sssarawolf
Has No Life - Lives on TB
Awwww another chapter come t an end. lol
Story Aunt Gus and Little Bear's Adventure Book 2 (Complete)
- Thread starter Kathy in FL
- Start date
It comes and goes but I think it is going more than it is coming. LOL
Nov 11 – 13: Okaloosa County
November 11(R) - Henderson Beach State Park (camp) – Veterans Day
Two counties down already but at least fifty-four yet to go. There are sixty-seven counties in Florida and I know we are skipping a couple due to damage or lack of accessible parks, but I don’t know exactly how many as some of the itinerary is still “fluid.”
We got up this morning and I had to go through all of the stuff that needed to be done before we could leave, most of which was just stripping the beds and leaving the used linens in the bag provided. Since I was going to have to clean anyway I made a quick batch of gluten-free pancakes with apple pie filling and whipped cream. Lev and Benny dug right in but Rick was much slower.
Benny noticed before I did and tried to tell him something with a mouthful of food. I gave him the Super Duper Grandma Barry raised eyebrow stare and he stopped, swallowed, and then said, “It’s okay Mr. Rick. They are the special pancakes that Aunt Gus makes so I can eat them.”
Well he finally started eating his share before I buried his face in them. Not appreciating him thinking that I’d feed something to Benny that would make him sick. He sensed it and pulled me aside before I did the final walk through to make sure nothing was left behind.
“Don’t take it personally, please. It wasn’t meant that way. I’ve just spent a lifetime being suspicious of everything I put in my mouth … even things made by people that know me and mean well. It’s an automatic response and not meant to be insulting.”
“Well remember this please. I am at least as vigilant for Benny’s sake. If I cook it, I know what goes in it. It is one of the reasons we don’t eat fast food very much, and why I read ingredient lists instead of just the advertising. I know it is going to take time to trust me, but I’d rather cut my own throat than take a chance with Benny’s health. And that means also watching what you and Lev eat. You’re grown men, you will make mistakes on your own … but not with something you eat from my cooking.” Hopefully he’ll understand how serious I am sooner rather than later.
I will at least admit that I might have been a little sensitive because this was Veterans Day, and we were heading to a local cemetery to help a scout troop put flags on the graves there. I was nervous of how Benny would react while doing my best not to show it. Turned out I worried for nothing. Some of the older Scouts in the troop really showed off their commitment to the Scout Laws. They also showed good leadership skills and watched over Benny as he helped. Stinker gave me up though and I wound up playing Last Post on an available bugle.
“You do not need to include that in your vids,” I told Lev afterwords with an arched eyebrow all my own.
“You sure?” He asked, fighting a grin.
“Yes.” He got the point but still nodded semi-solemnly.
Rick wanted to know if I played any other instrument. “I used to play the drums.” At the look on his face all I could do was chuckle quietly. “It was one of Dad’s crazier attempts to help me use up some of my energy. The attempt didn’t last long. And yes, the neighbors were thankful.”
“Er … oh.”
I sighed as we walked back to the vehicles. “I was too much of a hyperactive tomboy to settle down to the piano or guitar. I was going to learn to play the banjo like my father, but …”
“But?”
“It was the year … I went to go live with my brother.”
“Your brother didn’t provide lessons?” Rick asked carefully.
“He never learned, and I lost my motivation … for a lot of stuff. It was more important for me to get everything else squared away and then life started happening too fast and I learned to play the bugle instead during a summer training camp I attended.”
“It only took you a summer to learn to play like that? And you still do?”
“I OCD’d it enough to put blisters on my lips and then started playing for various events while I was in high school.”
That was enough sharing. They knew a lot about me, so I decided that until they shared about themselves my story telling was officially over.
After the noise I almost made at breakfast I had to take some of it back when we ate lunch at Fudpucker’s Gator Beach[1] directly across from where we stayed the night, Henderson Beach State Park. Stopping was free. The bar-and-grill is where we had lunch. But Benny’s favorite part was where I paid for him to feed the gators. I swear I must be losing my mind or something. Who pays to feed gators?! Tourists that’s who. We are not tourists for pete sake. Still, gotta admit, it was kinda fun.
After lunch we went to Crab Island (using Crab Island Cruises). Crab Island[2] is one of the most popular attractions in Destin, FL. The shallow waters are emerald green and an obstacle course of floating bars. Really. Floating bars, some that have liquor and some that are strictly snack bars. Today Crab Island is nothing more than a raised sandbar but, at one point, was actually an island, however it has eroded for years. In most places on Crab Island, the depth of the water is about 1-4 ft.
Lev had a difficult time filming without getting other people’s faces in the shots. In hindsight it would have been better to have gotten there much earlier. I was able to keep Benny from reacting to the crowds by keeping him moving with the kayak. Rick … not so much. Found out later that it wasn’t the crowds so much as he got a call from his friend Rosa’s aunt giving him an update on his uncle’s health. And also updating him on Rosa. Man, could they be any more obvious. Rick says he only wants to be friends, and thinks it is too soon for Rosa to be in any kind of relationship and he’s not especially interested in being a rebound for her. He looked at me … well, it seemed to be a particular look, but I’m not interested in being his rebound so if there is something there it is going to be slow and steady. Because the disaster that was Christopher is not something I want to repeat.
As far as Crab Island, it was about as fun as those types of things are. Might have been more fun had I been with some of my old shipmates or crew mates. Definitely would have been fun with Pei along but who knows. You know how they say if it is too loud you are too old? By mid afternoon I was feeling kinda old and creaky. There was also enough drinking going on that a few of the yahoos triggered my spidey-senses since they appeared to be displaying less and less of their own. I didn’t regret going, but I surely didn’t regret leaving either.
Then it was off to Henderson Beach State Park for campsite check in. The sand dunes were incredible. Thirty feet easy and nearly snow-white. And the shoreline? We were definitely going to be enjoying more fun in the sun and a great big ol’ fat order of wetness.
The campsites were really nice. There were sixty of them and they all were large enough for RVs up to 60’ and had both water and electric. Sewer was at a modern dump station which was okay by me though I did hear a couple of RVers complain a bit. Oh well, you get what you get and don’t throw a fit. Stupid thing to complain about in my opinion though I guess if you are staying a while, use a lot of water, drive a semi-sized RV, etc you don’t want to have to chock and unchock those behemoths just to dump your tanks.
Besides camping and playing on the beach the park is good for bicycling, fishing, geo-caching, hiking, picnicking, and wildlife viewing. Now when I say hiking, I’m not talking about the kind of hiking Benny and I have grown used to. The hiking at this park is a three-quarter mile, maintained nature trail and long walks on the beach. The geo-caching idea is fun, but Benny and I decided we had too much of an advantage over other people not to mention throughout the park system a lot of the original caches had been lost due to storm damage so the ones that are still viable we are leaving for the serious cachers and the newbies at it.
The bathrooms were fit for royalty. They have heat and air conditioning though neither were in use when I was in there. What was available (to registered campers) were showers with hot water. Oh glory. I could have lived with a cold outdoor shower this time of year, but I’ll be honest and say I’m glad I didn’t have to tonight. There’s the shower in the van of course, but I prefer taking advantage of freebie showers when possible to save our water storage.
There wasn’t a lot of time after we got to the park to “play” but we gave it a shot. First off we got Benny’s junior ranger program stuff. Definitely not as professionally done as what we found in the national park system. Some of the activities were a little childish for the age range they suggested as well. Benny solved that by working in a higher age bracket. Then we did a quick walk on the nature trail. Like I said it was only three-quarters of a mile and maintained, as in it was basically a concrete sidewalk. However, it also had some interesting sign-thingies including that the trail had originally been built around an old military bunker built into the high-dunes decades ago. We had to share the trail with some people walking their dogs but it wasn’t bad as they had to be on short leashes rather than running free. Definitely some poop-scooping going on as well. All of the dogs were well-behaved except for this one teacup-sized ball of fluff suffering from small-dog syndrome. The blasted thing acted almost rabid. That one I don’t think I’d cry about if it gotten eaten by a gator but on the other hand it might have been its owners that deserved the eating. Poor thing was dressed up in the most ridiculous costume with bows and booties. No, I’m not kidding. Use your imagination because I refuse to embarrass that animal for all eternity by inserting a picture. My Lord.
