drink in public!" I think someone is in her or his 30's, but they turn out to be in the mid-40 range. But they are just kids! So, this lady was in her 70's and thought I was a kid, I guess. But on the other hand, what hair I have is gray!
First is church. We gather in a big auditorium which seats at least 300 - 400 people. It is the casual service and I can take my coffee with me someone says. Cool. I take a seat and the place begins to fill up. The worship begins with singing, the band is good and the worship leaders are good as well. The songs are a little sappy for me. Slow and emotional. But I am sure many folks like that stuff. So, good! Not quite pentecostal in their verve, but there is some movement. And the folks are nice.
The sermon is good. They are doing something called "r12". I ask what that is and the reply is Romans Chapter 12. This refers to how Christians should live toward God and each other. They are on verses 9 through 13 and talk about the community of believers. It goes well and I would like some words explained,such as 'righteousness' and 'spiritual' because I think most folks have these words tainted with the religious ideas as opposed to the relationship to God ideas. For example, Joseph and Mary. Joseph was called 'righteous' and was planning to put Mary away quietly. In that culture at that time he could have had her stoned (and I am not blowing smoke!). So, to me, righteousness has a more broader concept than doing the right thing. It is doing the right thing with the right attitude. And the right thing may not be the letter-of-the law thing, but something more related to the situation. Compassion is a part of "righteousness".
Anyway, the sermon is good. But it falls into the Baptist trap of, and I quote the preacher here, "a teaching point". He was talking about when a small group went out to find and help folks. One guy gave $20 to a recently homeless fellow. The fellow had tears in his eyes, he was so thankful. And this was the "teaching point". I would think it is a "Come to God through Jesus" point myself. But having attended and graduated from a Baptist Bible College, I can say that they often focus on the trees and don't see the forest. Love and Grace are often overlooked for the other 'teaching points'. But having said that, I think they are good Christians who are doing their best to serve Him. But sometimes they get confused and teach to do things and hope the spiritual part will catch up. Striving in the human spirit without resting in God's spirit. Sort of.
What Sunday School to attend? So many choices! I choose two and head to the second floor. Hmm... Food in this one! But it is for marrieds with children. I wonder to the end and enter a room that is coed and adult. The fellow there welcomes me and invites me to the class. He says in this class people say whatever they want. I ask, "Whatever they want? Really?" He say, "Yes." and I respond with something like, "Okay, you said it!" So, this is an open discussion class with a leader. Good. My kind of class.
There are about 6 in the class and we chat for a time. Then it is video time. They are going to show the video and go over the sermon we heard this morning. The machine isn't working right and we have a discussion. The leader mentions 'spiritual fervor' from Romans. I ask him to define the phrase. I know what spiritual means and fervor, but I want a clear understanding of what we are discussing. The wife of the fellow who invited me in give her definition and others as well. Before it is clearly defined the video is working and we watch it. The one thing I get from the video and the place is no 'joy' expressions. Maybe I am picky. The folks are very nice and sincere Christians I have no doubt. And we have a fun and lively discussion. This is good class and the leaders does very well to try to control it. I would attend this class again if I were in the area.
Church is out. Now what? I go to George St. and hang around for awhile. This is really a cool place. Then I go to the beaches of Vilano and north o there because I want to check where to park the van, etc. It is still cool, overcast and wet. Once I drive my jogging route, I pull off at a national estuary thing and take a nap.
Hungry! I passed a Hungry Howie's on US 1 so I backtrack. Maybe they have a buffet. They do and it is less than $10 with drink included. I want to eat a lot of carbs because I think I need it for jogging. I really pack it in, pizza, pasta and more. It is now 8 PM and I need a place to sleep. It is still wet and chilly so if the price is right I will spend the night at a motel. There are several to choose from and I see one for $39 for the night. But before I go there I want to check the Howard Johnson's I saw earlier. There was no price mentioned but I want to see of they have a similar price.
I pull up and enter the lobby. Stephany is the clerk and is waiting on a lady with two kids. I wait and during a break in the discussion I ask about prices. The lady checking in asks if I am staying the night. She has coupons for a free night's stay that she can't use as they will expire. Would I like one? Sure! This is great! I ask the Stephany how much for the next night. They lady give me another certificate, her last one. Yes! I pay her taxes and mine as well. This is great. Two free nights at HoJo's! I can hardly believe it. Darlene, the lady checking in, explains that she got them at a radio auction in Jacksonville and never used them. So, she doesn't want them to go to waste. I thank her profusely!
A hot bath, a soft bed. Nice.
MONDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2011
Breakfast! Boiled eggs, raisin bran, milk, coffee, etc, and a morning paper. I enjoy this. Then I take the bike out of the van and take off for the historic area. I enjoy the day. I hear a soothing voice and guitar from the Mi Casa Cafe. A guy is singing and the place looks interesting, the people look friendly. So I take my bike into the courtyard and park it out of the way. I plan to have a beer and listen to the music. I sit next to two couples. They are down for bike week in Daytona and have come up this way for a bike ride. The weather is mostly sunny today. They waves are still choppy so there is no jogging yet.
It is fun talking to them. The fellow don't feel threatened by my presence, which men usually do when a non-attached guy talks to their date/mate. They are sure in their ladies and themselves. This is refreshing. Mick, the lady behind the bar, loves what she does. She is former Air Force, having worked with AWACS in Europe when it was really busy there. Another fellow arrives, Tim, who has been here three months. He has various business ventures and can live where he wishes. Others arrive as well. The guitar player is from Ohio, though he left there many years ago.
I order an appetizer and another beer. Might as well make this a vacation day! The afternoon is relaxing and fun.
I head back to my room for another bath and watch the Tigers on TV. They lose again, but it is a really good game. The intensity on Cabrera's face after he initiated and finished the double play to end the inning with bases loaded revealed how much the Tigers want to win and never give up!
I start out make notes on the book I finished in spring, "Passion and Reason - making sense of our emotions". And I get ready for tomorrow's jog.
It is fun talking to them. The fellow don't feel threatened by my presence, which men usually do when a non-attached guy talks to their date/mate. They are sure in their ladies and themselves. This is refreshing. Mick, the lady behind the bar, loves what she does. She is former Air Force, having worked with AWACS in Europe when it was really busy there. Another fellow arrives, Tim, who has been here three months. He has various business ventures and can live where he wishes. Others arrive as well. The guitar player is from Ohio, though he left there many years ago.
I order an appetizer and another beer. Might as well make this a vacation day! The afternoon is relaxing and fun.
I head back to my room for another bath and watch the Tigers on TV. They lose again, but it is a really good game. The intensity on Cabrera's face after he initiated and finished the double play to end the inning with bases loaded revealed how much the Tigers want to win and never give up!
I start out make notes on the book I finished in spring, "Passion and Reason - making sense of our emotions". And I get ready for tomorrow's jog.
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2011
Breakfast again and I add a couple of bagels to my pocket. They don't seem to mind. After morning chow, I go back to my room and start the bath water. Then I lay down and fall asleep for an hour. Oops! I jump up looking for water on the floor. There is none. The water is still running but hasn't overflowed. Good drain!
I let some water out and take a bath. So nice! Then I take everything out of my van that is on the floor. I sweep it and put the stuff back. Looks much better and a long time coming! I get some ice for my ice chest and turn in my key cards. Nice place.
I arrive at Villano Beach and stage my bike. I had planned to jog twice, 6 miles each. But I thought why stage my stuff twice. Twelve miles in one shot will be better. So that is what I do. I stage my bike at the THE GUANA TOLOMATO MATANZAS NATIONAL ESTUARINE RESEARCH RESERVE. I think that is a rather long name.
I drive back and walk to the end of the beach. Many folks are on the beach with their vehicles. I walk around to the end and start jogging at 1:18 PM. It is a beautiful day and I feel great! I even jog backwards a while! The smile doesn't leave my face all day. I love it. The music is good as I got some music from Nancy MP3 player. Upbeat, old and new. I incorporate that with my upbeat stuff and put a hundred songs on my jogging playlist. For example, Helter Skelter, some AC/DC, CCR, Bib Bopper, Sly and the Family Stone, Kristiana Debarge, Bay City Rollers, Led Zeppelin, Madonna, Def Leapord, ELO, Britney Spears, Bill Withers, etc. This keeps me going well.
Time for a break. I look at the time and have jogged 50 minutes. After a short break I am off, but at a slower pace. The shells here are fantastic. I pick a house in the distance that stands out for some reason and jog towards it. Sometimes I pick three objects at various distances. The weather is warm. I can tell by the fact that my shirt is wet and the bill of my cap is dripping. Great! Just like I like it.
The houses along with way are a little to cookie cutter for me. There is a feeling of exclusivity along this area as well. Not like the area from Ormond Beach to St. Augustine.
I keep jogging and stop at different times. I am a little tired. I guess those days off got me out of shape a little. I finally finish at 5:12 PM. I had hoped to finish earlier, but this isn't too bad. I cross the boardwalk to my bike and take off. I have picked up three nice shells and get a bag to carry them in. They are large!
The wind is in my face at about 10 mph and I am a little tired. So, this will be slow going. But I am still smiling for some reason. I make it back to my van in an hour and 10 minutes. Beat. I stow my bike, put my flip flops on and take off for my friend's house in Jacksonville. I will spend the next few nights there. Getting close!
