Loss. And Hope.

I don't want to write about this.   After all, who am I to be writing about tragic mass shootings, or gun control, or good and evil?  But the words keep bouncing  back and forth in my head, and they must come out somehow. 

I won't blame you if you stop reading right here.  Haven't we all seen and heard and read too much already?  My heart just keeps breaking, and I know yours does, too.  It's all just too much.

But here's what I need to say:

I refuse to live in fear.

And.

I will rejoice.

These are not options.  God tells us not to fear over and over in the Bible.  Same thing about being joyful.  It's not a suggestion, or a reassurance.  It's a command.  I'm not a Bible scholar, and I don't feel like looking it up right now, but I know the Bible tells us over and over, so many times, not to fear.  And to rejoice in the Lord.

And here's something else I need to say.  The gun lovers are right.  Taking guns away from law abiding citizens will not end the violence.   Killers will kill, one way or another.

But, while I support our right to bear arms,  guns are not the answer, either.  Weapons don't guarantee security.  Our security - our only security - is in Jesus Christ.

We, as Christians, have failed in our primary calling.  We are called to be light to a dark world.  Seems like all we do is complain about what non-believers are or are not doing.  But, what are we doing?  Are we loving our neighbor as we should?  Or do we put our own comfort above everyone else?  Do we love our neighbors?  Even the ones who smell bad?  Or do we judge and condemn them?

What do we offer the world, besides criticism and self righteousness?

I'm not blaming Christians for the evil that evil men do.  Satan gets all the credit for that, as far as I'm concerned. 

But.

Jesus offers help for the helpless and hope for the hopeless.  Do we really believe it?  Or do we secretly believe we accumulated all of our material and emotional blessings because of our own efforts?  And all those "losers" just need to pull themselves up by their own bootstraps.  Heaven help us.

Evil is in this world, and will stay here until our Lord returns.  Praise God, the final victory is His, but right here and right now, evil is a fact of life. 

However.  Goodness and mercy overcome evil.  And there is so much goodness and mercy left in the world.  I see it every day.  And it will remain, as long as the Holy Spirit dwells here with us and within us. 

And - good news - He's already promised to never leave us or forsake us.

Hope for the future. 

Indeed.

Immersion

 

 

Even if I would not, could not believe in an all knowing all powerful Holy God… a God Who abhors sin so much that it cannot survive in His presence, yet loves mankind so much that he would give up His only son to die on a cross so that He could fellowship with us who are sinners…I would still be a Christian.

 

This is why.

 

When I immerse myself in the Bible, in worship service, in Christian music, in sermons and books about God…I am a better person, a better citizen, a better mother, wife, sister and friend.

 

To me this is only logical. When I read a cookbook, I get hungry. When I took Government in high school, I briefly imagined a career in politics. I own several books on housekeeping and organization…when I read them, I soon want to get up and do something. When I watch HGTV, I soon want to paint a wall or work on a craft. On the down side, when I watch a sad movie, I cry. Sometimes, I feel angry.

 

We are all influenced by what we allow into our minds.

 

But isn’t it wonderful to know that God is real. His Holy Spirit is with me this minute, watching everything I do, encouraging me when I need encouragement, pricking my conscience when I go astray of His perfect will.

 

C.S. Lewis said that the Christian life is the hardest thing in the world to live if you are holding back (I'm paraphrasing wildly here). But once you have surrendered completely to Christ, it is the simplest thing in the world. My yoke is easy and my burden is light.

 

God, please help me to be totally immersed in all things YOU. Amen

Bad Blogger!

Shame on me...no new posts in over 2 weeks!  Guess I've got some catching up to do.  Truth is, we haven't done anything worth writing about in that two weeks.  We left Louisiana behind, stopping in Beaumont for 2 nights.  Nothing much going on there.

Then we stopped at Belton Lake for 4 nights, at the Cedar Ridge Corps of Engineers Campground.  Cowboy was happy, because he got some good fishing in.  But honestly, the highlight of my time there was going to Dollar Tree.  Love that little store!