Benny was a little wound up so I told Rick and Lev I was taking him to the beach to work the wiggles off if they wanted to go off and adult. Rick seemed relieved. Lev asked if I minded if he tagged along so long as he stayed out of the way.
“Geez, you aren’t a piece of furniture. Come on or don’t, just don’t say I didn’t warn you that Benny and I can be a handful.”
“Ha! You two aren’t the only ones with the wiggles.”
On the way to the beach from camp I blew up a beach ball I had snuck into our gear. Benny laughed and once we got to the sand we had a three-way game of “hand ball.”
“Kid has some moves!” Lev said in amazement as Benny played, keeping up with Lev and I.
I responded, “When you have as much energy as Benny and I tend to do, it is wise to put it to constructive use.”
“Ha!” With the sound I am beginning to recognize as his form of laughter.
When we wound down, I ran around in the surf with Benny while Lev took some casual photos. From there we looked for shells. We left them where we found them, but we still had fun looking. At that point Lev’s stomach growled and Benny’s echoed it. I laughed and said, “Time to head back anyway. How does stir fry sound?”
“Amazing,” Lev answered with a silly look on his face causing Benny to laugh even more. Lev may be older than Rick and me, but he still is a bit of a goofball. He reminds me a bit of the guys I used to crew with. Not a bad thing; definitely potential-friend material. What’s more, Benny is very comfortable around him already. That’s something nice to have for Benny’s sake, especially with all the photos and vids that Lev takes during the day. I expected to be bothered by it, like someone was constantly looming over me but nope, not at all. It isn’t that I forget Lev is there, but it is that he doesn’t bother me by being there. I just do our thing, making sure that Benny is learning and having fun, and just ignore the anxiety that hangs out with the hamster.
We got back to camp and the difference between the two men was pretty obvious, even to Benny. Lev offered to walk with Benny to the outdoor shower so they could clean up. It was in sight of the campsite and for whatever reason it didn’t bother me. I think Lev was giving me a chance to see what was up with Rick.
After the two were out of earshot I asked, “Is your uncle okay?”
“Huh? Er … yes.”
“You sure? Because you are looking stressed. If you need more time or whatever …”
“No! Uh … dammit. Sorry. And yes, it is stress but not about you or by you. Not even the job just … lot’s of little stuff adding up.”
“Rick, if you …”. I stopped. “None of my business.”
“But?”
“No buts. I just had to watch some good friends get piled on by their well-meaning family with results that weren’t real constructive. If it is really bothering you …”. I shook my head then shrugged. “Hopefully I’m not going to offend you by saying this but … being grateful for what happened in the past does not mean you lose the right to say no in the present.”
He looked at me and slowly seemed to relax. “You too?”
“Me too what? Giving you wanted advice?”
“No. Not at all. I was just asking if you had similar … situations.”
“Mine was different. Growing up …”. While I was throwing everything into the pot I used to stir fry in I tried to figure out how to explain. “I’ve explained a little about being different, labeled, and all that. The labeling didn’t bother me because I didn’t really know what it meant. I didn’t … basically I didn’t care for whatever reason. But my dad cared and so did other people, not because of the label so much as because of the behaviors and what they would mean for my future. My family helped me to grow up and manage my issues so other people wouldn’t be forced to. They didn’t want to see me get into the kind of trouble that some people in the family had. What I’m trying to say is they set the boundaries and trust me, even not meaning to I could bounce off them like a kid’s bowling ball off of gutter bumpers. I knew they cared. It took me getting older to understand what they cared about and why. Then I lost all of that before I should have and … and I had to start caring about all of the what and why on my own because really quickly I became the what and why for Benny.”
“Uh …”
“I know. I’m getting to the point,” I told him on a laugh to save him some embarrassment. “What I’m trying to say is that I watched what other people, good friends, have had to go through and have felt blessed not to have gone through that kind of struggle myself. There have been times I almost wished I had it to go through because … alone is hella lonely. But mostly I’ve tried to not make the same mistakes. Mistakes my dad made, though he was great all things considered. He was great for the little kid me, not sure if he would have done so great with the older me. My grandfather was fantastic for the me I used to be but I’m not sure how … how much scope I would have had as an adult. What I guess I’m saying is that people care and sometimes they care so much they don’t realize they are handicapping you from growing like you need to. So, love ‘em, tell ‘em you do, never let them forget or think otherwise. But grow however you must because that’s really going to be what shows them you’ve appreciated all they’ve given you. And yeah, I talk big without having to walk in your shoes. But I still act as if my family can see me at all times. That’s my personal gutter bumper these days … and Benny, there’s always Benny.”
“Benny what?” Asked a voice coming up behind me reminding me I need work on my vaunted situational awareness I once had.
“Benny the Bottomless Pit. Speaking of pits … are yours clean and fresh?”
“Aunt Gus!” He choked on a laugh.
“What?” I asked innocently. “Grab the plates and set the table Squirt. Time to shovel some food.”
“Oh yeah!!”
“Indoor voice.”
“But we’re outside!”
“Someone obviously doesn’t want dessert.”
He looked at me and asked, “Who?”
I have him Grandma Barry’s patented Spock eyebrow and he got it the same way I did as a kid.
“Um, sorry.”
“You would be if you had to miss my world famous tortilla fortune cookies[3].”
Apparently my cooking is appreciated as Rick and Lev volunteered to do clean up while Benny and I walked back out to the beach to watch the sunset. Good gravy it was a glorious one and I even managed to catch it on my phone camera.
When we came back some other rangers had stopped by the campsite. Rick stood up but I waved him back down with a smile and let men be men while Benny and I climbed in the van.
There was a knock and it was Lev. “Rick wants to apologize.”
“For what?” I asked.
“He kinda needs to do the meet and greet thing as info about the grant makes the rounds. He doesn’t want to run you and the boy off.”
“The boy,” I said with a cough. “Needs to hit the hay and I have some work to do as well. Tell Rick … and yourself … to go do the male bonding thing. It doesn’t bother me at all.”
“You sure? One of the guys said you would.”
I snorted. “Look, if something was going to bother me or upset me I’ve got a mouth and I know how to use it. And take it for gospel if I was worried about it affecting Benny I know how to make a lot of noise … and more than just noise for that matter. This? Not a prob. Don’t look to me to make it one either. Capiche?”
“Got it … and thanks.”
“For?”
“Not being a diva.”
“That is the one thing you will never get from me.”
He headed back out and I got Benny to get to bed. I don’t know how late they were hanging out but I was still working on the itinerary, menu, and some other yada yada and realized it had gotten quiet at some point. I looked at my watch and thought “oh crap” so it is now time for me to hit the hay. We are doing a few things tomorrow but some of it is just “housekeeping” like hitting Fort Walton Beach for the laundromat and groceries.
[1] Gator Beach | Fudpucker
[2] Crab Island Visitor's Guide (From FAQs to Rentals) | Destin Florida
[3] View: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/6755468165147331#imgViewer
; also in Recipe A Day page 10.
November 12 (F) – Santa Rosa Beach
Got some advice from the male bonding extravaganza last night. We were told to stay away from Elgin AFB as they were doing some significant storm repair to the fences surrounding the base and were just a might touchy. Pain in the tush because of how the state highway runs but since we weren’t heading that way today it wasn’t going to be a problem, and we climbed in the jeep and got going.
First stop for the day was to our eastern most stop at the Seaside Farmer’s Market. What a cool place. I spotted a keto and gluten free place as soon as we walked down the first aisle. Keto Kreations. Wow. Yum. Gotta get a bib kinda good. But prices weren’t. We’d been given some funds to spend back into the community by the Governor’s office. They didn’t put any stipulations except to make it as local as possible rather than as national franchies. I figured this qualified and picked up a few things. I picked up four cheddar biscuits, a sampler box of sweets, and some bagels.