I let some water out and take a bath. So nice! Then I take everything out of my van that is on the floor. I sweep it and put the stuff back. Looks much better and a long time coming! I get some ice for my ice chest and turn in my key cards. Nice place.
I arrive at Villano Beach and stage my bike. I had planned to jog twice, 6 miles each. But I thought why stage my stuff twice. Twelve miles in one shot will be better. So that is what I do. I stage my bike at the THE GUANA TOLOMATO MATANZAS NATIONAL ESTUARINE RESEARCH RESERVE. I think that is a rather long name.
I drive back and walk to the end of the beach. Many folks are on the beach with their vehicles. I walk around to the end and start jogging at 1:18 PM. It is a beautiful day and I feel great! I even jog backwards a while! The smile doesn't leave my face all day. I love it. The music is good as I got some music from Nancy MP3 player. Upbeat, old and new. I incorporate that with my upbeat stuff and put a hundred songs on my jogging playlist. For example, Helter Skelter, some AC/DC, CCR, Bib Bopper, Sly and the Family Stone, Kristiana Debarge, Bay City Rollers, Led Zeppelin, Madonna, Def Leapord, ELO, Britney Spears, Bill Withers, etc. This keeps me going well.
Time for a break. I look at the time and have jogged 50 minutes. After a short break I am off, but at a slower pace. The shells here are fantastic. I pick a house in the distance that stands out for some reason and jog towards it. Sometimes I pick three objects at various distances. The weather is warm. I can tell by the fact that my shirt is wet and the bill of my cap is dripping. Great! Just like I like it.
The houses along with way are a little to cookie cutter for me. There is a feeling of exclusivity along this area as well. Not like the area from Ormond Beach to St. Augustine.
I keep jogging and stop at different times. I am a little tired. I guess those days off got me out of shape a little. I finally finish at 5:12 PM. I had hoped to finish earlier, but this isn't too bad. I cross the boardwalk to my bike and take off. I have picked up three nice shells and get a bag to carry them in. They are large!
The wind is in my face at about 10 mph and I am a little tired. So, this will be slow going. But I am still smiling for some reason. I make it back to my van in an hour and 10 minutes. Beat. I stow my bike, put my flip flops on and take off for my friend's house in Jacksonville. I will spend the next few nights there. Getting close!
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2011
Up and out the door by 7:30. I find a Starbucks and sit down to write my journal. It is 11:25 and I am almost done. Ready to jog again! I head to A1A and the beaches. I park at the county park and check the beach. There is beach and it looks good. I take my bike out as I plan to ride back the seven miles and stage it at the national reserve. (The van would cost to park it there.)
I am making these last miles my victory jog. I decide to take my time, enjoy the ending. The beaches are still just as beautiful, the folks nice, the sun wonderful and the water gorgeous. So, I am not going to rush the end. I am going to enjoy it and breathe in the salt air, feel the sun and be happy I had the opportunity.
As I am walking my bike through the parking lot I spot a gent walking toward his Lexus sports car. He look approachable so I ask him if he is headed south. He isn't but he ask my why and I tell him what I am doing. He offers me a ride. Great! I put my bike back in the van and hop in his car. His name is Don. He and his wife moved hear a year ago I think he said. He tells me a little about the place. It is the headquarters of two or three major sports like golf, etc.
I see the sign and tell him he can drop me off at the entrance to the parking lot. I snap his pic and thank him. Nice guy. He leaves and I start walking across the road to the beach. Oops! I notice the sign again. This is the Middle Beach parking lot! Not wanting to have him have to stop and back up, etc. I saw this and thought it was the south parking lot. Oh, well. Still, this is much better and biking the miles.
The south parking lot is 1 mile south. I decide to walk the beach that mile. There are some folks on he beach and many nice shells. I guess the storm washed up a lot of stuff. I see some metal detectors and think that the Treasure Coast folks are out in force south of here.
Along the beach I jog backwards, I dance and I smile. When an especially good song comes one I stop and dance to it for a while. Why not?
I arrive and double check that this is where I left off. Yep, it is. I wasn't going to do my exercises, but do them anyway. Feels good! I start jogging with a smile on my face. That smile never leaves my face until I am back in the van later that day. My pace is medium and I am seeing many nice shells on the way. I have a plastic bag with me that holds my zero cal sports drink. Soon I notice that the print on my shirt is chaffing my nipples! Ouch! So, I take it off, fold it and put it in the bag. The sun feels good on my back.
I find several nice shells, many large conch shells and a beautiful round shell. At the 3.2 mile point (north parking lot) I take a break. I look at my phone clock. I have jogged for 50 minutes. Not bad. I am a little tired though. Not my legs,just me. I take off again and find my regular pace. This I can do all day. I am not sure how fast it is, but I sure like it. I stop and talk to a few nice folks on the beach.. Especially if they are tourist as I want them to have a good shell to take home. I give away a few of them today. One older couple, tourists to be sure. The man has a sunburnt chest and the lady is tanless. They are from Columbus, Ohio.
The lady see my cap and mentions the Marine logo to her hubby. He was a Marine as well! Cool. He was in for 4 years I think and got out in '68. We chat some more and say our goodbyes. It is a good day. I keep jogging, stopping only to take a drink. I meet Kelly on the beach walking her dog. She lives here.
I ask about the folks here. I am getting the suspicion that they are nice, contrary to my feelings. The houses seem rather ornate and the beach access is limited, gated communities, etc. Kellie and her hubby, Steve, are from Atlanta, and have been here for over a year and the people she has met at the beach-front houses have been very nice folks she says. I agree with her. A few strange characters, but most are friendly. Guess I am back in the South again! Then Kelly asks me a question I have never been asked on the beach.
"Are you single?"
"Yes, I am."
"Well, I have a friend, etc..."
Well, that is a nice compliment! And I tell her such. I continue on my way. I can see a group of people on the beach that signals my end-of-jog point. I don't walk off the beach, I dance off the beach! Feeling good! I dance along the short boardwalk and an older couple passes by. I say hello in a normal, greeting voice, just in case they think I am bonkers. Next a few ladies about my age are walking down the boardwalk. They say something funny and smile. I say, "Why walk when you can dance!" They agree. I keep on dancing to the parking lot. What a good day!
Just a quick note on this: I get the handsome comment a lot. I really don't get it. I look in mirror and am not impressed. But if others think so, that's nice. Much more important is character. God gives us looks, etc., but we form our personhood, our character. I can look at a most beautiful woman and then look at her face. What does it show? Happiness, arrogance, pride, pleasantness. This, to me, shows the person. This can make a plain woman beautiful and a beautiful woman ugly. So, I hope folks see goodness in my face as well.
I finish my jog at 3:20. Not bad, and I still have energy left. (Later I find that this is 6 miles of beach as opposed to 7 miles via the road.) I hop in my van and scout out tomorrow's jog. Then I head to the apartment as I want to take my host to dinner.
She changed her mind and doesn't want to go to dinner. She cooks pizza at home and it tastes good. I step out and go the store to buy her a bottle of wine that she can take on her trip. She is visiting her sister in Stuart, Florida, tomorrow.
The Tigers lose again. Good game, but they gotta win!
I am making these last miles my victory jog. I decide to take my time, enjoy the ending. The beaches are still just as beautiful, the folks nice, the sun wonderful and the water gorgeous. So, I am not going to rush the end. I am going to enjoy it and breathe in the salt air, feel the sun and be happy I had the opportunity.
As I am walking my bike through the parking lot I spot a gent walking toward his Lexus sports car. He look approachable so I ask him if he is headed south. He isn't but he ask my why and I tell him what I am doing. He offers me a ride. Great! I put my bike back in the van and hop in his car. His name is Don. He and his wife moved hear a year ago I think he said. He tells me a little about the place. It is the headquarters of two or three major sports like golf, etc.
I see the sign and tell him he can drop me off at the entrance to the parking lot. I snap his pic and thank him. Nice guy. He leaves and I start walking across the road to the beach. Oops! I notice the sign again. This is the Middle Beach parking lot! Not wanting to have him have to stop and back up, etc. I saw this and thought it was the south parking lot. Oh, well. Still, this is much better and biking the miles.
The south parking lot is 1 mile south. I decide to walk the beach that mile. There are some folks on he beach and many nice shells. I guess the storm washed up a lot of stuff. I see some metal detectors and think that the Treasure Coast folks are out in force south of here.
Along the beach I jog backwards, I dance and I smile. When an especially good song comes one I stop and dance to it for a while. Why not?
I arrive and double check that this is where I left off. Yep, it is. I wasn't going to do my exercises, but do them anyway. Feels good! I start jogging with a smile on my face. That smile never leaves my face until I am back in the van later that day. My pace is medium and I am seeing many nice shells on the way. I have a plastic bag with me that holds my zero cal sports drink. Soon I notice that the print on my shirt is chaffing my nipples! Ouch! So, I take it off, fold it and put it in the bag. The sun feels good on my back.