Then we came home.  End of story.

Well, not quite the end, although I don't see why anyone would be interested in our humdrum home life.  Except us. 

First off, we were so excited about being home, we gave ourselves a welcome home party.  I fixed a huge pot of Chicken Tortilla Soup (the recipe's at the bottom of this post, if you're interested) and we fed ourselves, our son, our daughter, son-in-law and grandgirls, and our loaner son & daughter, with their little one.  Then our best friends (of 35 years!) stopped by, and we had a house full!  What a welcome home!

The rest of the week was spent visiting Tim's brother, doing laundry, buying groceries, voting, attending a couple of funerals (not fun), getting haircuts, doing more laundry, buying more groceries, delivering a car to Dallas for the local Chevrolet dealership (Cowboy's very part-time job - I just rode along to keep him company), and attending worship services.  Oh, and the Cowboy and his middle brother hauled a bunch of hay out of the field.  Horses gotta eat this winter!

Saturday was a fun day.  Cowboy wanted to geocache, and, since he couldn't find anyone fun to go with him, he bullied, I mean, sweet-talked, me into going with.  But, saved by the bell (at least I thought so), my brother called just as we were about to leave and said he and his lovely wife were in town and would like to meet us somewhere for lunch. Yay!  We went to a brand new Mexican restaurant in town, Rio Mambo, and had a wonderful, relaxing and fun lunch.  Brother only lives about two hours away from us, but it seems we hardly ever see each other, so this was a real blessing.

But, my reprieve was over as soon as lunch ended.  Brother had to get on with his business, so off we went to find those caches.  I went, armed with a cold drink, my i-phone, and my Kindle.  Oh, and Charlie Chihuahua couldn't be left behind.  Hunting for geocaches is not my favorite thing, but I do get a kick out of the Cowboy's excitement, and we had nice weather for it, and I like getting out and seeing the country, going down roads I wouldn't normally travel.  Not a bad way to spend an afternoon, after all.

Now comes the most exciting part of my week.  Have I mentioned that my beautiful, talented grandgirls have been in music classes since they could crawl?  And the 10 year old has been taking piano classes for 4 years, and the 8 year old, for 2 years?  I'm sure I have.

Saturday, they played in the local Piano Festival, along with I-don't-know-how-many-but-it-was-a-lot of other kids.  They were all judged, (or graded may be a better word) and received certificates according to how well they did.  The ones who got the highest commendations were asked to play in the Honors Recital at the end of the day's activities.  And our oldest was asked to play, along with about 20 other kids. 

Parents and grandparents are not allowed to watch them play for the judges (makes them too nervous), but we are invited to watch the Recital, so our daughter called to let us know about it, and we rushed to the church where it was being held. 

These kids are all impressive, but, I must say, our grandgirl was awesome.  Not one mistake.  I was so impressed.  She has always shown a lot of talent for the piano, but she's gotten even better while we've been gone on this trip.  It was just awesome to watch those little fingers fly across the keyboard, and hear the beautiful music she produced.  Just. Awesome.

After the Recital, we all went out for hamburgers (yay, did you catch that?  We ate out twice in one day!  No cooking - or dishwashing - for me all day long!)

Then we all went to see Cowboy's brother, Richard.  He fell,  back a couple of months ago and damaged his spinal cord.  After surgery to stabilize his neck, and intensive rehab in a Dallas hospital, he was moved to a local rehab center just before we came home.  I want to thank all of you who have  been praying for his full recovery.  He is determined to walk again, and is making great progress.  Keep praying, okay? 

So, anyhow, all 7 of us (us, our son, our daughter's family) stopped to see Richard on the way home.  Which was just the perfect end to the perfect day.