Other places were the Green Stream Smoothies (Lev and Rick both got them but I nixed the sugar for Benny and I). This place called In A Pickle was interesting as well. I’m not a pickle eater. In fact anything sour makes me shudder. Benny on the other hand loves all things sour. His favorite is sour blue gummy worms (ick!) but since I won’t let him mainline sugar like an addict, pickles are his next vice of choice. On occasion I will also make him fried pickles. I bought a quart of pickles that would keep and then headed on to another table. The Mushroom Man is where I purchased some fresh mushrooms. I also got what I could in the other fresh stalls.
“Oh. So that’s why you insisted on bringing the big cooler,” Lev said before shaking his head. “You must think I’m an idiot.”
“Nope. Just a guy,” I told him with a grin.
“Hey!” He said but laughing, and the weird look in his eyes disappeared.
I don’t think Lev had a lot of something growing up. Or maybe it is just in his adult life. Have the feeling though it is a kid thing that set the tone. He said something when we were shaking out that … yeah. And I need to watch the touchy-feely crap. TMI and NOMB.
When we left the farmer’s market, we headed to Santa Rosa Beach. We weren’t there long before it was picnic on the beach time. Boy can they eat. Of course, it’s been kinda fun to do what I used to do for my crew and shipmates. Sure, Pei helped with logistics and supplies, but I always made the plans because I knew my people could put away some food. And if you want a happy crew, you fed them up right. And since all of us — well not counting me as medically required — had the same medical issue it made the challenge even more fun. I’d prepped the night before and pulled out the picnic cooler. We had Cobb Salad Wrap Sandwiches[1] with Frito Pie Popcorn[2]. I swear they are hilarious. Rick is a little hesitant, but I think I’ve found a way around that. Give him the recipes as I put stuff on his plate. He actually thanked me later in an embarrassed sort of way then asked if he could share the recipes. I told him of course to avoid mentioning he was being weird.
Afterwards the guys once again volunteered to clean up … mostly taking our trash to the recyclers and then Rick said he had a surprise for me. Okay, what red blooded female wouldn’t be suspicious of that. But in all honesty? Wowee!!!! One of the sponsored activities turned out to be axe throwing. I kid you not.
“Don’t ever get mad at me. Please?” Lev told me afterwards, really hamming it up. Rick grinned for real. It had been this or a shopping trip and he was glad to have picked the right activity.
“Lord yes. Shopping is like pulling my eyebrows out, one hair at a time and then that being the prelude for pulling my teeth. Ugh.”
“You seemed to like the farmer’s market,” he said, a little puzzled.
“Groceries yes. Clothes and other stuff? Not so much. As long as I have a list and there are sales and discounts it’s okay. Anything else and I’d rather throw myself off a cliff.”
Benny Big Mouth oh so helpfully explained, “Aunt Gus doesn’t like spending money. She says it is supposed to stay in the wallet like it has a life sentence.”
I could hear Lev snickering behind me, and I turned to give him the evil eye but he was looking oh so innocent. Rick on the other hand looked pleased and I was just glad that the conversation changed course at that point. We were heading to the Okaloosa Island boardwalk for some quick pictures and then head on into Fort Walton Beach for a stop at a recommended laundromat and to pick up a few more groceries.
I’m glad we’d eaten before going to the boardwalk otherwise there were too many temptations; from seafood to ice cream. There was plenty of little shops that people could get the latest beach apparel piece as well. There was a kite shop … and Benny got a kite. He’d never had one and well, I was a sucker. It packs down to nothing so it isn’t going to hurt anything and Lev has already asked for the okay to take pictures of it so long as his face isn’t showing. I agreed so long as I had final say on the ones he wants to submit to the bosses.
During the week, near the boardwalk, there are free things like pirate shows that are kid-friendly, movies under the stars, and live music. We all sort of looked around but I gotta admit it wasn’t fun so much as an obligation to our sponsors. Corny but true. We got out of there before the date-night crowds got bad and headed to take care of our personal business, each of us doing our own laundry. The way Rick and Lev were doing theirs made me wince, but they are big boys. Soon enough we were finished and needing to head back to camp.
Dinner was a Cajun rice dish with turkey kielbasa as the meat. I’m not getting enough exercise to warrant the amount of food I’m expected to eat. I just don’t have the appetite for it. My metabolism is slow and in all honesty I would have preferred just to have a smoothie. Benny wound down faster tonight, thank goodness. Me I’m ready for bed as well. Tomorrow we are heading to another state park, but we are coming back here to sleep and then heading to the next county. Whew. Starting to get hard to keep up with things. I need to keep the hamster under control. I worry, with other people to watch us so closely, that someone will start thinking that I’m “too young” and “too” other stuff and that Benny needs a better living arrangement.
Geez, why did the dat blasted rad infested hamster have to think such a thought. Now how am I going to get to sleep?!
[1] Cobb Salad Wrap Sandwiches
[2] Frito Pie Popcorn | Free Recipe Network
November 13(Sa) - Fred Gannon Rocky Bayou State Park
Feeling better this morning. I drank a caffeine water rather than sit up spinning. I really don’t like caving like that but looks like it was a good decision this time. And I also got some positive reinforcement from my traveling companions during the day which helped. Basically, that came about because it is Saturday so there are a lot more younger children out and about. Benny’s behavior was compared favorably, and several people remarked on his good manners. Okay, so maybe a little ego-boosting for me but at the same time I need to reinforce that Benny is making the choice to be well-behaved. I don’t want to take all the credit when he is doing the work.
Breakfast was funny this morning. Like I’ve noted, I’m trying to show both Lev and Rick that while being gluten-free may be a “life sentence,” it doesn’t always have to be an onerous one. It’s my contribution to world peace and all that. In my experience hungry males are cranky males, so yeah, not just world peace but my own as well. I made PB&Bacon Waffles[1] and I thought Rick was going to dive in face first. It was funny enough that even Lev gave him a weird look.
We didn’t rush out of camp after breakfast, but we didn’t really move slow either. We needed to get to Fred Gannon Rocky Bayou State Park. The park has an interesting history. It is a former WW2 gunnery and bombing training site. Lucky for park guests that not all the land was completely bombed over. There are some three-hundred-year-old pine trees that you can still see.
It was cool this morning so we decided to hike until it warmed up. The hiking at the park was really nice though once again, nothing like what Benny and I have been doing since April. The first nature trail was a mile long and called Sand Pine Trail. There were some nice sign-thingies that highlighted various plants including something called Florida Anise and the Pitcher Plant. Grandma Barry and Meemo would take me with them to botanical gardens and I always liked orchids and really weird plants the best. And trust me, a Pitcher Plant is really weird both in looks and in that it is carnivorous.
Second trail was only a half-mile little thing, but it had some nice views of the shoreline along the bayou. The third and last trail was another miler, and it was away from the water and wetlands and headed into an upland forest area.
“Who is ready for lunch?” I asked once we got back to the jeep.
“Me! Me, me, me!”
“Seriously Squirt, are you getting ready to sing or something?”
It took a second but Benny got the joke and laughed as he helped to tote our lunch basket to a handy dandy picnic table. Benny had to wipe his mouth because he knew what was coming. When I took the lid off the bowl the two men weren’t nearly as sure.
“Just give it a try,” I told them. Didn’t take long. Watermelon Shrimp Salad[2] isn’t a heavy meal but we were heading to the water so that was good. Plus, I had a surprise for dinner.
Rather than bring our own kayak, we got stand up paddle boards at the park. I would have preferred kayaking but there you go. Sometimes you have to let someone else be nice and give you a “treat” even if you would have preferred something else. I think Benny was just eager to get away from the rangers that had come to have another meet-and-greet with Rick which I think this is going to be a thing.
“They’re just rangers Little Dude,” Lev told him.
Benny shrugged. “I know. Just …”
“Just?”
He glanced at me before saying, “Mr. Rick is supposed to be with us and stuff. Those people act like he’s playing and stuff and being with them is the real job.”
I was struggling to come up with something, but Lev saved the day. “Dude, Mr. Rick has two jobs. He’s our ranger which is job #1. Job #2 is he has to be a ranger for those other rangers. Sometimes he just can’t be both at the same time.”