I find several nice shells, many large conch shells and a beautiful round shell. At the 3.2 mile point (north parking lot) I take a break. I look at my phone clock. I have jogged for 50 minutes. Not bad. I am a little tired though. Not my legs,just me. I take off again and find my regular pace. This I can do all day. I am not sure how fast it is, but I sure like it. I stop and talk to a few nice folks on the beach.. Especially if they are tourist as I want them to have a good shell to take home. I give away a few of them today. One older couple, tourists to be sure. The man has a sunburnt chest and the lady is tanless. They are from Columbus, Ohio.
The lady see my cap and mentions the Marine logo to her hubby. He was a Marine as well! Cool. He was in for 4 years I think and got out in '68. We chat some more and say our goodbyes. It is a good day. I keep jogging, stopping only to take a drink. I meet Kelly on the beach walking her dog. She lives here.
I ask about the folks here. I am getting the suspicion that they are nice, contrary to my feelings. The houses seem rather ornate and the beach access is limited, gated communities, etc. Kellie and her hubby, Steve, are from Atlanta, and have been here for over a year and the people she has met at the beach-front houses have been very nice folks she says. I agree with her. A few strange characters, but most are friendly. Guess I am back in the South again! Then Kelly asks me a question I have never been asked on the beach.
"Are you single?"
"Yes, I am."
"Well, I have a friend, etc..."
Well, that is a nice compliment! And I tell her such. I continue on my way. I can see a group of people on the beach that signals my end-of-jog point. I don't walk off the beach, I dance off the beach! Feeling good! I dance along the short boardwalk and an older couple passes by. I say hello in a normal, greeting voice, just in case they think I am bonkers. Next a few ladies about my age are walking down the boardwalk. They say something funny and smile. I say, "Why walk when you can dance!" They agree. I keep on dancing to the parking lot. What a good day!
Just a quick note on this: I get the handsome comment a lot. I really don't get it. I look in mirror and am not impressed. But if others think so, that's nice. Much more important is character. God gives us looks, etc., but we form our personhood, our character. I can look at a most beautiful woman and then look at her face. What does it show? Happiness, arrogance, pride, pleasantness. This, to me, shows the person. This can make a plain woman beautiful and a beautiful woman ugly. So, I hope folks see goodness in my face as well.
I finish my jog at 3:20. Not bad, and I still have energy left. (Later I find that this is 6 miles of beach as opposed to 7 miles via the road.) I hop in my van and scout out tomorrow's jog. Then I head to the apartment as I want to take my host to dinner.
She changed her mind and doesn't want to go to dinner. She cooks pizza at home and it tastes good. I step out and go the store to buy her a bottle of wine that she can take on her trip. She is visiting her sister in Stuart, Florida, tomorrow.
The Tigers lose again. Good game, but they gotta win!
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2011
Up and out by 7:30. Not sure of my plan today. There are 16 miles to finish this island. I think I will go to MacDonald's and get some breakfast and try to jog this morning and if I feel good, this afternoon as well. For the last miles I should be able to take a bus back to the van! I have a big breakfast as I am hungry.
After working on this site for a while, I leave Mickey D's and head to the beach. The weather is perfect, the traffic is not! I stop at the Beach Access on 37th St. and drop off my bike. Folks are out walking their dogs on the beach. Pleasant place.
Off I drive to the park where I can leave my van for free! I put my tennies on and head to the boardwalk. I see a family, mom, sis, two brothers and a aunt or two. They all are carrying something. One boy has the task of pulling the ice chest. He whiles a little, but pulls it up to the boardwalk. He is struggling, so I say Hi and grab it and start to take it for them. We chat and I ask how old the boy is. Eleven. And in football, too! Well, he's eleven and in football. I put the chest down and say that it is his turn and he must take it all the way! He smiles and grabs the handle. The wheels start turning and he is on his way. I walk beside him encouraging him. He makes it all the way. "Doesn't that feel good?" I ask. He did a good job. Adults are smiling of course. Great way to start my jog.
I decide to do a complete set of exercises even though there are folks on the beach. It feel great. With my IPOD in and digging the music, I take off at 10:44. It is still in the high tide zone so the beach is somewhat narrow, but there is good footing to find. And the shelling is good too. The weather is perfect, sunny with a slight breeze. The water is calm with the wave gently rolling in.
Even though I bring a plastic bag, I really don't see a shell that I don"t already have. But I do see a lady shelling and say hi in passing. She smiles nicely and says hello. I jog a little further and see a nice conch shell next to me. I pick it up and take it back to her. Yep, she likes it. Nice. If she hadn't smiled in response to my hello I would not have done that. But she seems like a nice lady,
I keep jogging. A slow steady pace. I don't want to rush these last miles. At this pace I feel I could jog all day long. I stop to open my bottle and get a drink. Forty five minutes have gone by. I start jogging again. I decide not to take the hourly break because I feel good. So I just keep jogging. I see a group of younger folks playing that ladder game on the beach, the game where one has to toss two balls connected by a rope and hook it on the ladder to gain points. There are about five or six girls and one guy. They are having fun.
Just a few yards away are three men in non-beach attire, with baggy jeans, t-shirts and old caps. The look rather scruffy and are sitting on plastic box crates watching the game, actually they are ogling the young ladies on the beach. ((If my daughter were out there enjoying herself with friends, and I saw these unsavory folks ogling, I would certainly have more to say.) Two black guy and a white one. Not kids. The white guy gives me the peace sign. I give it back but don't smile, just look at him. As I jog by I say hello and they respond. I ask in a stern voice with no smile, "Keeping out of trouble?" and they all chuckle and assure me they are. Bingo! Folks who hadn't been in trouble don't answer that way. i tell them, "Well, keep it that way!" They chuckle again and assure me they will. I look at them and say, "I'm not kidding!"
Now why did I do that? Not sure. This is a free country, to be sure, but many in our society has taken that to a ridiculous extreme thinking whatever they do they have right to. They forget that freedom carries with it the ideas of respect and civility. These guys didn't have that. Plus they didn't know me from Adam. And sometimes I look like some law enforcement guy. Short hair. Ugly face (just kidding cops!) etc. So they weren't gong to call me on it. Should I have done it? Not sure. Would I do it again? You bet!
The jogging continues, the music is good and upbeat. I jog by the exclusive and expensive clubs area. Everyone on that beach treated me like a non-entity, like you would a servant you don't need right now. Young and old alike. Wow! Haven't experienced that since Miami and Ft. Lauderdale! Before and after the folks are nice, but here? No.
I jog through that and finally take a break for about 5 minutes. I have been jogging at least an hour and 45 minutes. The end shouldn't be long now. I get up and start slowly as my heel tendons need to loosen up. They do quickly and I am off. I see groups of people on the beach and one of these groups in my beach access point.
This whole time of jogging I have been focusing on the first tall building knowing that the access point is before that. I reach the access point and am slightly bummed that I don't reach the building. Time. 2:46. Two hours and 2 minutes. Good. I could keep jogging but I have an appointment later.
I hop on the bike and ride back. I get back and I walk out to see if that family is still there. They are so I walk over and give them my card. On the way back I see two ladies riding horses. They are in the parking lot and are going to the beach. The horses look beautiful. Wow. Riding on the beach. Cool!
I hop up in the van and take off, wanting to scout the road for tomorrow. I pass Jax Beach, Neptune and Atlantic Beaches and end up at a park in Mayport. Beyond that is the naval base. Good. I can take a bus back! Tomorrow jog will be about 9 miles and fun with a bus ride back for a buck! The bus leaves at 11:54 so I want to be there by 11:30. We'll see.
I drive back to the park and I see the ladies with the horses sitting in their chairs chatting. I shower at the public shower and plan to cook some eggs which if I don't eat soon, will spoil. But first my cooler is no longer cool so I walk across the parking lot to the horse ladies and ask if I could store a drink in their cooler for a little bit. I tell them what I am doing and one mentions Captiva Island. I mention the Jenson's and she is a friend of theirs! They bring out another chair and I never get those eggs cooked. We have excellent conversation until it is time to go. They offer me some finger food and I accept. Kim and Karen are their names. They had a great day riding their horses on the beach.
I end the day having dinner with some nice folks at Caps, a restaurant just off A1A at Vilano Beach. Nice conversations and nice folks. Caps is pricey, though. I chat with one of the waitresses. Yep, many folks are uppity here. They come from Ponte Verda, she says.
I think there are very many really nice folks on this beach. Until you hit the exclusive resorts. But after the resorts, the folks are great again. I like St. Augustine and Jacksonville.
I spend the night at my Jacksonville friend's parking lot. She is off to visit her sister in Stuart, FL. And there are parking places for guests. I guess I am still a guest.
After working on this site for a while, I leave Mickey D's and head to the beach. The weather is perfect, the traffic is not! I stop at the Beach Access on 37th St. and drop off my bike. Folks are out walking their dogs on the beach. Pleasant place.
Off I drive to the park where I can leave my van for free! I put my tennies on and head to the boardwalk. I see a family, mom, sis, two brothers and a aunt or two. They all are carrying something. One boy has the task of pulling the ice chest. He whiles a little, but pulls it up to the boardwalk. He is struggling, so I say Hi and grab it and start to take it for them. We chat and I ask how old the boy is. Eleven. And in football, too! Well, he's eleven and in football. I put the chest down and say that it is his turn and he must take it all the way! He smiles and grabs the handle. The wheels start turning and he is on his way. I walk beside him encouraging him. He makes it all the way. "Doesn't that feel good?" I ask. He did a good job. Adults are smiling of course. Great way to start my jog.
