Its not exactly what I expected!
January is coming to a close and its time to update the blog. The title sort of tells it all. Not much of what we have experienced here in Gulf Shores has been what we were expecting. To start with this is the coldest January in GS history. Balmy days sitting on the beach listening to the surf ain't happening. Hard freezes here are rare, but we have had at least a dozen in the weeks we have been here. And even when the temperature soars into the 60's the wind BLOWS. Not the warm, humid, gentle, southern breeze, but 25 mph gale out of the north. That makes 65 degrees feel frigid. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad we came, because there have been a few really nice days at the beach, just not exactly what I expected.
One reason I haven't really been too concerned about the beach is because when you have a rip snorting cold you don't want to go to the beach. That was my first gift from Alabama. I just wrapped up in my "blankey", turned up the furnace and slept for a week. Of course Mom was nursing that cough she has had for months. We weren't worried about that too much since just before we left Texas she went to the doctor and got prescriptions for antibiotic for bronchitis and high power cough medicine for cough. Of course as HollyAnn would remind us, "bronchitis is viral and antibiotics don't help." It didn't. We did have a chance to forget about the bronchitis for a while however, when Mom's blood pressure went through the ceiling. Really high. High enough that we decided to make the acquaintance of all the folks at the local hospital emergency room late one night. They were glad to see us, $7000 worth. Extensive blood work, EKG, Chest Xray, we got it all. End results, no pneumonia, and cough medicine prescription will blow your blood pressure through the ceiling. Fortunately if you just wait a while BP goes back down on it's own. It did, but we had lots of peace of mind after all the test were run. Please don't misunderstand, I'm glad we came, because there have been a few really nice days at the beach, just not exactly what I expected. (PS I am better and Moms cough is finally going away on its own.)
Oh did mention my truck got a Check Engine Light, the second day we were here? It would not go out because of some kind of transmission problem. Didn't really affect how everything worked, but concerning so I took it in. Lucky for me the dealership that could do warranty work is in Pensacola Florida, only forty miles away. No problem except the speed limit from here to there is 45 mph. A one hour trip each way. Thank goodness they gave me a loaner since they kept the truck. Mom loved the 14 passenger Ford van. She continuously reminded me we looked like the janitor service, or the plumber, or the TV repair man, or the sheriffs chain gang van. The truck is back in the shop again by the way, so we are hoping it is ready by the 31st since we have to move on February 1 to our new digs at Gulf State Park. Please don't misunderstand, I'm glad we came, because there have been a few really nice days at the beach, just not exactly what I expected. (PS. Forgot to mention the flat tire I got at the dealership, but hardly worth the effort.)
I know it sounds bad, but in every case the problem has turned into a blessing. We are very comfortable in out Nest, and have rested a lot. The hospital visit really did put us at peace. The truck needed to have several recalls completed and the transmission repair will be under warranty, and we have time to wait for it while we are here. There are a ton of great places to eat. (Lambert's was amazing. Sorry Heidi) We have been looking for the perfect sea food spot and will be trying it tomorrow. We have been to the beach several times, and it is fantastic. Walking barefoot on the white sugar sand beaches and dipping toes in the cold surf, adding to the colorful sunsets have made for enjoyable days. It is not go swimming season, but the surf is nice. Mom and I have been on several hikes through the woods and along the shore. Really pretty and no bugs. We love the park we are in, and our spot is perfect for us. Only problem here is we are so new, we usually don't know what the other campers are talking about. The newest guy after me has been coming her for 4 years in a row, and most have been coming for over 10 years. Longest I have found is 19 years in a row. They are all from way up north, they speak a different language, and they all have inside jokes from their history together here so all I can do is listen and try not to say something stupid. They are all very nice, but no doubt about it, youngsters from Texas stick out a little.
All in all "not what I expected", but not bad. Actually these things are helping us learn what being on the road can mean, and how we can deal with problems that will happen to everyone. We are looking forward to a better February (Mardi Gras is coming up, and they do celebrate it here family style.) and some new very positive experiences at Gulf State park. So until then, these are just some ramblings from an old Rockin' RoVer rocking and roving on. Thank for coming by.