“Two jobs?” Benny thought about it with a wrinkle to his nose and then something must have clicked. “Oh, I get it. Like your Job #1 is to take pictures and stuff but your Job #2 is to understand us so you can write all them words to go with the pictures but it makes you tug at your hair and it starts going all over the place. You like taking pictures more than writing words.”
“Duuuuuude. You are too smart,” Lev said with a grimace. “How did you even think of that?”
“Because you wear your socks that say ‘blah, blah, blah, blah’ all over them when you have to write.”
We all looked at Lev’s socks and they had cameras all over them and all three of us laughed. Lev does have some ridiculous socks and t-shirts. The t-shirts make sense most of the time, even the ones with corny jokes on them. The socks on the other hand. Oh my gosh. He has some semi-normal ones like the ones with the ducks but he has some really weird ones too. I know he does it on purpose to disarm people, he certainly seems to enjoy making Benny laugh.
The wind on the water got a little cool so we turned the paddle boards back in and then worked on Benny’s junior ranger stuff. He really enjoys getting the stamps in each park’s “passport” and doing the core activities in the junior ranger kit, but there is a lot of repetition in some of the basic activities such as the word scrambles and explaining what a park ranger is and what they do. Benny already has all of that memorized so I’m making him do other things as well so he doesn’t lose interest.
Rick’s “meeting” ended and we all agreed it was a good time to head back for our last night at Henderson Beach. And then came my “surprise.”
“Whoa. Er … did I miss a special occasion or something?” Lev asked as he tried to figure out what I was doing. Rick looked like he wanted to ask the same thing but decided to let Lev take the fall.
“Nope. Just decided we work hard so we need to have fun. Every week or so I’m going to change it up and we’ll have a different one.”
What was the surprise? Fondue. Tonight’s was a broth fondue[3]. Saved my guts from being overstuffed but gave the guys a different kind of experience. There was meat but I also had veggies and a few other odds and ends for them to play cavemen and cook. I kept an eye on Benny until I was sure he was going to be able to eat safely. I’d also gotten a history lesson ready for him as well.
“Fondue as we know it today was first created a long time ago in 1799 but the origins of this type of cooking goes all the way back to China around 200 AD. Imagine trying to fish your food out of boiling water and spices with chopsticks.”
Benny laughed then said, “I like these little tridents better. You can really stab stuff with them.”
The eyebrows of the men went up when Benny used the word trident. I thought it was funny when they looked at the little fork thingies more closely and realized they really did look like a small trident. Score one for Aunt Gus and her silly word games. They used cubes of gluten free bread to soak up the last of the broth (you shouldn’t keep it more than twenty-four hours to re-use) so it made for super easy clean up. Lev and Rick had work to do so I let them off the hook when they volunteered to help clean up. I also had stuff to think about while Benny played.
I had caught Rick giving me thoughtful looks through out the day and finally called him on it.
“Sorry,” he said, embarrassed at getting caught.
“Don’t apologize. Explain. If I’m doing something wrong …”
“What?! No! No, not at all. I … I just realized that I’ve read your blog many times and it still didn’t sink in. It really is a lifestyle to you. This isn’t a vacation or temporary. And the gluten issues you face with the boy aren’t a detriment but a positive.”
“As to that, it is our lifestyle right now. I re-evaluate it at each turning point.”
“Turning point?”
“Okay, not turning point per se though there has been plenty of those as well. More like life has come at me creating definite beginnings and endings. At each ending I need to come up with the next beginning. I’m not against this being an extended or permanent lifestyle for Benny and I, so long as it isn’t detrimental to him. Or, for other reasons I could be forced to change.”
“I’m curious. What would force you to change a lifestyle you appear to be so invested in?”
“Er … my investment is so that Benny has the best life possible and right now, that is us adventuring through life this way. Benny is my investment, not the lifestyle.”
“Sorry, didn’t come out right. But things are what they are right now. What would make you, or force you, into one of those turning points you spoke of?”
“Oh lots of things could happen but if you are talking about something concrete that I’ve thought about? The van could get destroyed in an accident or something along those lines. If I can’t afford to replace it then by necessity something must change. Another would be a health problem for either Benny or I that couldn’t be handled on the road. The biggest would be if this life puts Benny in danger.”
“Er …”
“That homeless encampment? I’m seeing that it isn’t the norm, at least in the areas we have visited thus far, but plenty of people are worried that it could become the norm. If the expense of …”
He interrupted me by asking, “Okay but most of those are about the boy. What about you?”
It took me a moment to respond but when I did I wanted to make sure that it was definitive. “Rick, until Benny is grown enough to operate independently of any need of me, he comes first. No relationship or want on my part supersedes that reality. He is my responsibility and purpose. I would never turn him over to someone else to raise. If my life changes then so be it. If I have to change the way I do things then so be it. It doesn’t matter the inconvenience, the struggle, the potential loneliness, anything. Benny deserves 110% from me. And he is going to get it.”
Rick was quiet so long I thought I’d upset him. Then he looked at me and said, “That’s the way it is supposed to be.”
His tone was a little strange but I didn’t let it make me lie. “It is. Kids need the adult in their lives to be adults and not treat them like after thoughts or impediments.”
“I … I know this is a little personal, but do you ever see yourself sharing this life with someone else?”
“Honestly?” I asked. At his nod I said, “I’m not against it but it hasn’t been an issue to this point. Whoever joined our crew would need to understand I can’t afford to play about some things, and my responsibility to and for Benny is one of them. I’m someone with serious responsibilities that I take seriously. I can’t just goof around. Not only do I need to think about if or how it would affect Benny, I need to set the example of how to behave.”
He nodded like he agreed, or at least understood, but then got a phone call he said he had to take.
The question for me is, are the questions that Rick was asking just general or specific. And if they were specific, why and for what purpose. Am I reading too much into things? Geez, I’m not sure I’m ready to figure this stuff out. I don’t know, maybe Pei has some advice but to be honest I feel pretty stupid about this stuff.
Resources:
Historical Markers and War Memorials in Okaloosa County, Florida
[1] Bacon Waffles with Peanut Butter-Honey Glaze Recipe , also can be found on page 13 of Recipe-A-Day
[2] Watermelon Shrimp Salad
[3] Broth Fondue
sssarawolf
Has No Life - Lives on TB
Nice addition, thank you very much. Just taking it easy here, letting my eye heal from the surgery. he doc told me I had to take it easy 
. So orders lol.
. So orders lol.
Lake Lili
Veteran Member
@Kathy in FL - I love that your characters get what parenting is supposed to be... they don't always get it for themselves but they get what they have to give. One of my favourite characteristics of your stories.
Thanks!
Lili
Thanks!
Lili
beaglemama
Contributing Member
Thank you for the new chapters!
Siskiyoumom
Veteran Member
Once again I thank you for the links you provide! I am looking forward to more chapters when you can post them. May your family continue to heal up.
Nov 14 – 19: Walton County
November 14(Su) - Grayton Beach State Park (camp)
Goodbye Okaloosa, hello Walton County. We are staying two nights, including tonight, in Grayton Beach State Park and four nights in Topsail Hill Preserve State Park. Fourth county in ten days. Wow this is crazy fast; however, we are going to be in Walton County six days.
We hit the ground running today. I prepped breakfast last night so all I had to do was pull out the Strawberry Overnight Oats[1]. Yum yum though I saw the guys pocket some jerky stix. Hmmm. Maybe it wasn’t enough for them. I never saw them eat the stix but that doesn’t mean they didn’t. I’ll have to keep in mind they are grown men and might need more than what I am used to fixing. It won’t hurt my feelings but I just gotta watch my guts. Even leading an active lifestyle I just don’t need to eat the amount of food that we’ve been eating. Not to be too TMI but I feel bloated all the time instead of at just that time. It is getting pretty uncomfortable.
After breakfast and clean up we headed straight to Grayton Beach State Park and checked in, picked up Benny’s junior ranger material, and then parked at our assigned spot. Rick apologized but as it was Sunday he had to take a day off as agreed upon in his contract.
“Stop worrying about it already,” I told him. Turning I asked, “Lev?”