I decide to do a complete set of exercises even though there are folks on the beach. It feel great. With my IPOD in and digging the music, I take off at 10:44. It is still in the high tide zone so the beach is somewhat narrow, but there is good footing to find. And the shelling is good too. The weather is perfect, sunny with a slight breeze. The water is calm with the wave gently rolling in.
Even though I bring a plastic bag, I really don't see a shell that I don"t already have. But I do see a lady shelling and say hi in passing. She smiles nicely and says hello. I jog a little further and see a nice conch shell next to me. I pick it up and take it back to her. Yep, she likes it. Nice. If she hadn't smiled in response to my hello I would not have done that. But she seems like a nice lady,
I keep jogging. A slow steady pace. I don't want to rush these last miles. At this pace I feel I could jog all day long. I stop to open my bottle and get a drink. Forty five minutes have gone by. I start jogging again. I decide not to take the hourly break because I feel good. So I just keep jogging. I see a group of younger folks playing that ladder game on the beach, the game where one has to toss two balls connected by a rope and hook it on the ladder to gain points. There are about five or six girls and one guy. They are having fun.
Just a few yards away are three men in non-beach attire, with baggy jeans, t-shirts and old caps. The look rather scruffy and are sitting on plastic box crates watching the game, actually they are ogling the young ladies on the beach. ((If my daughter were out there enjoying herself with friends, and I saw these unsavory folks ogling, I would certainly have more to say.) Two black guy and a white one. Not kids. The white guy gives me the peace sign. I give it back but don't smile, just look at him. As I jog by I say hello and they respond. I ask in a stern voice with no smile, "Keeping out of trouble?" and they all chuckle and assure me they are. Bingo! Folks who hadn't been in trouble don't answer that way. i tell them, "Well, keep it that way!" They chuckle again and assure me they will. I look at them and say, "I'm not kidding!"
Now why did I do that? Not sure. This is a free country, to be sure, but many in our society has taken that to a ridiculous extreme thinking whatever they do they have right to. They forget that freedom carries with it the ideas of respect and civility. These guys didn't have that. Plus they didn't know me from Adam. And sometimes I look like some law enforcement guy. Short hair. Ugly face (just kidding cops!) etc. So they weren't gong to call me on it. Should I have done it? Not sure. Would I do it again? You bet!
The jogging continues, the music is good and upbeat. I jog by the exclusive and expensive clubs area. Everyone on that beach treated me like a non-entity, like you would a servant you don't need right now. Young and old alike. Wow! Haven't experienced that since Miami and Ft. Lauderdale! Before and after the folks are nice, but here? No.
I jog through that and finally take a break for about 5 minutes. I have been jogging at least an hour and 45 minutes. The end shouldn't be long now. I get up and start slowly as my heel tendons need to loosen up. They do quickly and I am off. I see groups of people on the beach and one of these groups in my beach access point.
This whole time of jogging I have been focusing on the first tall building knowing that the access point is before that. I reach the access point and am slightly bummed that I don't reach the building. Time. 2:46. Two hours and 2 minutes. Good. I could keep jogging but I have an appointment later.
I hop on the bike and ride back. I get back and I walk out to see if that family is still there. They are so I walk over and give them my card. On the way back I see two ladies riding horses. They are in the parking lot and are going to the beach. The horses look beautiful. Wow. Riding on the beach. Cool!
I hop up in the van and take off, wanting to scout the road for tomorrow. I pass Jax Beach, Neptune and Atlantic Beaches and end up at a park in Mayport. Beyond that is the naval base. Good. I can take a bus back! Tomorrow jog will be about 9 miles and fun with a bus ride back for a buck! The bus leaves at 11:54 so I want to be there by 11:30. We'll see.
I drive back to the park and I see the ladies with the horses sitting in their chairs chatting. I shower at the public shower and plan to cook some eggs which if I don't eat soon, will spoil. But first my cooler is no longer cool so I walk across the parking lot to the horse ladies and ask if I could store a drink in their cooler for a little bit. I tell them what I am doing and one mentions Captiva Island. I mention the Jenson's and she is a friend of theirs! They bring out another chair and I never get those eggs cooked. We have excellent conversation until it is time to go. They offer me some finger food and I accept. Kim and Karen are their names. They had a great day riding their horses on the beach.
I end the day having dinner with some nice folks at Caps, a restaurant just off A1A at Vilano Beach. Nice conversations and nice folks. Caps is pricey, though. I chat with one of the waitresses. Yep, many folks are uppity here. They come from Ponte Verda, she says.
I think there are very many really nice folks on this beach. Until you hit the exclusive resorts. But after the resorts, the folks are great again. I like St. Augustine and Jacksonville.
I spend the night at my Jacksonville friend's parking lot. She is off to visit her sister in Stuart, FL. And there are parking places for guests. I guess I am still a guest.
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2011
Up and at 'em! While it is still dark, I stop by Mickey D's again for a light breakfast and then head to 37th Street. I don't know where to park, but I drive to that street right by the beach access point. There are parking spaces and no signs nor meters. Cool. I ask the person who is getting in her car which is a few cars behind me. Yep, It's free, but don't tell anyone! I said I will try. So, folks reading this. Don't tell anyone! Maureen is her name and she is a hospice worker. She loves her job. Wow. I could never do that and I tell her so. We each have gifts, don't we?
I park my van and hope the gas leak has stopped. It seems to. It started leaking when I filled it for the first time in weeks. That was a couple of days ago. But it seems okay now. Whew! And parking is near the beach and free! All day long!
I get to the beach and do my exercises and take off. It is about 9 or 10 miles to the end and I am feeling good. Smiling. The music is good, too. Upbeat. I keep a steady "Luther Pace". Won't win any races, but perfect for what I am doing. The day is beautiful and the water gently rolls into shore.
I don't stop. I don't feel the need to. I pass the pier and pick out another object in the distance. A couple of building, one farther than the other. This will keep me focused. A lot of joggers and shellers and morning beach walkers are on the beach. Fishermen too. It is an active and happy day. I keep jogging.
I pass the first building and then the more distant one. I think I see the city park, Hana Park, coming up. Wow. That would be quick if that is it. I pass some volunteers picking up trash on the beach. They are wearing city beach volunteer clean up T-shirts and I thank them for that. And yes, this is Hana Park! Cool! All along the beach the shelling is good, too.
Once past this, there is just the military beach. As I pass the park, I see many posts in the beach and water. I think I see a guard shack as well. Bummer! I was told that this was an open beach. Well, I will just have to give my spiel and see what happens. Otherwise it would be kayak time. Or something. I see a big sign in white and blue, "US GOVERNMENT PROPERTY - NO TRESPASSING" and above that a warning sign.
Well, I am wearing my Marine Corps cap and I am thin now. Plus a military type has just jogged through the posts to the civilian side and keeps jogging. I nod. So, I decide to pretend I am a military jogger. I am, too! Suddenly my Marine Corps cadences comes on my IPOD. That is a good sign! I keep pace with the cadences and jog more militarily - head up, knees higher, a look of determination on my face. Less smiling.
I keep this up till I am almost at the end and then I kick it in and really run. It feels so good. But before the end I slow down again. Finally I reach the jetty and I jog a little up the jetty to where the sand meets the weeds. Tada! Jacksonville is done!!! Now for the walk back past the posts and this navy base. I decide to walk and not jog. I meet some tourists from Germany who are on the beach taking pics. I offer to take one for them. They are visiting their daughter, who is probably married to a navy guy. We have fun with the pics.
There are several guard posts above the beach. At one post a guy walks down to the beach and just stands there. he is wearing dark pants and a white shirt. Shoot. Could be a guard waiting for me to jog by. Oh, well! "Here's my card. yada yada yada." But before I get there he finishes his soft drink and goes back up off the beach. Wasn't a guard, but did give me a little concern.
I get back to Hana Park and after a phone call to the park folks I find my way out. (very nice park, by the way.) It is 11-45 or so and if I hurry, I can catch the bus back to 37th Street. But there will be another one and I am tired of running. So, I decide to catch the next one. Once I get to the bus stop I find that the next one is at 1:27. About an hour from now. The stop is located next to a bar that looks like a strip club. Opens at 1 PM and I don't think I will go there. The parking lot is asking for a clean-up.
Soon, a guy with a bag comes along and waits at the stop. At first I am wary. But then we talk. He was in the Marines for 8 years and is now a general contractor for marine vessels. He is from Pensacola and has been here a while. He likes his job, but misses his wife back home.
Across the street is an auto repair place. I walk across Mayport Rd. and ask one of the fellows about my gas troubles. He says that a gasket at the to of the tank probably needs changing, but that the leak will stop soon. "Does this happen often?" I ask. "With older models, yes it does," re replies. I thank him and am relieved. I can get it fixed when I get home, just as long as I don't fill it up till then!
I walk back and the bus finally comes. It is full of folks I usually don't associate with. I just wait and the bus keeps getting fuller and fuller. It is a small bus anyway,and I think they need a bigger one. This one is packed! As we turn down A1A most of the folks get off to connect to another bus that has taken off before they had a chance to catch it. Not to worry! Our bus driver drives across the parking lot and gets close to the next stop at the end of the parking lot and lets the folks off.
