Bald Eagle in tree in Grayton State Park
Feb 5, 09 - Thurs.- Day 96
Today Joe, Mallery and I drove east (yesterday we drove west, not east as I wrote in my last journal) of Grayton State Park. We drove though Blue M0untian Beach, Santa Rosa Beach, and Dune-Allen Beach areas. We stopped in two areas and walked on the beach some, to see the homes from the ocean side. During our expedition, we found a fresh sea market, and purchased some fresh tuna to share with our new friends Dave and Sheila. Unfortunately being a last minute thought, when we arrived home, we found our new neighbors were not home. At dinner time, Dave and Sheila still had not arrive home, so we decided to save the tuna for tomorrow, and we ate something else.
Feb 6,09 - Fri. - Day 97
Today Joe went over in the morning to Dave and Sheila RV and invited them over for dinner tonight. After breakfast we went in our back yard, with chairs and a fishing pole. Joe had bought a fishing licences at Bass Haven, while I was in Iowa. I had been bugging Joe to try fishing in Lake Western which is just behind our RV. So I sat and enjoyed the sun, (it has been a little chilly in the shade- 60 something) while Joe got his pole ready. The first toss and the bait went into the weeds. I got a great laugh at that one. The second toss went a few feet into the water. The third toss a few feet farther in the water. Hey he's getting better! The fourth cast, ( really gonna get it out there this time ) got caught in the tree above. I got a really big laugh this time. I was just glad Joe didn't take himself too serious, while he was amusing me so. He couldn't get his line unhooked, so he had to pull his line til it broke, losing his good yellow glowing bait and leader. He did get his bobber back at least, and there was another line and bait on the same branch.(he's not the only one that caught that tree). After that he got much better, but never got a bite. It would help, if we knew what we were fishing for and what they liked to eat. After about an hour of this, Joe got bored with this, so we decided to sit in the sun and read. Joe had a book his brother Dave had given him, called, " Jekyll Island Club." It was a book about the wealthy who had made Jekyll Island their winter home. And since we had just spent time on the Island, this fall, Joe found it interesting. He had started it while I was in Iowa. I have been wanting to get back to reading, but when we were moving all the time from place to place and site seeing, I never seemed to find the time. But on my flight back to Iowa I started to read again. I read one book and half of another. Today I started to read, " The Tongue - A Creative Force" by Charles Capps. It is not a very long book, only 193 pages, but a very powerful book! I read half the book today. I got so much revelation from it. Dave and Sheila came over tonight for dinner. They had eaten out last night, and had some left over crab and artichoke dip, they brought, as well as crackers, baby carrots, and cherry tomatoes. We grilled the tuna, and also served new potatoes, and green beans. we had a wonderful time visiting before and after dinner, and thanked them again for helping us get our RV back into this tight spot and helping us get at least one station on our TV.
Feb. 7, 09 - Sat. -Day 98
Today Dave and Sheila, came over to say goodbye. They are heading back to Danville Ill. It will take them two days to get back, and they both need to be back to work on Monday. After they left, Joe and I had to admit, we were glad we didn't have to hurry back to go to work. It is nice to not be in a hurry. After lunch, Joe and I walked up to the beach. (about 1/2 mile from our site) Mallery could not go, because dogs are not allowed on State beaches in Florida. After reaching the beach, we walked east up to Seaside Beach, and then walked back on the sidewalk and bike bath back to our home. It was about a hour walk, with temperatures in the high 60's. We came back and got back into our books.
Feb 8, 09 -Sun. -Day 99
Today we decided to drive up to the last place we stopped walking on the beach, and park the car, and walk farther on the beach. The weather has been getting warmer, low 70's, so we must take advantage of it for exercise. Mallery gets to go too, because it is off the State Park Beach. Today we walked to Seacrest Beach. A perfect day on a beautiful white sand beach with crystal clear water. This coast is called Emerald Coast, and the water is definitely an emerald blue color. Mallery enjoyed the beach again. She really is becoming a beach bum dog. She loves to run and chase the sandpipers and sea gulls. When she comes running back to us, we tell her good girl, and she struts with pride, knowing she has protected us and shows us how brave she is! When we got to Seacrest, we cross to the bike bath and walk the street side to our car. Another good hour of exercise and enjoying God's best. Back home, we relaxed and enjoyed reading.