“Not a prob for me either. Rick, dude, you gotta do what you gotta. You have my number if you need to reach me. You need the jeep?”
Lev shook his head. “I have my electric bike. I probably won’t go far. Or I’ll catch a ride. We’ll meet back here tonight.”
I asked, “Lunch? Dinner?”
“Er … don’t worry about either for me. I’m … uh … meeting some people.”
I saluted, refusing to get miffed ‘cause Rick has a life since I was living mine as well. After he pulled out Lev asked me to stop and talk for a minute.
“What?”
“You … you really okay with me hanging with you and Benny?”
“Sure, why not?” I asked, not understanding his concern.
“’Cause I ain’t stupid. You are a female, alone, with a kid. And you probably need family time or something.”
I relaxed. “Lev, I had to get good at judging people’s character the fast and hard way. You are one of the good guys. Stop selling yourself short.”
He blinked. “Uh …”
“We’ve all got some kind of damage. Rick has his. You have yours. I have mine. So long as our damage doesn’t damage Benny, I’m fine with the constantly moving chess pieces. Just like Rick needs to stop worrying at the fact he has to take a day off for his job, you need to stop worrying that I’m going to freak out at you doing your job. I don’t know what kind of breakable females the two of you have had to deal with in the past, but trust me when I say I’m me, not them.”
Lev looked at me then slowly grinned and nodded. “Thanks. I don’t really mean to sound like I’m questioning you, just you and Benny are different from the people I normally work with. Like I explained to Rick there’s normally lots of boxes that must be checked when working with kids, especially little kids. And parental units, or those acting in loco parentis, can be problematic even when they aren’t trying to.”
“Am I being a problem or …”
“No. Not at all. In fact the opposite. But you don’t need to go out of your way to include me like you do.”
“I’m not going out of my way. But, are you saying that I’m … noticing you or something along those lines and making it harder for you to take pictures?”
Lev chuckled. “No. And now who needs to stop worrying?”
“Fine. Hoisted on my own petard. So just explain what is going on here. Kinda not getting it.”
“Eh, nothing is going on exactly. I think we are just still shaking out.” He looked a little troubled then asked, “Is something going on with Rick? I guess I’m just not getting some of the vibes he’s giving off.”
I hesitated then said, “This is only my opinion and I’m not comfortable if this is going to turn into an ‘us’ and ‘him’ kind of action.”
“Not at all. Just trying to figure out things so we can hurry up and smooth things out.”
I nodded. “Okay. I think … Rick is stressing a little. More than either of us this is his world, his job. Kinda even started as his idea. He’s trying not to micromanage things which may not be his normal. He also has a stressful family thing going on. I think … and again it is my opinion … he’s just worried that things could blow up. One of the reasons I don’t hang around when the other rangers stop by is because I think Rick needs more compartmentalized time than he is getting. He never gets to turn off all the way. With me not around or Benny wanting his attention, it gives him a little more separation. He actually reminds me a little of the kind of shape my crew leaders would get into during long crew assignments.”
“Er …”
“Think of it like sleep away camp or maybe even a full tour of duty with kids under foot. Lots of adult responsibilities. Lots of leading and guiding. Not a lot of privacy. And by the end the adults really needed to get away … and even further away if some of the people they were leading and guiding were their own kids. Sort of it like a short-term case of burn out.”
“Whoa. You got that mom thing down.”
His phrasing gave me a weird feeling so I plowed on through. “So what did I get right … and more importantly what did I get wrong?”
“Hearing how you just explained it I think you got it right all the way. I don’t know if bad stuff is rolling down hill in his direction, but I get the feeling that Rick’s got a lot of balls in the air. And a little birdy told me that he’s being looked at for an administrative position and this project will have a lot of influence on that potential promotion that comes with a good-sized salary increase.”
“Birdies?”
“Let’s just say my birdies like to keep up with what is going on that could influence the players and ultimately the success of an assignment … which of course reflects on them and in this business, reputation is everything.”
Concerned I asked, “Your birdies say anything about me?”
He stopped fooling around and answered, “Gus, it is standard before we sign on where people are involved. The kid factored was a sore point and they wanted to make sure that they weren’t going to get caught up in a possible lawsuit. For the record you got straight A’s. I know you are a lot tougher than you let on, that you have training that isn’t necessarily for public consumption, and that you don’t like publicity.”
“Excuse me?”
“Big Bend. Carlsbad. And a couple of others that I won’t name because they were never any of my business to start with.”
I sighed. “I never put that stuff out on the blog. Kinda weird you knowing about it. Rick know about those?”
“I doubt it. I only know because one of the big bosses has an administrative assistant who could probably get the nuclear codes for several countries if she put a little effort into it. And no, I’m not really exaggerating. She’s that good. And no, I’m not spreading your business around. No one’s damn business. I’m just trying to be honest.”
“Fine. Just … just keep that stuff to yourself please.”
“Like I said, no one else’s business. Is this … me knowing some of your personal business … going to cause a problem?”
I gave it a thought while keeping my eye on Benny while he quickly ran through some of the junior ranger material that was already getting repetitive. “No.”
“You sure?”
“Yeah. Just … don’t tell Rick. I’m still not sure why having him know makes me uncomfortable, but it does.”
“Strong women can have that effect on guys who aren’t used to it.”
I snorted. “And you are?”
“No. Not … not really. At least not the right kind of strong women. But I think I get it better than most would.”
Realizing my tone was off I said, “Sorry, I didn’t mean to sound like a … er …”
“It’s okay. You didn’t. And I get it. You have the kid to think of and sometimes people stick their nose where it doesn’t belong. Just remember, I’m not one of those. Deal?”
“Deal,” I said as I watched him put on his “mask of goofiness.” I don’t even think he realizes he does it. I had a few friends in high school that did the same thing. Lev was going to need watching. I don’t necessarily want to know what his secrets are but I’m not happy that he knows some of mine.
To get my mind off of the feelz that were bothering me I finally took note of the campground. There are 59 sites and they all have water and electricity which is great. We also have a site that has sewer as well. With practice it didn’t take long to unhitch the jeep and hook up the van. While I was doing that Benny got Lev to help with some of the words in his Junior Ranger pack and that’s when we learned that Grayton Beach State Park is one of the most popular parks in the state system – at least it is in a normal year. There is a mile-long white sugar sand beach, tall sand dunes, winding trails, wildlife, fishing, and lot of other attractions the park is known for.
Lev asked, “Er … you two mind if we do some walking first? Save the water for this afternoon?”
“Sure, but why so hesitant?” I asked him.
“I know you two like the water but there’s a bit of cloud cover and I want to give it a chance to burn off before I try and take any water pictures.”
“You heard the man Benny. Let’s go burn off some wiggles.”
Benny laughed. “You always have the wiggles Aunt Gus. They never go away.”
“Shhhhh. Let’s try and manage the mischief factor.”
Benny laughed again and Lev smiled as well. So that’s what our morning was. We walked the four and a half mile biking/hiking trail that runs through the park. Rather than go straight to the water after our hike I said, “Let’s go eat lunch then we can hit the beach.”
I got no objections to the idea, and I thought Lev did a pretty good impression of a startled pelican when I plated up his Cherry Chicken Salad on Gluten Free Croissants[2].
“I swear you act like you never eaten real food.”
“Sure. I’ve eaten real food,” Lev said after swallowing. “I’ve just never eaten your real food and … Gus, this is really good. I can eat and not feel like crap afterwards.”
I shrugged. “You might should see your doc or something to confirm but I’m leaning in the direction that you are gluten sensitive, not a full blown celiac. But your digestive system is probably still enflamed and sensitive. I wouldn’t fall off the wagon – I mean you need to be strict about the gluten – for a good while to give your gut time to heal. Benny’s game on fast and hard and took forever to get regulated. When we first started with the elimination diet, he could have zero grains, zero nuts, zero dairy, zero citrus, and as a matter of fact about the only thing he was allowed to have was unsweetened applesauce, bananas, and clear sports drink. The kid was positively miserable and frankly so was I.”
Quietly he asked, “Was his mom out of the picture by then?”