That was some driving and a nice gesture. And I tell her so. What I don't tell her is that she was late picking us up by at least 7 to 10 minutes and we are near the end of the line so there was no need to be late. If she had been on time, this whole scenario would not have happened. Maybe this is habitual and the other driver is tired of messing up his schedule to wait for her. I have no idea, but she did solve the problem nicely.
I get dropped off a few blocks from where I want, so I have to walk farther. C'est la vie! I find my van and fell very good. I had left around 8:52 and finished my jog around 11:18 and now it is gong on 2:30 PM. So it has been a long day.
But tonight I sleep in a condo on Amelia Island. My body needs a rest. First, though, I want to check out my next jog and I want to get a chocolate shake too! Haven't had one in months and now for some reason I think that is the perfect drink for me!
I find a McDonald's and get my shake, large, and two buck doubles. Yummy!
I head north on A1A and get confused so stop at the gas station where I filled up a few days earlier and ask the Indian girl working behind the counter. She hasn't a clue. But the girl ahead of me does. She tells me exactly where I need to go. I need to "take the ferry", she say. "Go down Mayport, turn right at the light, following A1A and don't turn. Make sure you don't make any turns. Follow it to the end and you will see there ferry that will take you across the river." I ask how much and she says 5 bucks. I thank her and ask about her accent. Italian. Blonde Italian. Cool!
And she is exactly right! It is so nice to get good directions!
Finally I arrive at the condo on the Plantation. Very nice and I am beat. I sleep well into Saturday.
I park my van and hope the gas leak has stopped. It seems to. It started leaking when I filled it for the first time in weeks. That was a couple of days ago. But it seems okay now. Whew! And parking is near the beach and free! All day long!
I get to the beach and do my exercises and take off. It is about 9 or 10 miles to the end and I am feeling good. Smiling. The music is good, too. Upbeat. I keep a steady "Luther Pace". Won't win any races, but perfect for what I am doing. The day is beautiful and the water gently rolls into shore.
I don't stop. I don't feel the need to. I pass the pier and pick out another object in the distance. A couple of building, one farther than the other. This will keep me focused. A lot of joggers and shellers and morning beach walkers are on the beach. Fishermen too. It is an active and happy day. I keep jogging.
I pass the first building and then the more distant one. I think I see the city park, Hana Park, coming up. Wow. That would be quick if that is it. I pass some volunteers picking up trash on the beach. They are wearing city beach volunteer clean up T-shirts and I thank them for that. And yes, this is Hana Park! Cool! All along the beach the shelling is good, too.
Once past this, there is just the military beach. As I pass the park, I see many posts in the beach and water. I think I see a guard shack as well. Bummer! I was told that this was an open beach. Well, I will just have to give my spiel and see what happens. Otherwise it would be kayak time. Or something. I see a big sign in white and blue, "US GOVERNMENT PROPERTY - NO TRESPASSING" and above that a warning sign.
Well, I am wearing my Marine Corps cap and I am thin now. Plus a military type has just jogged through the posts to the civilian side and keeps jogging. I nod. So, I decide to pretend I am a military jogger. I am, too! Suddenly my Marine Corps cadences comes on my IPOD. That is a good sign! I keep pace with the cadences and jog more militarily - head up, knees higher, a look of determination on my face. Less smiling.
I keep this up till I am almost at the end and then I kick it in and really run. It feels so good. But before the end I slow down again. Finally I reach the jetty and I jog a little up the jetty to where the sand meets the weeds. Tada! Jacksonville is done!!! Now for the walk back past the posts and this navy base. I decide to walk and not jog. I meet some tourists from Germany who are on the beach taking pics. I offer to take one for them. They are visiting their daughter, who is probably married to a navy guy. We have fun with the pics.
There are several guard posts above the beach. At one post a guy walks down to the beach and just stands there. he is wearing dark pants and a white shirt. Shoot. Could be a guard waiting for me to jog by. Oh, well! "Here's my card. yada yada yada." But before I get there he finishes his soft drink and goes back up off the beach. Wasn't a guard, but did give me a little concern.
I get back to Hana Park and after a phone call to the park folks I find my way out. (very nice park, by the way.) It is 11-45 or so and if I hurry, I can catch the bus back to 37th Street. But there will be another one and I am tired of running. So, I decide to catch the next one. Once I get to the bus stop I find that the next one is at 1:27. About an hour from now. The stop is located next to a bar that looks like a strip club. Opens at 1 PM and I don't think I will go there. The parking lot is asking for a clean-up.
Soon, a guy with a bag comes along and waits at the stop. At first I am wary. But then we talk. He was in the Marines for 8 years and is now a general contractor for marine vessels. He is from Pensacola and has been here a while. He likes his job, but misses his wife back home.
Across the street is an auto repair place. I walk across Mayport Rd. and ask one of the fellows about my gas troubles. He says that a gasket at the to of the tank probably needs changing, but that the leak will stop soon. "Does this happen often?" I ask. "With older models, yes it does," re replies. I thank him and am relieved. I can get it fixed when I get home, just as long as I don't fill it up till then!
I walk back and the bus finally comes. It is full of folks I usually don't associate with. I just wait and the bus keeps getting fuller and fuller. It is a small bus anyway,and I think they need a bigger one. This one is packed! As we turn down A1A most of the folks get off to connect to another bus that has taken off before they had a chance to catch it. Not to worry! Our bus driver drives across the parking lot and gets close to the next stop at the end of the parking lot and lets the folks off.
That was some driving and a nice gesture. And I tell her so. What I don't tell her is that she was late picking us up by at least 7 to 10 minutes and we are near the end of the line so there was no need to be late. If she had been on time, this whole scenario would not have happened. Maybe this is habitual and the other driver is tired of messing up his schedule to wait for her. I have no idea, but she did solve the problem nicely.
I get dropped off a few blocks from where I want, so I have to walk farther. C'est la vie! I find my van and fell very good. I had left around 8:52 and finished my jog around 11:18 and now it is gong on 2:30 PM. So it has been a long day.
But tonight I sleep in a condo on Amelia Island. My body needs a rest. First, though, I want to check out my next jog and I want to get a chocolate shake too! Haven't had one in months and now for some reason I think that is the perfect drink for me!
I find a McDonald's and get my shake, large, and two buck doubles. Yummy!
I head north on A1A and get confused so stop at the gas station where I filled up a few days earlier and ask the Indian girl working behind the counter. She hasn't a clue. But the girl ahead of me does. She tells me exactly where I need to go. I need to "take the ferry", she say. "Go down Mayport, turn right at the light, following A1A and don't turn. Make sure you don't make any turns. Follow it to the end and you will see there ferry that will take you across the river." I ask how much and she says 5 bucks. I thank her and ask about her accent. Italian. Blonde Italian. Cool!
And she is exactly right! It is so nice to get good directions!
Finally I arrive at the condo on the Plantation. Very nice and I am beat. I sleep well into Saturday.
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2011
I sleep most of Saturday as well. I didn't know I was so tired. Tired and hungry. Maybe I have been a little fatigued lately. Anyway, this rest is wonderful. Later we go to Little Talbot State Park and the beach there is very beautiful. The shelling is fantastic as well. Scores of nice Olive Shells.
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2011
It has been a very relaxing weekend. We visit Ft. Clinch which is near the end of my jog. I am excited to see this, very excited. I should be jogging up here in a few days.
I go back to Little Talbot State Park and decide to spend two nights there. I get the feeling I should spend three, but I just pay for two. The camping is very peaceful there and when you camp there you have 24 hours of beach access to five miles of a very beautiful beach!
I drive south to find someplace to each. There is a BARZ there but they don't have food. Just as well, it doesn't look like a clean place anyway. I get a beer and some peanuts and have that. Then I take off and see the Sandollar Restaurant. It looks nice and is open so I get some food there. I order a grouper, which I haven't had since I have been in Florida this year. Service is stuffy and uncaring. The grouper doesn't feel nor taste like grouper. Very disappointing. And pricey too! I pay my bill and write on the paper I signed, "Very Disappointing! Poor quality of food!" But I don't think they will get the message. The folks eating there seem a little haughty. This must be their hangout.
I go back to Little Talbot State Park and decide to spend two nights there. I get the feeling I should spend three, but I just pay for two. The camping is very peaceful there and when you camp there you have 24 hours of beach access to five miles of a very beautiful beach!
I drive south to find someplace to each. There is a BARZ there but they don't have food. Just as well, it doesn't look like a clean place anyway. I get a beer and some peanuts and have that. Then I take off and see the Sandollar Restaurant. It looks nice and is open so I get some food there. I order a grouper, which I haven't had since I have been in Florida this year. Service is stuffy and uncaring. The grouper doesn't feel nor taste like grouper. Very disappointing. And pricey too! I pay my bill and write on the paper I signed, "Very Disappointing! Poor quality of food!" But I don't think they will get the message. The folks eating there seem a little haughty. This must be their hangout.
MONDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2011
Two more beaches on the navy base, a small strip on Batten Island, Huguenot Memorial Park are on my agenda for the day. I decide to take my van back on the ferry. I could just go as a pedestrian and it would only cost a dollar, but I might need my kayak. I catch the 9:45 ferry. And sure enough, I will need my kayak. I stop by the pilot building and ask if I can park my van there. They tell me there is a public marina right next door. Wouldn't that be better? (It's one of those slap-myself-on-the-head moments! Yes, that would be better! The nice lady there says, "You probably need to get permission first," "I will ask them afterwards" I say. "It is easier to apologize than get permission."
I park my van and pump up my kayak. Some parts of the two small beaches are on the base. One is near the airfield and the huge gas tanks. Those big round things. And I see three coast guard boats going down the river! Oh, well. I put my kayak in and start paddling. The paddling goes well until I get near the pier where the first beach is. (The farther one is the first one for me to jog.) The current is really strong here and when I stop paddling just for a second, I am heading the other way. Wow! I was going to paddle past the pier and come back under it, land on the beach and jog with kayak in hand for a quick get-away. But I can't get past the pier! So, I scrap the first plan and just aim for the beach.
I land and no one stops me. So far, so good. I leave the kayak and walk to my starting point, which is not too far away and as I get there hear a speaker from a gray coast guard vessel say something. I am very close to the end so I keep walking because they can't see me due to the pier being in the way. Then I discern that they said, "Move over!" to another boat. Whew! I reach the end, turn and start jogging. In less than a minute I am done and putting the kayak back in the water.
The next beach is just around the rocks and still on military land. On this beach I do carry my kayak and jog it. I end up at the marina and put my kayak away. There is no place to rinse it so I will do that later.
Now for Batten Island. The beach isn't big but I got to do it. I check my computer and park at the marina. This seems all residential with a lot of docks. I walk to the south of the marina and have to cross over a wooden picket fence to reach the beach. The lady of the house is outside and I introduce myself. Her name is Susan Boone and she and her hubby have lived here for several years. "This used to be all beach" she says, "but they rezoned it for the marina boat repair yard and they dredged the river." She has no beach now. What can common folks do against millions of dollars to be made by owners, politicians, etc.?
She is a happy person,though. And her house is still a great location. She give permission and off I go. I jog that little beach and get back over the fence. Then I walk down the way and decide the water isn't deep so I hop in the water. Most of it is knee-high with a few deeper spots. It is much easier to get around this way. I jog what beach there is, hopping over docks. At the last dock there is a fellow fishing, standing in the water in his tennis shoes. He looks like he knows what he is doing. We chat a little. His name is Dale and he has lived there most of his life. He seems like a very nice fellow. Laid back and friendly. I like him. He caught an 8-pound flounder and is fishing for more. He has seen a lot of changes, but still likes this place. And this area is really nice. Just north of Jacksonville, but isolated and relaxed. Susanne and Dale are nice folks.
Now for Huguenot Memorial Park. I pay my three bucks and drive in. The park attendant seems too busy to help me. I think he needs a new job. One that doesn't require public interaction. The park is shaped like a V and most of it beach. I almost get stuck in the sand a few times. Scary! And then I get back on the pavement. but the pavement leads right a nice sand road right down to the beach! this is awesome. I drive along the beach to the northern end and park my van. Wow. Is this nice. I take out my bike and ride a mile or two to the bottom of the V and lock it up there.
Walking, I reach the end and start jogging back. It is a beautiful day still, around 4 o'clock or so. The jog is fun. So fun. I reach the jetty in no time. Past the jetty I jog the long stretch and see my van. I keep going around the island and stop after I turn back the other way for a while. I walk back to my van. Folks are fishing, enjoying the beach, etc. This beach is a gem.
Done for the day. I head to Amelia City and Starbucks. But I decide to eat somewhere for dinner. Sliders. They have WiFI so I can get some work done. And Trish, the waitress, is very nice and positive. I get the Blue Burger with blue cheese and portabella mushrooms. I get it with vegetables and they are streamed wonderfully. Earlier I was thinking that I need more veggies in my diet. I was thinking about opening a can of veggies, but decided against it because I think most of the good stuff has been cooked out of them. So, these steamed veggies are extra nice! This is a filling meal and I can work on my site for a few hours.
Back to the state park to sleep. I don't pitch a tent, just sleep in my van. And I am glad I did it that way. It rains a lot.
I park my van and pump up my kayak. Some parts of the two small beaches are on the base. One is near the airfield and the huge gas tanks. Those big round things. And I see three coast guard boats going down the river! Oh, well. I put my kayak in and start paddling. The paddling goes well until I get near the pier where the first beach is. (The farther one is the first one for me to jog.) The current is really strong here and when I stop paddling just for a second, I am heading the other way. Wow! I was going to paddle past the pier and come back under it, land on the beach and jog with kayak in hand for a quick get-away. But I can't get past the pier! So, I scrap the first plan and just aim for the beach.
I land and no one stops me. So far, so good. I leave the kayak and walk to my starting point, which is not too far away and as I get there hear a speaker from a gray coast guard vessel say something. I am very close to the end so I keep walking because they can't see me due to the pier being in the way. Then I discern that they said, "Move over!" to another boat. Whew! I reach the end, turn and start jogging. In less than a minute I am done and putting the kayak back in the water.
The next beach is just around the rocks and still on military land. On this beach I do carry my kayak and jog it. I end up at the marina and put my kayak away. There is no place to rinse it so I will do that later.
Now for Batten Island. The beach isn't big but I got to do it. I check my computer and park at the marina. This seems all residential with a lot of docks. I walk to the south of the marina and have to cross over a wooden picket fence to reach the beach. The lady of the house is outside and I introduce myself. Her name is Susan Boone and she and her hubby have lived here for several years. "This used to be all beach" she says, "but they rezoned it for the marina boat repair yard and they dredged the river." She has no beach now. What can common folks do against millions of dollars to be made by owners, politicians, etc.?
She is a happy person,though. And her house is still a great location. She give permission and off I go. I jog that little beach and get back over the fence. Then I walk down the way and decide the water isn't deep so I hop in the water. Most of it is knee-high with a few deeper spots. It is much easier to get around this way. I jog what beach there is, hopping over docks. At the last dock there is a fellow fishing, standing in the water in his tennis shoes. He looks like he knows what he is doing. We chat a little. His name is Dale and he has lived there most of his life. He seems like a very nice fellow. Laid back and friendly. I like him. He caught an 8-pound flounder and is fishing for more. He has seen a lot of changes, but still likes this place. And this area is really nice. Just north of Jacksonville, but isolated and relaxed. Susanne and Dale are nice folks.
Now for Huguenot Memorial Park. I pay my three bucks and drive in. The park attendant seems too busy to help me. I think he needs a new job. One that doesn't require public interaction. The park is shaped like a V and most of it beach. I almost get stuck in the sand a few times. Scary! And then I get back on the pavement. but the pavement leads right a nice sand road right down to the beach! this is awesome. I drive along the beach to the northern end and park my van. Wow. Is this nice. I take out my bike and ride a mile or two to the bottom of the V and lock it up there.
Walking, I reach the end and start jogging back. It is a beautiful day still, around 4 o'clock or so. The jog is fun. So fun. I reach the jetty in no time. Past the jetty I jog the long stretch and see my van. I keep going around the island and stop after I turn back the other way for a while. I walk back to my van. Folks are fishing, enjoying the beach, etc. This beach is a gem.
Done for the day. I head to Amelia City and Starbucks. But I decide to eat somewhere for dinner. Sliders. They have WiFI so I can get some work done. And Trish, the waitress, is very nice and positive. I get the Blue Burger with blue cheese and portabella mushrooms. I get it with vegetables and they are streamed wonderfully. Earlier I was thinking that I need more veggies in my diet. I was thinking about opening a can of veggies, but decided against it because I think most of the good stuff has been cooked out of them. So, these steamed veggies are extra nice! This is a filling meal and I can work on my site for a few hours.
Back to the state park to sleep. I don't pitch a tent, just sleep in my van. And I am glad I did it that way. It rains a lot.
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2011
Today, Little Talbot and Big Talbot State Parks! I wake up to rain. I check the weather and it calls for rain all day and much wind tomorrow. Shall I take the day off and work on my site? Nah! I have a motorcycle rain jacket, so I will wear that today. I get a hot shower and have some bread and hit the beach! It is about 8:30 or so. I drive down the south end as there is a beach on the other side of the bridge I want to jog first. I jog that and drive up to the first parking lot near the entrance and stage my bike. Then I drive back to the other parking lot about 2 miles away. The beach is longer so I will have to walk back two or three miles. C'est la vie!
There are only a person or two out this morning. It rains on and off, but the sun comes out too! I walk to the end and do just a few stretches and start off. It is low tide but high tide is coming in soon. There is a chance that I might get cut off when I reach the end. I will decide how far I should jog when I get there. It feels good again to jog. I am sweating because of the rain jacket. My Tigers shirt is soon soaked. I see the boardwalk to the first parking lot. It is still a ways away, but it is nice to see progress.
Finally I pass the parking lot and boardwalk and keep going. I walked this the other day and the shelling was terrific. Now the tide is coming in a little bit. The beach is much more narrow. I get to the end of the trees and then to the end of the dunes. Yep, I can jog the other leg of beach as well. I run into soft sand, but find some tire tracks to jog in. My jacket is holding water. I can feel it when I put my arm up. A stream of water goes down my arm. Wow! These things really work! I open the sleeve and the water pours out. Cool!