Feb 9, 09 - Mon. - Day 100
Today we got new neighbors on our right side. We could see they were having trouble getting back into their spot, because their tires kept sinking into the loose sand. I told Joe he should go over and offer his help, as Dave had for us. Mean while someone else came and started to help the RV driver. So Joe and I talk to the Drivers wife, Dawn. Dawn told us, she and her husband Jeff had been full time RVing for 7 years. They looked to young to be full timing so long, so Joe ask what they had done to afford to retire so young. Dawn told us her husband had been a dentist and had retired at 53. We talk a little more, but decided we had better let Dawn get back to attending to her husband, as we know you really can not relax, til you get all set up for the night. We had just been heading out the door to go to the beach to enjoy the warm weather. We had been recovering from the symptoms of a cold and sore throat, but now Joe was getting it back, and he felt all the walking on the beach was running him down and wanted to take it easy for awhile. So we took a very leisurely walk up the beach. We went up to the street and I founds some little shops to investigate. Shortly Joe said he was going to walk back to our chairs on the beach, because he could see I was going to be looking for awhile. After window shopping, (luckily I had no money on me) I head for the beach to walk back to Joe and Mallery. As I saw Joe, I could see Joe telling Mallery, "There's your mom." She didn't seem to recognize me because I was so far down the beach from her. So I yelled her name, and she looked up and spotted me, and then tore across the beach running as fast as she could to me as though she had not seen me for weeks. That is why dogs are mans best friends. You can be gone for a half an hour, and they miss you, like it's been weeks! When I got back to Joe, he told me he had to practically drag Mallery down the beach. She did not want to leave me. Ever since we've been on the move, she hates to be separated from either of us. We think she has lost her bearings, and her securities are Joe, myself, the car and the RV. When we got back home, Joe said he was going over to our new neighbors who have been RVing for 7 years and get some valuable insight and RV wisdom. Soon he came back and said Dawn asked if I would like to come over too. It was dark outside by now, and as we went out the door, I missed the bottom step again and fell to the ground again. The bottom step is just inches from the ground, which must be throwing me off some how. I got up unharmed and I bit embarrassed, with Joe shaking his head at me, wondering what has gotten into me, and my balance. We spent about an hour visiting and gained valuable information on all sort of things. This is one reason I am blogging. Dawn showed me her blog and how to get started.This is one of the reasons I love RVing. You meet so many new people and do so much networking. On my trip back to Ia, I made a decision. In 2003, I started a family letter, that I sent to all my family members- mom, sisters, daughters,nieces and nephews. These letters were started because I had been given a cassette of Joyce Myers, from my friend Barb in 1999. There were 7 letters, with the last in 4/07. One of my goals was to get back to these family letters, during our traveling. Because I have spent much time with the travel journal, I haven't had time to do the family letters also. Because the family letters are more important, I've decided to combined them. If you are not interested in these letters, just delete them, or let me know to delete from the travel journal/ family blogs.
Feb 10, 09 - Tues. Day 101
Because this is a state park, we don't have a sewer hook up. With in the 2 day here, we were full and needed to empty our grey water tank (shower, sink, dish water). Joe had purchased a portable grey water tank on 2 wheels, to empty it instead of having to put everything away and drive to the dump station. So far, Joe had to make 7 trips, dumping it into the tank, putting it in the trunk and driving the car to the dump station. Needless to say I started taking showers in the campground bathroom, after the 3rd day here. Today was a work day, we went to the laundry mat in town. To save money and time we took some of the cloths home damp and hung them up on the campground cloths line. With in a half a hour it started to rain, so in came all the laundry hanging it all over the motor home. Next time we will check the weather. After hanging the laundry all over, we headed to the store for a week of food.
We were told it was the best beach in the area. 
The positives for Rustic Sands Campground were, full hook-ups including cable, for $18 a day with our Passport discount club membership. The negatives were, we had to drive 4 miles to make any phone calls, and there wasn't much to do. The shower room was not so good- good thing we had sewer here. The beaches were good walking beaches (hard compact sand). But the sand didn't seem as white and the water looked dirtier as it rolled into shore.
One day we took Mallery to the beach and she was running to chase the birds as she loves to do, and ran right into a standing pool of water. (There are places where the tide comes in and leaves large standing pools of water up from the rolling waves) Once in the pool (the water was above her shoulder and all you could see was her head). She just stood there not knowing what to do and what had happen. I think she thought it was just a normal everyday puddle she see in Iowa or something. We had to call her to get her out of the pool.