“No,” I answered just as quietly. “But she was deep into her own misery and grief and has he own set of docs she was seeing.”
“You were taking care of both of them?”
I shrugged. “I don’t regret it. Grew me up a lot. And Penny wasn’t completely useless. She helped me work through some issues of my own. I’ll never forget that. I just wish …” I stopped on a sigh. “Life happens and you are rarely in control of it. All you can do is try and half some self-control. And take it from someone who didn’t have a lot of that as a kid, that is one heck of a hard lesson to learn.”
“So that’s why.”
“So that’s why what?”
“First impressions? You are very serious and very controlled.”
“Er …”
“But you are actually a lot more flexible and fun-loving than the report let on.”
I decided not to be insulted and told him, “Most people used to say the same thing about my grandfather. It was a Captain in the Navy. People used to say he lived life like he had a steel rod instead of a spine and a piece of granite where his heart was. But I never saw that side, or at least I never saw that side of him that way.”
Attachments
Part 2
I learned a few things about Lev as well. First off, he was born a Tennessee Farm Boy. He’s lost a lot of his accent he says but you can still hear it if you are listening for it. Probably why he doesn’t sound so different from the people I grew up around who could sling some Georgia and Tennessee sound in their voices. Rick still sounds like Michigan and exotic. When I told Lev that he nearly snorted Gatorade, which he’d been drinking at the time.
“Don’t you dare repeat that.”
Lev held up his right hand, “Trust me. That particular comment will never exit my mouth.”
“Smart butt.”
Being around Lev is sort of like having Charles and Townzen around. That’s cool. They were good friends in their own way the same as Pet. Charles’ girlfriend Renee was also in my close set that helped keep me my Barrymore in control. It is very cool having a friend like that again. And yeah, I’ve decided that Lev is definitely friend material. Rick is going to take some convincing that I don’t need protecting the way he tries to do it. And I need to remind myself not to get prickly when he does it without thinking.
The other thing about Lev that I learned today is that he is a lot more worldly and experienced. I’m definitely no prude but there were some people on the beach when we got there that weren’t from anywhere near I was. I mean the gets up and the altered parts were all out there to be seen. I was even thinking of telling Benny we needed to find a “less crowded” spot to set up.
Lev picked up on my discomfort and took his goofiness to the next level. “Yeah boy, some of them folks got subpar mechanics.”
“Huh?”
“Some of ‘em you can tell have OEM and some of them are definitely aftermarket parts.”
I nearly dropped my water bottle. “Lev! Oh my gawd. You did not just ….?!”
He shrugged. “You telling me it isn’t true? Because their docs sure missed vocabulary day when the definition of congruent was explained. And that one … er … something or other? They blink their eyes too many times and they’re going to need a flight plan. And the … him? … you know that speedo really should have been Bermuda shorts.”
By the time I was able to draw a breath without embarrassing myself we’d walked far enough away that the alternative lifestyle group had their own space and we occupied a different one and could get in the water and goof off to a more normal vibe. And I finally clued in that when any of that bunch came around he’d get between Benny, me, and them. It wasn’t to protect us it was to keep us distracted.
“Sorry.”
“Why?” he asked.
“I don’t know. I guess I’m just acting young for my age. Stupid.”
“Nah. They just know what buttons to push on some people. Mostly they are doing it for attention. If people would just ignore them most of them would dial it back.”
“Uh …”
“Don’t worry about it Gus. Now that you recognize what they are doing you can figure out how to deal with it.”
“How do you not notice some of the stuff they were doing?”
“Same way I learned to ignore the cougars when I was younger.”
“What?!”
“This industry is full of people that enjoy their power trips. Cougars are just one flavor of that. Did you know that in some countries those people would have either been shot on sight or arrested and tortured until they repented their ways and then killed anyway?”
“Yeah. So I’ve heard.”
“Well it isn’t an exaggeration. And yet people still … some people just can’t seem to operate in any world but the one they’ve got going on in their head.”
“Sounds like the issues I had as a kid.”
“Might not be that different for some of them. The difference is you grew into being able to see outside those boundaries your brain tried to impose. Some of these people can’t. The world has built a rubber room for them to live where people cater to them so they don’t hit any hard surfaces or pointy objects. Society is actually handicapping them. I had a friend that wound up not wanting to be the female gender she was born. Everyone, including me, catered to that. I just wanted my friend to be happy. Her family wanted her to be happy. Jo’s doctors claimed to want the same thing so they catered to her beliefs and worldview and encouraged it and enabled all the changes that were supposed to help Jo reach that person they believed themselves to be. Puberty blockers, surgeries, hormones … and Jo wound up even less at peace and an even bigger mess because every medical treatment failed to bring what was promised. Jo committed suicide and the note they left behind blamed everyone for what she was ‘forced to do’ because for whatever reason she claimed it was other people keeping her from her full potential, from being the person she was supposed to be.”
“Um, not to be cruel but other people can’t do that for us. Sometimes I wonder if Penny … Benny’s mom … blamed me because I … because I couldn’t afford to fall down the rabbit hole with her. I grieved hard for Lawrence, for what would never be and could never be. But my brother was gone, his son wasn’t. I picked Benny. I wish I could have helped Penny, but she got to the point that she was living in a world that didn’t always have a whole lot to do with the way things really were. Last big fight we had I said some things that I wish I hadn’t.”
“Gus …”
“They were the truth, facts, but I wish I’d said them sooner, when she was stronger. None of us knew just how weak she was.” I didn’t tell him what the fight was over. It had been a bad day and not even Groucho had been able to reach her. I’d come back from picking up a part for Stella up on Islamorada. I hadn’t even gotten Benny out of the car seat yet and was carrying the part into the shop. I came in on the tailend of a conversation. I can still hear Penny said it. “Maybe I will! He needs to be with his father! We both do! I don’t care if you understand! Lawrence will! He’s waiting for us!”
I’d never been scared that Penny would hurt Benny. It had never been a serious thought. None of her therapists had ever hinted that Penny was a danger to anyone but herself. But she’d terrified me with her threat and … I said that the only thing Lawrence was waiting for was for her to get her crap together and take care of his son until the Creator deemed it was time for them to pass over. That what she was threatening was way above her paygrade and authority to carry out. She said some hauntingly awful things to me as well. Maybe stuff she’d been holding back since I moved in with them or maybe just stuff caused by her mental illness. Either way they were a serious reality check. The next day it was like the air had been cleared and things were better than they had been in a while. Two days later Penny took a sea kayak out and never came back.
“Earth to Gus.”
I jumped and then started looking frantically for Benny. “I’m right here,” he said as I realized he was pacing me. “Good job Squirt. Sorry I zoned. Don’t ever let me do that to you.”
“S’ok. When you get the look I know to walk with you.”
“The point is I shouldn’t. You are more important that any stupid brain hamster.”
He just smiled but still took my hand. I looked apologetically at Lev who was giving me a concerned look. To avoid the questions, I grabbed Benny and tossed him up on my back. “Geez, what on earth am I feeding you? You feel as have as a six-year-old.”
“I am six!”
“Naw. Uh uh. Can’t be. Prove it.”
He laughed more and started asking me did-you-know questions about the park.
“I give up! You are most definitely six. The smartest six-year-old I’ve very met. How am I ever going to keep up. Guess this means I’m just going to have to feed you again.”
“Yay!!”
We headed back to camp to find a note from Rick not to expect him until Tuesday morning. He’d been called into a meeting tomorrow and was staying with friends tonight and tomorrow taking care of some stuff for his uncle.
I muttered, “I’m not you momma Dude.”
“Er …”
I rolled my eyes in Lev’s direction. “Ignore me. Brain is doing the hamster dance. Dinner won’t be long if you need to do work type stuff.”
“I will … after you tell me if I caused the … um … hamster dance.”
“No. My brain, my problem,” trying to make my issues silly so he wouldn’t feel bad for triggering a bad memory.
“Gus …”
“Seriously Lev. My problem. My issue. No one else is responsible for them. Sorry if …”
“Nope. Don’t even start that. So long as I get some grace when I … er … do the hamster dance. Deal?”