And that's what we've been doing.  Back to wonderful, boring, blessed, real life.  It's good to be home.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Cooked chicken - baked, broiled, grilled, rotisserie...whatever and however much you've got - I used about 2  chicken breasts.  Shredded or chopped
1 can of beans, black or pinto
1 can of corn or hominy
1 can of tomatoes and green chiles, like Rotel
2 cans chicken broth
1/2 chopped onion
1 chopped bell pepper, whatever color you like
1 envelope taco mix
1 envelope ranch dressing mix
1 tablespoon oil
Whatever else you think would be good

Saute the onion and bell pepper until softened.  Add all the other ingredients, and simmer for about half an hour.

Serve lots of toppings.  We like crushed tortilla chips, shredded cheddar cheese, picante sauce, sour cream, olives, chopped green onions, sliced avocado, and lime wedges.  And jalapenos.

Serves 4 - 6. 

All Good Things...

This week has been absolutely full of "good things."  Starting with Sunday, when we attended First Baptist Church of Pearl River. 

 

Just when we were trying to decide which church to attend, I got a message on Facebook from an old acquaintance from elementary days, Tobey Pitman, wanting to get together for coffee while we were in the area.  Turns out, Doctor Pitman is now preaching at Pearl River, which is only about 20 miles from here.  I knew he had been a missionary in New Orleans, but we had no idea he was pastoring a church now.  We thoroughly enjoyed the church, the sermon and the friendly people.  Tobey and his sweet wife, Kathy, graciously invited us to their home for supper after the evening service. The meal was great, and we really enjoyed hearing about their fascinating work as missionaries.  

 

 

Tuesday, we finally made it to New Orleans to see the sights there.  We had a great meal in the French Quarter, then just strolled around Jackson Square enjoying the street performers, artists and musicians.  I especially got a kick out the decorated carriages. 

 

 

 



I thought this purple one was the best.

 

 

 

Wednesday, we ate lunch at the New Orleans Seafood Restaurant in Covington. The Pitmans had suggested this place, and it was all they said it would be. The rest of the day, we pretty much just hung around the RV park. The cowboy loves the fishing here.

 

Thursday, we took a two hour tour through the Honey Island Swamp.  Ya'll, this ranked right up there with Disney World on the enjoyment meter.  Who knew a swamp could be so beautiful!  We saw all sorts of animals.  There were lots of alligators (of course), and raccoons, and all kinds of birds.

 



Great Blue Heron.

 

The Pearl River runs right through the swamp.

 

 

 Ibis in the tops of the trees.  So pretty.

 

 

Thursday night we ate at the Camelia Cafe here in Abita Springs.  We discovered this place last year when we stayed here.  They serve some seriously wonderful seafood.  And...get this...on Thursday evenings, they give everyone 55 and over a 55 per cent discount.  Have you ever heard of such a thing?!!!  I've never been so glad to be so old!  The food is fantastic, and we had enough leftovers for three more meals.  What a deal.

 

 



 Finally, we have spent a lot of time over the last two weeks just chilling here at Abita Springs RV Park.  The next few photos will show you why:

A goose, swimming on the fishing pond.

 

Charlie really wants to play with that goose!  The bird doesn't seem too worried.  Think he knows that Charlie wouldn't get in the water even if I removed the leash?  Charlie hates getting wet.

Cowboy finally got a picture of the geese coming in for a landing.  They fly in every morning.  You can hear them honking, announcing their arrival, before you can see them.

The pond at sunset.

 

 



 It is going to break my heart a little bit to leave this place.

However.

All good things....must come to an end.  After all, if they didn't, we'd never get to experience the next good thing.  And the next good thing in our near future is .... home.

Yep, you heard it here first, folks.  We turn towards home come Monday.  We won't be in any real hurry to get there.  We kind of hope to find another adventure or two along the way.  But a week, maybe two, will see us back in our old home town in North Central Texas. 

And I'm thinking that seeing our family, our church family and our friends who feel like family, may just be the greatest adventure of all!

The 5er

It occurred to me that I've shown pictures of the outside of our Fifth Wheel, but not much of the inside.  So, that's my subject for today.  Living in the 5er.  Here's the pictures.