January is coming to a close and its time to update the blog. The title sort of tells it all. Not much of what we have experienced here in Gulf Shores has been what we were expecting. To start with this is the coldest January in GS history. Balmy days sitting on the beach listening to the surf ain't happening. Hard freezes here are rare, but we have had at least a dozen in the weeks we have been here. And even when the temperature soars into the 60's the wind BLOWS. Not the warm, humid, gentle, southern breeze, but 25 mph gale out of the north. That makes 65 degrees feel frigid. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad we came, because there have been a few really nice days at the beach, just not exactly what I expected.
One reason I haven't really been too concerned about the beach is because when you have a rip snorting cold you don't want to go to the beach. That was my first gift from Alabama. I just wrapped up in my "blankey", turned up the furnace and slept for a week. Of course Mom was nursing that cough she has had for months. We weren't worried about that too much since just before we left Texas she went to the doctor and got prescriptions for antibiotic for bronchitis and high power cough medicine for cough. Of course as HollyAnn would remind us, "bronchitis is viral and antibiotics don't help." It didn't. We did have a chance to forget about the bronchitis for a while however, when Mom's blood pressure went through the ceiling. Really high. High enough that we decided to make the acquaintance of all the folks at the local hospital emergency room late one night. They were glad to see us, $7000 worth. Extensive blood work, EKG, Chest Xray, we got it all. End results, no pneumonia, and cough medicine prescription will blow your blood pressure through the ceiling. Fortunately if you just wait a while BP goes back down on it's own. It did, but we had lots of peace of mind after all the test were run. Please don't misunderstand, I'm glad we came, because there have been a few really nice days at the beach, just not exactly what I expected. (PS I am better and Moms cough is finally going away on its own.)
Oh did mention my truck got a Check Engine Light, the second day we were here? It would not go out because of some kind of transmission problem. Didn't really affect how everything worked, but concerning so I took it in. Lucky for me the dealership that could do warranty work is in Pensacola Florida, only forty miles away. No problem except the speed limit from here to there is 45 mph. A one hour trip each way. Thank goodness they gave me a loaner since they kept the truck. Mom loved the 14 passenger Ford van. She continuously reminded me we looked like the janitor service, or the plumber, or the TV repair man, or the sheriffs chain gang van. The truck is back in the shop again by the way, so we are hoping it is ready by the 31st since we have to move on February 1 to our new digs at Gulf State Park. Please don't misunderstand, I'm glad we came, because there have been a few really nice days at the beach, just not exactly what I expected. (PS. Forgot to mention the flat tire I got at the dealership, but hardly worth the effort.)
I know it sounds bad, but in every case the problem has turned into a blessing. We are very comfortable in out Nest, and have rested a lot. The hospital visit really did put us at peace. The truck needed to have several recalls completed and the transmission repair will be under warranty, and we have time to wait for it while we are here. There are a ton of great places to eat. (Lambert's was amazing. Sorry Heidi) We have been looking for the perfect sea food spot and will be trying it tomorrow. We have been to the beach several times, and it is fantastic. Walking barefoot on the white sugar sand beaches and dipping toes in the cold surf, adding to the colorful sunsets have made for enjoyable days. It is not go swimming season, but the surf is nice. Mom and I have been on several hikes through the woods and along the shore. Really pretty and no bugs. We love the park we are in, and our spot is perfect for us. Only problem here is we are so new, we usually don't know what the other campers are talking about. The newest guy after me has been coming her for 4 years in a row, and most have been coming for over 10 years. Longest I have found is 19 years in a row. They are all from way up north, they speak a different language, and they all have inside jokes from their history together here so all I can do is listen and try not to say something stupid. They are all very nice, but no doubt about it, youngsters from Texas stick out a little.
All in all "not what I expected", but not bad. Actually these things are helping us learn what being on the road can mean, and how we can deal with problems that will happen to everyone. We are looking forward to a better February (Mardi Gras is coming up, and they do celebrate it here family style.) and some new very positive experiences at Gulf State park. So until then, these are just some ramblings from an old Rockin' RoVer rocking and roving on. Thank for coming by.
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