“Deal. Seriously, if you need to set up and do some work?”
“Not in these skeeters.”
“You can set up in the front seat of the van. I can cook inside. Benny is getting chewed up too.”
“That’s definitely a deal.”
“And … you might as well crash and burn inside too. You’ll never sleep with the bugs like this.”
“You sure you don’t mind?”
“Positive.”
View attachment 366310
View attachment 366311
Supper was one of those fun meals that I do for Benny. Waffle Fry BLTs[3]. And then to wind both Benny and Lev up even more I made S’mores Krispie Treats[4].
Lev and Benny both were hoovering when Lev stopped and said, “This cannot be gluten free.”
“Yes, it can be because it is.”
“Rick missed the train on this one. His loss and our gain huh Kiddo.”
Benny knows not to talk with his mouth full so his head was bobbing up and down fast enough to create wind. Dinner was a quick clean up because I used paper plates. Then wash up and running back to the van to avoid the bugs. After that it got quiet as Benny fell asleep listening to a audio book and Lev and I have our own work to do.
“You sure?” he wrote on a piece of paper.
“If you try and be quiet he’ll just wake up.”
“You’re kidding.”
“Nope. And yes, I’m sure. He’ll stay up on my bed and you can swing the passenger chair around and …”
“Gotcha. And thanks. Seriously.”
“Seriously. You’re welcome.”
I can’t explain it but it is like having Charles or Townzen around again. And … there’s some rain so it is a good thing. It is the kind of rain that is going to get a lot harder before it lets up. Don’t ask me how I know, just do. And yep. Some thunder in this too. Not to mention it is time for me to put this log down and pick up the itinerary and plan for the rest of this week. I also need to make some notes in Benny’s school portfolio. Stop messing around Gus, the memories are always there, you don’t need to let them rule your life all the time.
[1] Strawberry Overnight Oats Recipe - Tasting Table
[2] Cherry Chicken Croissants
[3] BLT Waffle Fries Recipe
[4] These S'mores Bars Are Summer's Version Of Rice Krispie Treats
I learned a few things about Lev as well. First off, he was born a Tennessee Farm Boy. He’s lost a lot of his accent he says but you can still hear it if you are listening for it. Probably why he doesn’t sound so different from the people I grew up around who could sling some Georgia and Tennessee sound in their voices. Rick still sounds like Michigan and exotic. When I told Lev that he nearly snorted Gatorade, which he’d been drinking at the time.
“Don’t you dare repeat that.”
Lev held up his right hand, “Trust me. That particular comment will never exit my mouth.”
“Smart butt.”
Being around Lev is sort of like having Charles and Townzen around. That’s cool. They were good friends in their own way the same as Pet. Charles’ girlfriend Renee was also in my close set that helped keep me my Barrymore in control. It is very cool having a friend like that again. And yeah, I’ve decided that Lev is definitely friend material. Rick is going to take some convincing that I don’t need protecting the way he tries to do it. And I need to remind myself not to get prickly when he does it without thinking.
The other thing about Lev that I learned today is that he is a lot more worldly and experienced. I’m definitely no prude but there were some people on the beach when we got there that weren’t from anywhere near I was. I mean the gets up and the altered parts were all out there to be seen. I was even thinking of telling Benny we needed to find a “less crowded” spot to set up.
Lev picked up on my discomfort and took his goofiness to the next level. “Yeah boy, some of them folks got subpar mechanics.”
“Huh?”
“Some of ‘em you can tell have OEM and some of them are definitely aftermarket parts.”
I nearly dropped my water bottle. “Lev! Oh my gawd. You did not just ….?!”
He shrugged. “You telling me it isn’t true? Because their docs sure missed vocabulary day when the definition of congruent was explained. And that one … er … something or other? They blink their eyes too many times and they’re going to need a flight plan. And the … him? … you know that speedo really should have been Bermuda shorts.”
By the time I was able to draw a breath without embarrassing myself we’d walked far enough away that the alternative lifestyle group had their own space and we occupied a different one and could get in the water and goof off to a more normal vibe. And I finally clued in that when any of that bunch came around he’d get between Benny, me, and them. It wasn’t to protect us it was to keep us distracted.
“Sorry.”
“Why?” he asked.
“I don’t know. I guess I’m just acting young for my age. Stupid.”
“Nah. They just know what buttons to push on some people. Mostly they are doing it for attention. If people would just ignore them most of them would dial it back.”
“Uh …”
“Don’t worry about it Gus. Now that you recognize what they are doing you can figure out how to deal with it.”
“How do you not notice some of the stuff they were doing?”
“Same way I learned to ignore the cougars when I was younger.”
“What?!”
“This industry is full of people that enjoy their power trips. Cougars are just one flavor of that. Did you know that in some countries those people would have either been shot on sight or arrested and tortured until they repented their ways and then killed anyway?”
“Yeah. So I’ve heard.”
“Well it isn’t an exaggeration. And yet people still … some people just can’t seem to operate in any world but the one they’ve got going on in their head.”
“Sounds like the issues I had as a kid.”
“Might not be that different for some of them. The difference is you grew into being able to see outside those boundaries your brain tried to impose. Some of these people can’t. The world has built a rubber room for them to live where people cater to them so they don’t hit any hard surfaces or pointy objects. Society is actually handicapping them. I had a friend that wound up not wanting to be the female gender she was born. Everyone, including me, catered to that. I just wanted my friend to be happy. Her family wanted her to be happy. Jo’s doctors claimed to want the same thing so they catered to her beliefs and worldview and encouraged it and enabled all the changes that were supposed to help Jo reach that person they believed themselves to be. Puberty blockers, surgeries, hormones … and Jo wound up even less at peace and an even bigger mess because every medical treatment failed to bring what was promised. Jo committed suicide and the note they left behind blamed everyone for what she was ‘forced to do’ because for whatever reason she claimed it was other people keeping her from her full potential, from being the person she was supposed to be.”
“Um, not to be cruel but other people can’t do that for us. Sometimes I wonder if Penny … Benny’s mom … blamed me because I … because I couldn’t afford to fall down the rabbit hole with her. I grieved hard for Lawrence, for what would never be and could never be. But my brother was gone, his son wasn’t. I picked Benny. I wish I could have helped Penny, but she got to the point that she was living in a world that didn’t always have a whole lot to do with the way things really were. Last big fight we had I said some things that I wish I hadn’t.”
“Gus …”
“They were the truth, facts, but I wish I’d said them sooner, when she was stronger. None of us knew just how weak she was.” I didn’t tell him what the fight was over. It had been a bad day and not even Groucho had been able to reach her. I’d come back from picking up a part for Stella up on Islamorada. I hadn’t even gotten Benny out of the car seat yet and was carrying the part into the shop. I came in on the tailend of a conversation. I can still hear Penny said it. “Maybe I will! He needs to be with his father! We both do! I don’t care if you understand! Lawrence will! He’s waiting for us!”
I’d never been scared that Penny would hurt Benny. It had never been a serious thought. None of her therapists had ever hinted that Penny was a danger to anyone but herself. But she’d terrified me with her threat and … I said that the only thing Lawrence was waiting for was for her to get her crap together and take care of his son until the Creator deemed it was time for them to pass over. That what she was threatening was way above her paygrade and authority to carry out. She said some hauntingly awful things to me as well. Maybe stuff she’d been holding back since I moved in with them or maybe just stuff caused by her mental illness. Either way they were a serious reality check. The next day it was like the air had been cleared and things were better than they had been in a while. Two days later Penny took a sea kayak out and never came back.
“Earth to Gus.”
I jumped and then started looking frantically for Benny. “I’m right here,” he said as I realized he was pacing me. “Good job Squirt. Sorry I zoned. Don’t ever let me do that to you.”
“S’ok. When you get the look I know to walk with you.”
“The point is I shouldn’t. You are more important that any stupid brain hamster.”
He just smiled but still took my hand. I looked apologetically at Lev who was giving me a concerned look. To avoid the questions, I grabbed Benny and tossed him up on my back. “Geez, what on earth am I feeding you? You feel as have as a six-year-old.”