Our dining room/office/craft room.  Looks nice doesn't it?  It usually has a printer, a toaster oven, and a million other things piled on top.  It cleans up good, though.

 

Our real dining room is there at the end of the trailer, since we generally eat in the recliners.  Yes, we are slobs. But the TV is at the other end of the room.  So, every night, we can enjoy "Dinner and a Show."  *Smile*

 

The kitchen.  There's a double sink.  A microwave/convection oven. The stove has a good size oven and three burners.  No dishwasher, though. 

 

And when I'm not using the stove, the top folds down for more counter space.

 

The little refrigerator is to the left of the stove, and the pantry is left of the refrigerator.

 

Just past the pantry, up a couple of steps is the bedroom.  It came with a bedspread to match the wallpaper and curtains, but it was kind of cheap looking, and just got in the way.  So I stored back at the house.  I hate to make beds anyway.  Oh, and the mirror on the far side?  That's the sliding closet doors.  We have a really large closet.  Nice.

 

The dressers across from the bed.  The TV swings out, so we can watch TV in bed.

 

The door beside the sink is to the "throne room."  But I don't think you really want to see a picture of the toilet.  Not that it's ugly or anything.  It's just...a toilet.

 

The shower.

 

 

So, that's it.  Except, it's really never this clean.  Being on the road hasn't improved my housekeeping skills at all.  But it is increadibly easy to keep semi-clean, anyway.  Which is a good thing, since we'd much rather be out exploring (or even just staying in and reading a book!) than cleaning house.

 

I think it's very clever how the manufacturer managed to fit all the necessities, and even a few luxuries, into 29 feet.  There's lots of (much) larger rigs on the road, as well as much smaller ones.  That's one of the things I love about RV people...it doesn't matter how large or small, how old or new, how shabby or shiny, all that matters is that we are all so excited about what we are doing.

 

We've met people from all 50 states, including Hawaii and Alaska, as well as Canada, Australia, and Puerto Rico.  All different ages, races, some full time RVers, some just on vacation for a few days, or, like us, a few months.  Almost everyone is friendly.  No one is snobby or stuck up.  We are all just here to have fun.

 

We are incredibly blessed to be doing what we are doing.

 

 



Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch....

We have baby chickens!  Sorry the picture is a little fuzzy.  Our daughter took it with her phone, then texted it to me.  I love modern technology.

 

 

The mama is a Silkie. That's something I'd never heard of until Daughter brought her home.  Hope the horses don't step on them.  See the hooves on the other side of the barn door? 

 

I am so thankful for our children, who are taking care of the horses, the chickens, the house and everything while we are gone.  We definitely would not have the freedom to travel without them there.  We are so blessed.

 

BIG NEWS FLASH! - Today, the 16th of October, marks 3 months on the road for us.  That's one fourth of a year!  It has been an amazing experience so far.  We have seen amazing things, met interesting people, and actually enjoyed just being together.  'Course, it helped seeing the kids, grandkids, and loaner kids during the past few weeks.  And sometime this week I hope to see and old school friend who lives in this area.  So fun! 

 

We are planning to go home around the first of December.  Now that we are headed that direction, and just one state away, it would be great if some of our friends and family would come visit us on the road (hint, hint!!)  I love the traveling, but I do miss the home folks.

 

I promised pictures of Disney World, but honestly, I don't have that many.  I didn't want to be weighed down with a camera while we were there, so all I took into the parks was my phone.  But here's a few.

 

One of my favorite things about Disney World is all the plants and flowers.  This Mickey was just outside the Magic Kingdom.

 

 



Each park has at least one musical stage show.  We saw Beauty and the Beast at Disney's Hollywood Studios.  The grown ups in our group were just as enchanted as the grandgirls.

And of course, no trip to Disney is complete without seeing It's a Small World.  It's cute.  The girls love it.  And someday, I will get that silly song out of my head!

S.O.S.