I reach the end of the beach and there are many pelicans flying away. I round the end and stop. It took about an hour and 10 minutes. Now for the walk back. It is a ways and I have to step into the water a little more than I want. The tide is coming in faster now. The beach is very narrow now. Soon I see the boardwalk and find my way to my bike.
After riding back I grab some chow and head to the next beach. I don't know how to access it yet. The road is under construction there. Soon, I see a lookout. I pull in and survey the beach. Many fallen trees, big trees. But there is some beach as well. I am about to leave and a lady emerges from a trail and the folks who are at the bluff start going down that same trail.
"Is that the way to the beach?" I ask. Yes, it is. Great! I walk down the train and find that I have to jump down and climb down a bit to reach the beach. I see a girl jumping off the hill into the sand. Weird. Then her boyfriend runs up the hill and does a backward flip. Awesome!
He has a Marine T-shirt on and I ask about it. A recruiter gave it to him, but his has enlisted in the Army. We chat and laugh about it.
I need to get my kayak down there. That seems to be the best way to get to the beaches I need. I scramble up the hill and get my kayak, toss the bag down and go after it. As I pump it up, it starts to rain and the waves become about foot high. Oh, well. I will just give it a shot and hug the shoreline anyway. I shove off and the sun soon comes out. This place is beautiful and no one around but me. Wow! I paddle a while and line up where I need to be with the end of the place I jogged. I determine that I can start jogging and do. I jog three beaches, kayaking around rocks and stuff. Finally on the last jog I finish the island by jogging to and past the bridge. Wow. I am done. Then I walk back to my kayak and pack it up and take it up the steep hill.
I drive the the little bridge that goes out to a small island and jog that beach. I think there is a beach going up the side as well, but when I get under the bridge I see two young Mexicans fishing there. And a girl with a baby too. They are nice folks and we chat a bit. I walk back to my van. I am done! The only beach left is Amelia Island! Yes! Sixteen miles to go and I will have jogged all the perimeter of beaches that can be jogged!
I feel great. I back to my camping area and before I take a shower I check my computer. Uh-oh! It looks like a missed a beach! I lined up my starting point on Big Talbot Island with the beach I jogged on Little Talbot I thought. But it looks like I lined it up with Bird Island, something I hadn't noticed while jogging. And I looked!
I drive to the park office and ask about it. Yep, that island is relatively new, just a few years old. And it is on my google map as well, but I thought it was just a sand bar under water due to high tide.
This means I will have to kayak the whole thing again and jog Bird Island as well. Bummer. But it should take only half a day. I can still do five or six miles on Amelia tomorrow.
But tomorrow my nephew, really my cousin's son, is coming to shoot a video so I will devote as much time as he needs for that. He is coming from Sarasota, so I need to give him time. And I am happy to do so. He is a good guy.
NOTE: Before I add miles to my home page I am going to double check the miles to make sure.
Now I am at Starbucks and they are ready to close. Supposed to rain hard tonight and be windy tomorrow. Exciting!
There are only a person or two out this morning. It rains on and off, but the sun comes out too! I walk to the end and do just a few stretches and start off. It is low tide but high tide is coming in soon. There is a chance that I might get cut off when I reach the end. I will decide how far I should jog when I get there. It feels good again to jog. I am sweating because of the rain jacket. My Tigers shirt is soon soaked. I see the boardwalk to the first parking lot. It is still a ways away, but it is nice to see progress.
Finally I pass the parking lot and boardwalk and keep going. I walked this the other day and the shelling was terrific. Now the tide is coming in a little bit. The beach is much more narrow. I get to the end of the trees and then to the end of the dunes. Yep, I can jog the other leg of beach as well. I run into soft sand, but find some tire tracks to jog in. My jacket is holding water. I can feel it when I put my arm up. A stream of water goes down my arm. Wow! These things really work! I open the sleeve and the water pours out. Cool!
I reach the end of the beach and there are many pelicans flying away. I round the end and stop. It took about an hour and 10 minutes. Now for the walk back. It is a ways and I have to step into the water a little more than I want. The tide is coming in faster now. The beach is very narrow now. Soon I see the boardwalk and find my way to my bike.
After riding back I grab some chow and head to the next beach. I don't know how to access it yet. The road is under construction there. Soon, I see a lookout. I pull in and survey the beach. Many fallen trees, big trees. But there is some beach as well. I am about to leave and a lady emerges from a trail and the folks who are at the bluff start going down that same trail.
"Is that the way to the beach?" I ask. Yes, it is. Great! I walk down the train and find that I have to jump down and climb down a bit to reach the beach. I see a girl jumping off the hill into the sand. Weird. Then her boyfriend runs up the hill and does a backward flip. Awesome!
He has a Marine T-shirt on and I ask about it. A recruiter gave it to him, but his has enlisted in the Army. We chat and laugh about it.
I need to get my kayak down there. That seems to be the best way to get to the beaches I need. I scramble up the hill and get my kayak, toss the bag down and go after it. As I pump it up, it starts to rain and the waves become about foot high. Oh, well. I will just give it a shot and hug the shoreline anyway. I shove off and the sun soon comes out. This place is beautiful and no one around but me. Wow! I paddle a while and line up where I need to be with the end of the place I jogged. I determine that I can start jogging and do. I jog three beaches, kayaking around rocks and stuff. Finally on the last jog I finish the island by jogging to and past the bridge. Wow. I am done. Then I walk back to my kayak and pack it up and take it up the steep hill.
I drive the the little bridge that goes out to a small island and jog that beach. I think there is a beach going up the side as well, but when I get under the bridge I see two young Mexicans fishing there. And a girl with a baby too. They are nice folks and we chat a bit. I walk back to my van. I am done! The only beach left is Amelia Island! Yes! Sixteen miles to go and I will have jogged all the perimeter of beaches that can be jogged!
I feel great. I back to my camping area and before I take a shower I check my computer. Uh-oh! It looks like a missed a beach! I lined up my starting point on Big Talbot Island with the beach I jogged on Little Talbot I thought. But it looks like I lined it up with Bird Island, something I hadn't noticed while jogging. And I looked!
I drive to the park office and ask about it. Yep, that island is relatively new, just a few years old. And it is on my google map as well, but I thought it was just a sand bar under water due to high tide.
This means I will have to kayak the whole thing again and jog Bird Island as well. Bummer. But it should take only half a day. I can still do five or six miles on Amelia tomorrow.
But tomorrow my nephew, really my cousin's son, is coming to shoot a video so I will devote as much time as he needs for that. He is coming from Sarasota, so I need to give him time. And I am happy to do so. He is a good guy.
NOTE: Before I add miles to my home page I am going to double check the miles to make sure.
Now I am at Starbucks and they are ready to close. Supposed to rain hard tonight and be windy tomorrow. Exciting!
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2011
My "nephew" Levi came up from Sarasota today. His ETA was noon so I had time to kayak and jog what I did yesterday, but this time jogging the places I missed as well as the beaches I jogged out of turn.
I put my kayak in at the bluff on Big Talbot. The weather was supposed to be stormy last night and very windy today. But, it is a beautiful day with some sun and some clouds. The kayaking is fun as I follow the shore about 100 yards out. I kayak past where I mistakenly started yesterday and find the right spot. A very beautiful hidden beach. There was even more beach from Little Talbot so I kayaked over there and did that first, just for fun. Then I jog the other beach with the kayak draped over my head because I didn't want to go back and get it.
I jogged two more beaches before kayaking to Bird Island. This is a new island, just a few years old. Beautifully desolate. Love it! I jogged the entire thing. Then I kayaked back to my starting point and checked the time. Eleven Oh-Seven. I call Levi to see if he is one time. His GPS says he will arrive at 12:07 PM. So I can jog the rest of Big Talbot if I hurry. I scurry back down to the beach and it is so beautiful I run back (Hobble is more like it!) grab my phone and take a pic. Then I go back down the bluff and start jogging. Wonderful.
Back in the van, the phone is ringing. I answer it but the connection is poor. It is Levi. I tell him I am on my way and in a few minutes we meet. He is waiting for me at the Little Talbot Park office parking lot. Good to see him! He recently quit his job as a computer tech, and a good one! He is doing his passion, videography. Good for him. We take some video on the beach with me jogging. When that is done we head to Sliders on Amelia Island because they have the best burgers in town. I have the blue burger, etc. We have a good chat. He will be flying out to see him mom and aunt for Thanksgiving.
We end up at Starbucks as I have to work online. We chat and then he heads back to Sarasota. I am in Starbucks till it closes at 9:30. After that I stop at a gas station to get some late night snack.. They are pricey so I buy four hard boiled eggs and two bags of peanuts for tonight and tomorrow morning. I head to the boat ramp just south of Amelia Island. I really enjoy those two eggs! Then off to bed. I sleep very well.
I put my kayak in at the bluff on Big Talbot. The weather was supposed to be stormy last night and very windy today. But, it is a beautiful day with some sun and some clouds. The kayaking is fun as I follow the shore about 100 yards out. I kayak past where I mistakenly started yesterday and find the right spot. A very beautiful hidden beach. There was even more beach from Little Talbot so I kayaked over there and did that first, just for fun. Then I jog the other beach with the kayak draped over my head because I didn't want to go back and get it.