 

I'm still planning to tell you more about our fun times with the grandgirls at Disney World, but I'm still sorting through photos.  Kind of a lame excuse, since I didn't take that many.  Too busy having fun to take pictures.  In the meantime, here's  a pretty sunset at Mexico Beach.  My phone's camera really doesn't do it justice.

 

 

 

 

 

We did go buy groceries at Wal-Mart yesterday.  It was necessary.  We were pretty much down to nothing.  In fact, I had to pull out the very last of my emergency pantry items for supper Tuesday.  Want the recipe for our favorite pantry meal?  Of course you do.

 

I've heard this stuff called S.O.S. all my life.  My mom said it stood for Slop On a Slab.  Later, I heard it was called something even worse in the Army. (Sh** on a Shingle, if you really want to know.)  Sounds disgusting, doesn't it?  We really like it.  A lot.  Maybe because I hardly ever fix it, it remains something of a treat.

 

Mama used to make it by cutting up the dried beef, frying it in butter, then adding flour, then milk.  She would serve it over toast, or left over biscuits, dinner rolls or hamburger buns.  Whatever was on hand. 

 

I cheat and use an envelope of Pioneer Gravy Mix.  When I can find it, I use the low-fat gravy mix.  Makes me almost feel like this is health food, since the dried beef is naturally very low fat.  There's no getting around the salt content though.  I imagine there's enough sodium in this stuff to..to...to...

Well, I'm obviously no good at metaphors.  So here's the recipe.

 

S.O.S.

 

1 jar dried beef (look for it near the canned tuna and Spam)

1 envelope Pioneer (or any brand) country gravy mix

2 cups water (or however much the gravy mix calls for)

 

You can rinse the beef to remove some of the salt if you want.  It won't make much difference to the taste. 

 

Cut up the beef into little bits.  Mix it all up with a whisk in a skillet. Heat until it gets thick.  Add a little more water if it gets too thick. Serve over toast.  Or biscuits.  Or whatever starchy stuff you have that needs to be eaten.

 

We like canned spinach (seasoned with a little vinegar from jalapeno peppers) and sliced tomatoes with this.  Well, I like the tomatoes.  Cowboy thinks they're poison. 

 

And that's it.  Except for the tomatoes, everything came out of the pantry.  A few times, when I somehow ended up with mushrooms that needed to be eaten right away, I've added mushrooms sauteed in butter to the beef & gravy.  We call it Gourmet S.O.S.  I guess you could add canned mushrooms.  But I don't much like canned mushrooms.  But if you like them, feel free.  I won't judge.

 

While sorting through pictures on my computer, I found this one from ten years ago. 

 

 

 

 

That's brother-in-law Richard, me (Kay) and Cowboy Tim, at Disney World in 2002. 

Ahhh, memories!

 

Sore Toes (Not That I'm Complaining)

 

 

Disney was tons of fun, and as soon as I sort through the pictures, I'll tell you a little more about it.  In the meantime, here's one of my "Goofy" Cowboy.  Makes me laugh!

 

 

Alas, all good things must come to an end.  Seems like we were just getting started, and suddenly it was time to say good-bye.  The kids flew home on Thursday evening, and we loaded up and pulled out early (for us!) Friday morning. 

We made it all the way to Ocala North RV park (about 75 miles) before we gave up and collapsed.  We didn't even un-hitch the pickup from the trailer.  Yep.  All that fun, fun, fun done wore us down, down, down.  Anyhow, it rained cats and dogs the rest of the day, and who wants to pull a big old trailer in the rain?!

Saturday morning we drove to Mexico Beach, on the Gulf of Mexico and spent the night at Golden Isles RV Park.  It wasn't right on the beach, but the price was right, and the manager was friendly.  After a scrumptious dinner (fried shrimp - yum!) at Killer Seafood, we went back to the RV park and ... did laundry.  Loads and loads of laundry.  Aren't you glad I shared that tidbit of information with you?  The excitement just never ends!

Next day was Sunday, and we were so glad to attend service at First Baptist in Port St. Joe.  The main text was from Psalm One, but here's what stuck with me:  The preacher reminded us that God struck down more Hebrews in the Old Testament for grumbling and complaining than for any other sin.  He actually said that whining is a sin.  Ouch.  I never really thought of it that way before.  I mean, OUCH!!!  And then he challenged the congregation to try to go just one day without complaining.  Two days later, I'm telling you, it's a pretty humbling exercise.  Just try it yourself.  Or maybe you're not a complainer.  Am I the only one?  Yeah, I didn't think so. 

He went on to point out that our main job here on Earth (as in Heaven) is to praise God, and, well, to make Him look good.  And, how does it look when God's people go around all mopey and grumbly all the time?  Oh my poor, poor toes.  Not that I'm complaining. 

I always think of myself as a grateful person.  Not difficult, because I have so much to be thankful for.  But, evidently, that doesn't keep me from complaining about all sorts of things.  Just keeping it real.  You knew I wasn't perfect anyway. 

It was a great sermon. 

And, after a quick lunch, we had one more thing to truly praise God for - we got to visit with our "loaner" kids!!!  I haven't talked much about my loaner family, have I?  The Doc & his Mrs. moved down the street from us a few years ago, and started attending our church.  Their "birth" parents live up north, so they quickly adopted us as their "stand-in" family.  They now have an adorable 2 year old baby, our loaner grand-boy.  I can't tell you how much I love and adore this precious family.  About the same age as our kids, they just fit in with us like they belong.  And they do. 

So, anyway, they are staying at Port St. Joe this week with her folks, and we got to go to their beach house and visit with the whole bunch of them.  They are wonderful people, and have been so gracious about "sharing" their kids with us.  They come to Texas often, and we always enjoy visiting with them.  We keep hoping they will just pack up and move down here (hint, hint).

We finally left them to catch up with each other, (but not until I got a good dose of that "grand-boy"), and loaded the trailer up so we could pull out the next morning.  We are now a little further down the road in Robertsdale, Alabama.  At Styx River RV Park.  A few miles east of Mobile. 

Can't wait to see what adventures await us here.  I'm pretty sure I see a trip to Wal-Mart in my near future!!! 

Cowboy

Waiting for the grandgirls.

Animal Kingdom

Ten years ago, we talked our sweet brother, Richard, into coming to Disney World with us. One of our favorite things that year was the Flights of Wonder show at Animal Kingdom. Those birds ( and their trainers) were just amazing. This year, Richard is recovering from a nasty fall. From what I hear, he is the amazing one. Rather than feeling sorry for himself, he is inspiring all who know him - even his therapists- with his determination and sunny disposition. Having a beautiful wife like Lori to encourage him through it all probably helps too. She is such a blessing!

These pictures are for Richard. Wish you were here!

Disney's Hollywood Studios

Tower of Terror. The littlest grandgirl and I sat this one out! But everyone else loved it.

Hollywood Studios

Beauty and the Beast - musical stage play.

Pop Century

This is my favorite place in the world right now, because this is where my grand girls are staying! Pop Century Resort

Leaving Epcot last night

Magic Kingdom

What Am I Going to Do Next?

I'm going to Disney World!!!!

 

 

Tomorrow is the first day of our week at Disney, where we can (almost) forget that we are old grandparents and just feel like kids again.  Except for sore, tired feet and aching backs at the end of the day.

Since we intend to fill every minute of every day with fun and excitement...

And, since our Dear Daughter, Favorite Son-in-law, and Precious Grandgirls will meet us there...

I probably won't be posting any long posts.

BUT. 

I will try to post several pictures from my phone each day.  So look for multiple short posts. 

If I remember.

And if I can get Blogger to work on my phone.

Wouldn't it be fun if we could all live in Disney World all the time?

What?  Yes, I am a grown-up.  Why do you ask?

Chores

Today is housecleaning day, but Wednesday was house washing day. We sure know how to have a good time, don't we?