I jogged two more beaches before kayaking to Bird Island. This is a new island, just a few years old. Beautifully desolate. Love it! I jogged the entire thing. Then I kayaked back to my starting point and checked the time. Eleven Oh-Seven. I call Levi to see if he is one time. His GPS says he will arrive at 12:07 PM. So I can jog the rest of Big Talbot if I hurry. I scurry back down to the beach and it is so beautiful I run back (Hobble is more like it!) grab my phone and take a pic. Then I go back down the bluff and start jogging. Wonderful.
Back in the van, the phone is ringing. I answer it but the connection is poor. It is Levi. I tell him I am on my way and in a few minutes we meet. He is waiting for me at the Little Talbot Park office parking lot. Good to see him! He recently quit his job as a computer tech, and a good one! He is doing his passion, videography. Good for him. We take some video on the beach with me jogging. When that is done we head to Sliders on Amelia Island because they have the best burgers in town. I have the blue burger, etc. We have a good chat. He will be flying out to see him mom and aunt for Thanksgiving.
We end up at Starbucks as I have to work online. We chat and then he heads back to Sarasota. I am in Starbucks till it closes at 9:30. After that I stop at a gas station to get some late night snack.. They are pricey so I buy four hard boiled eggs and two bags of peanuts for tonight and tomorrow morning. I head to the boat ramp just south of Amelia Island. I really enjoy those two eggs! Then off to bed. I sleep very well.
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2011
The sounds of car doors and talking wake me up. I check my watch. It is almost 7 AM. Good. I lay back down for a few minutes. The state park parking opens at 8 I think. In about 10 minutes I get up; I plan to wear my black Nike shorts my daughter gave me and my Korea soccer shirt my son gave me. This has become my uniform of late. I like it.
Wet socks. That is all I have. I had wanted to dry some out, but haven't had the chance. I look but can't find any dry ones. Oh, well. After they are on for a few minutes they will probably get wet anyway! As for today's weather, it is 46 degrees outside! I open the suitcase I almost forgot I had and pull out my underall shirt and a jacket. I wear warm-up pans as well. With my Marine Corps cap and sunglasses I am set. (thought about my gloves, but nixed that idea.) I eat the other two boiled eggs for breakfast. Yummy! Glad I bought them! Then i read the next chapter in Jeremiah, and I drive to the parking lot across the bridge.
I walk to the start point and notice there is more beach! Low tide. So I walk to a dock and this is the end of the sand and beginning of the mud. I jog back around. The sun is shining but it is chilly. I walk over the rocks and start my nice, long jog. Some folks are fishing. Wearing jackets to be sure, but still fishing. I see one guy toss his net effortlessly and cleanly into the water and he get several bait fish. As I jog by I say, "It is nice to see someone who knows what he is doing."
I round the bend and see more folks fishing. They have parked their vehicles on the beach. The beach is nice and wide and the sand is firm. Good shelling here, too.
I focus on the very end. Even though there are some standout buildings I just want to focus on the end. Folks are out walking and jogging. And they are nice. Some are southern nice. All smiles but the eyes. Most though are genuinely very nice. Amelia Island has it share of loud mouth rednecks to be sure, but most folks and guests seem like really good folks.
I keep jogging. I want to jog the whole thing without stopping. Not sure if I can. I reach for a bag of nuts and eat them and drink some water while jogging. A little later I eat another bag of nuts. Just keep jogging. No music, just the wind, sand, water and me. Nice.
Finally after about three hours I need to take a rest. I stop and sit and stretch on the sand. After about 5 to 8 minutes I get up and start again. Needing water I stop at what turns out to be Sunny Bottoms. It is a restaurant next to the park. I just wanted water, but I check out the menu and chat with Natalie, the bookkeeper. I get the daily special - bisque and a grilled cheese sandwich. Very tasty. And a much needed break..
I take off about a half hour later. My step is quicker! Good. I find a beautiful conch shell mostly buried in the sand. I put it in my pocket. I get to the jetty and take a pic. From Miami's jetty to Amelia Island's jetty - cool! Near the jetty I see a lady, bald and in her sixties, and thin. I think she may be going through chemo. I think about giving her the shell but I really like it! I decide if we meet at the jetty that will be the sign to give it to her. And we meet. She has a very large conch shell. The problem is its owner have not vacated it house! She asks about it and I say, "You must put it back." I say it twice because she doesn't want to. After she puts it back in the water, I show her my shell and start to offer it to her thinking she is a tourist.
She reaches out her hands for it saying that she has a lot of those and wants another. She comes here quite often from Tennessee. I pull it back. She acts really greedy, so I put it back in my pocket explaining, "This is the only one I have of this kind." She is the kind of person that grabs for everything and is never satisfied with what she has. Yikes! I had a grandparent like that! I keep the shell.
Rounding the jetty I keep going. The wind is blowing pretty hard directly at me. When I get to Ft. Clinch, the flag is almost straight out. No one said it would be easy! I jog around the fort and then reach the marina at 1:58 PM. I look across to the islands I may need to jog. No beaches there today. My rule has always been that I jog what is there when I am there. So, The Florida Perimeter Beach Run is officially completed!
I get a ride back to my van from a very nice retired Army fellow whose name I can't reveal. He would get into trouble. I drive back to Little Talbot State Park and take a nice, long, hot shower. And I wash my kayak, too!
Final notes to be published soon. I have met many folks, done a lot, seen a lot, changed a lot. A good jog.
Wet socks. That is all I have. I had wanted to dry some out, but haven't had the chance. I look but can't find any dry ones. Oh, well. After they are on for a few minutes they will probably get wet anyway! As for today's weather, it is 46 degrees outside! I open the suitcase I almost forgot I had and pull out my underall shirt and a jacket. I wear warm-up pans as well. With my Marine Corps cap and sunglasses I am set. (thought about my gloves, but nixed that idea.) I eat the other two boiled eggs for breakfast. Yummy! Glad I bought them! Then i read the next chapter in Jeremiah, and I drive to the parking lot across the bridge.
I walk to the start point and notice there is more beach! Low tide. So I walk to a dock and this is the end of the sand and beginning of the mud. I jog back around. The sun is shining but it is chilly. I walk over the rocks and start my nice, long jog. Some folks are fishing. Wearing jackets to be sure, but still fishing. I see one guy toss his net effortlessly and cleanly into the water and he get several bait fish. As I jog by I say, "It is nice to see someone who knows what he is doing."
I round the bend and see more folks fishing. They have parked their vehicles on the beach. The beach is nice and wide and the sand is firm. Good shelling here, too.
I focus on the very end. Even though there are some standout buildings I just want to focus on the end. Folks are out walking and jogging. And they are nice. Some are southern nice. All smiles but the eyes. Most though are genuinely very nice. Amelia Island has it share of loud mouth rednecks to be sure, but most folks and guests seem like really good folks.
I keep jogging. I want to jog the whole thing without stopping. Not sure if I can. I reach for a bag of nuts and eat them and drink some water while jogging. A little later I eat another bag of nuts. Just keep jogging. No music, just the wind, sand, water and me. Nice.
Finally after about three hours I need to take a rest. I stop and sit and stretch on the sand. After about 5 to 8 minutes I get up and start again. Needing water I stop at what turns out to be Sunny Bottoms. It is a restaurant next to the park. I just wanted water, but I check out the menu and chat with Natalie, the bookkeeper. I get the daily special - bisque and a grilled cheese sandwich. Very tasty. And a much needed break..
I take off about a half hour later. My step is quicker! Good. I find a beautiful conch shell mostly buried in the sand. I put it in my pocket. I get to the jetty and take a pic. From Miami's jetty to Amelia Island's jetty - cool! Near the jetty I see a lady, bald and in her sixties, and thin. I think she may be going through chemo. I think about giving her the shell but I really like it! I decide if we meet at the jetty that will be the sign to give it to her. And we meet. She has a very large conch shell. The problem is its owner have not vacated it house! She asks about it and I say, "You must put it back." I say it twice because she doesn't want to. After she puts it back in the water, I show her my shell and start to offer it to her thinking she is a tourist.
She reaches out her hands for it saying that she has a lot of those and wants another. She comes here quite often from Tennessee. I pull it back. She acts really greedy, so I put it back in my pocket explaining, "This is the only one I have of this kind." She is the kind of person that grabs for everything and is never satisfied with what she has. Yikes! I had a grandparent like that! I keep the shell.
Rounding the jetty I keep going. The wind is blowing pretty hard directly at me. When I get to Ft. Clinch, the flag is almost straight out. No one said it would be easy! I jog around the fort and then reach the marina at 1:58 PM. I look across to the islands I may need to jog. No beaches there today. My rule has always been that I jog what is there when I am there. So, The Florida Perimeter Beach Run is officially completed!
I get a ride back to my van from a very nice retired Army fellow whose name I can't reveal. He would get into trouble. I drive back to Little Talbot State Park and take a nice, long, hot shower. And I wash my kayak, too!
Final notes to be published soon. I have met many folks, done a lot, seen a lot, changed a lot. A good jog.