Our new neighbors

At Bee's RV Park in Clermont, Florida

Posting from I-phone

Moved to Clermont, Florida on Tuesday. The pics below are:
Last week, in St. Augustine, Florida (4 pics)

Savannah

 

 

Okay, I'm just gonna apologize up front.  I've waited too long between posts, so this is a long one.  Too many pictures, and will probably take way too long to load on your computer. It's been a great week, so much to see and do (and eat!).  I tried to cut it down to just the best stuff, but there's just so much!

 

The photo above is one of the least impressive sunsets back at North Shore Resort in Greensboro, GA.  And it was still awesome.  See that bridge in the back?  If you look real closely, you can see the train going over the tracks.  Also...those black specks in the sky?  Those are not birds, nor was my camera lens dirty.  Those are a bazillion may flies.  They came out every night.  It was fun watching the fish jump out of the water to feed on them.

 

The highlight of my week?  I finally got to eat at Paula Deen's Restaurant, The Lady and Sons.  Three stories of awesomeness!  And yes, the food was just as wonderful as I had anticipated.  Know what it reminded me of?  Thanksgiving dinner with my mom's family.  When everyone brought their very best dish, and it was impossible to choose, so you had to get "just a bite" of everything.  And "just a bite" ended up being at least 2 platefuls of food.  Paula's buffet didn't have quite that big a selection (thank goodnes!), but the food was just as wonderful.  In fact, I'm pretty sure she got her peach cobbler recipe from my mom!

 

 

 

One of the best thing about The Lady and Sons - it's in Savannah!  I've read books about Savannah.  I've seen Paula's show, where she goes out and about the city and the surrounding area. I've researched this trip extensively on the internet before we even left home.  Nothing prepared me for the wonder that is Savannah.  Elegantly restored old, old buildings; a city "square" every couple of blocks, most with a monument in the center commemorating some historic figure or event; museums, restaurants, shops, apartments and townhouses.  Just beautiful. 

 

The Lady and Sons is just off of  Johnson Square, pictured above.  Across the square from the restaurant is Christ Church, the "Mother Church of Georgia."  (The picture above the square.)  This Episcopal church was established in 1733, at the same time Georgia was established as an English colony.  One of it's first rectors was John Wesley.  USA history and religious history, all rolled into one place.  Love it!

Our next stop was the beach at Tybee Island.  *Sigh*  Gorgeous.  And...we found a dolphin on the beach!  Lol...

 

But, it was getting late, so we cut it short, and headed back to the RV Park, which was about 10 miles north of Savannah, in Hardeeville, South Carolina.

 

The next morning, we drove to Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, about 25 miles north of our camp.  This is where the rich folks live.  Very pretty, well laid out town.  But not nearly as charming as Savannah, to my mind anyway.

 

One of the most adventurous places we went this week was the Savannah National Wildlife Refuge.  Some (crazy) people hike or bike the 4.5 mile loop through the park, but we were contented to drive through.  Those are alligators, ya'll!  And not behind any kind of a fence or barrier, either.  We drove through the loop twice, and we probably saw more than a dozen gators.  All those black log looking things in the middle photo above?  Yep, those are all alligators. 

 

 

Methodist Church, built in 1868.

 

Thankfully, the Cowboy finally got enough of the gators, and we drove back to Savannah.  We visited the Massie Heritage Center, then walked over to Monterey Square, where both John and Charles Wesley preached. 

 

 

This courtyard and steps belonged to one of the private homes.

 

Pulaski Monument in Monterey Square.

 

Cobblestone streets and brick sidewalks!!!

 

They say Jefferson Davis slept here.

Alas, all good things must come to an end

 (so that more good things can come along!)

 

We are now in Brunswick, Georgia, home of Brunswick Stew.  Jumping off point for Jekyll Island and St. Simons Island. 

 

 

We plan to head to St. Augustine Beach, Florida tomorrow, but for now I'll leave you with another pretty sunset.  This one is over the Brunswick River.