“I am six!”
“Naw. Uh uh. Can’t be. Prove it.”
He laughed more and started asking me did-you-know questions about the park.
“I give up! You are most definitely six. The smartest six-year-old I’ve very met. How am I ever going to keep up. Guess this means I’m just going to have to feed you again.”
“Yay!!”
We headed back to camp to find a note from Rick not to expect him until Tuesday morning. He’d been called into a meeting tomorrow and was staying with friends tonight and tomorrow taking care of some stuff for his uncle.
I muttered, “I’m not you momma Dude.”
“Er …”
I rolled my eyes in Lev’s direction. “Ignore me. Brain is doing the hamster dance. Dinner won’t be long if you need to do work type stuff.”
“I will … after you tell me if I caused the … um … hamster dance.”
“No. My brain, my problem,” trying to make my issues silly so he wouldn’t feel bad for triggering a bad memory.
“Gus …”
“Seriously Lev. My problem. My issue. No one else is responsible for them. Sorry if …”
“Nope. Don’t even start that. So long as I get some grace when I … er … do the hamster dance. Deal?”
“Deal. Seriously, if you need to set up and do some work?”
“Not in these skeeters.”
“You can set up in the front seat of the van. I can cook inside. Benny is getting chewed up too.”
“That’s definitely a deal.”
“And … you might as well crash and burn inside too. You’ll never sleep with the bugs like this.”
“You sure you don’t mind?”
“Positive.”
View attachment 366310
View attachment 366311
Supper was one of those fun meals that I do for Benny. Waffle Fry BLTs[3]. And then to wind both Benny and Lev up even more I made S’mores Krispie Treats[4].
Lev and Benny both were hoovering when Lev stopped and said, “This cannot be gluten free.”
“Yes, it can be because it is.”
“Rick missed the train on this one. His loss and our gain huh Kiddo.”
Benny knows not to talk with his mouth full so his head was bobbing up and down fast enough to create wind. Dinner was a quick clean up because I used paper plates. Then wash up and running back to the van to avoid the bugs. After that it got quiet as Benny fell asleep listening to a audio book and Lev and I have our own work to do.
“You sure?” he wrote on a piece of paper.
“If you try and be quiet he’ll just wake up.”
“You’re kidding.”
“Nope. And yes, I’m sure. He’ll stay up on my bed and you can swing the passenger chair around and …”
“Gotcha. And thanks. Seriously.”
“Seriously. You’re welcome.”
I can’t explain it but it is like having Charles or Townzen around again. And … there’s some rain so it is a good thing. It is the kind of rain that is going to get a lot harder before it lets up. Don’t ask me how I know, just do. And yep. Some thunder in this too. Not to mention it is time for me to put this log down and pick up the itinerary and plan for the rest of this week. I also need to make some notes in Benny’s school portfolio. Stop messing around Gus, the memories are always there, you don’t need to let them rule your life all the time.
[1] Strawberry Overnight Oats Recipe - Tasting Table
[2] Cherry Chicken Croissants
[3] BLT Waffle Fries Recipe
[4] These S'mores Bars Are Summer's Version Of Rice Krispie Treats
sssarawolf
Has No Life - Lives on TB
Very nice, big thank you Kathy.
November 15(M) - Deer Lake State Park
There are days I just don’t feel like cooking. There. I said it. That doesn’t mean I don’t feel like eating. I wanted to get on to today’s assignment. Deer Lake State park, less than ten miles down the coast. Lev offered to cook but I told him my idea instead. It didn’t hurt that Benny was enthusiastic either. Intrigued, Lev agreed to my version of Power Balls[1]. You pulse a cup of pitted dates and then add 2/3 cup of whatever nut butter you have on hand. You roll it into balls and then roll that in more chopped nuts. Add to that a container of yogurt and you have some high energy fuel for your tank without tearing your stomach up. It was cool enough but I still packed all of the extras I made for snacking on ice along with our lunch fixings.
“We’re in for some weather change.”
“Last night wasn’t a change?” Lev asked while cleaning one of his lens.
“That was the start. Look at the flags whip. We won’t be out on the water today.”
“Awwww!”
“Benny,” I said.
“But Aunt Gus …”
“No buts. That flag is red. What does that mean?”
He sighed. “High hazard. But it isn’t a double red flag.”
“No, it isn’t but I suspect it will be getting there at some point today. The wind is high enough that it is blowing sand. There is no sense in taking a chance when we don’t have …” And that’s when I saw the kids. I cursed, something I try not to even if I wanted to be a sailor.
“Benny, stay with Lev. I think they’re in trouble and don’t know it yet.”
And as soon as it was out of my mouth I saw the windsurfer and a kitesurfer get in each other’s space. The kitesurfer was not the one at fault. The windsurfer was simply too inexperienced to control his board and wasn’t paying attention to anyone else either after they started to panic.
I put Benny’s hand in Lev’s and then ran for the area of beach we had been walking towards.
Turns out I was there for clean up and not as first response. The kitesurfers were a club from the nearby Eglin AFB and they even had medically trained personnel with them. It was nearly a nonevent but lessons were learned by the kids … and reinforced for Benny.
“No one got hurt?” Benny asked.
“The one kid got a little banged up but he was lucky enough that the kite surfers saw what happened and acted quickly. He was also wearing a flotation device. Probably the smartest thing he could have done.”
I saw Lev slip something to the club leader and the guy nodded a thanks in return before we walked off to find a table to eat lunch.
“You didn’t ask,” Lev said while I plated up the Tarragon Tuna Salad[2].
“Nope.”
“Er … the parental units showed up and the kids was twisting the facts. It was just a quick copy of some film I had taken.”
“Lev?”
“Yeah?”
“I didn’t ask.”
“I know but …”
“It was none of my business.”
“Maybe not in the traditional sense. And I’m not looking to get you involved. But Benny was around and … look … I …”
I chuckled. “Stop tripping over it. You did a reasonable thing. More reasonable than I did expecting you to take care of Benny while I didn’t do what I expected to have to do.”
Lev scrunched up his eyebrows and then relaxed all of a sudden. “Fine. Let’s just move on then. We both did what we felt we should. Good enough. Right?”
“Good enough,” I responded because in all honesty I didn’t want to get into how foolish I was feeling. Putting Benny in the care of someone practically a stranger was just at the top of the list of stupid.
Second half of the day was smoother, but it ended early due to that weather change. The wind really picked up and as predicted the flags went double red and we decided just to head back to Grayton Beach for our last night there. I invited Lev to stay another night in the van and he admitted he was on the point of asking.
“Begging if I had to,” he said with an embarrassed grin. “I’ve camped in miserable weather but I was wondering if you minded if I worked in the front area like before. I’m nearly caught up and I swear I’ll pay you back.”
“Don’t worry about that. Just eat what I fix and don’t complain and we’ll call it even.”
Dinner tonight was Chicken and Waffle Fry Bites[3] and for dessert I made Ginger Snap milkshakes[4] both of which were a tremendous hit. Hurray Aunt Gus. The carb crash and sound of rain on the van sent Benny off to an early bed leaving Lev and I time to do our own work.
“You sure you don’t mind? I’m not intentionally ignoring you.”
“You are a strange guy Lev Hargis.”
He slowly grinned and then put his headphones on and got back to work and that’s what I need to do. Keeping up with this log, the blog, and Benny’s unschooling lesson plans and portfolio are more work than I was counting on. Oh well. Such is life. And all the rest of the homey little homilies that Grandma Barry used to say. It is something that needs doing so I might as well do it the right way.
In the morning we head out, pulling the jeep, to Topsail Hill Preserve State Park where we will camp for four nights. We’ll run into Rick tomorrow at the park at some point, but I suspect it won’t be until after lunch. I still need to prep as if just in case. And I’m getting sidetracked again. I’ll do that after I finish updating Benny’s stuff. Geez, the hamster needs a beating or something.
[1] (page 14, Food Magazine’s Recipe-a-day)
[2] Tarragon Tuna Salad
[3] Food Network Magazine (page 106, recipe-a-day)
[4] Food Network Magazine (page 14, recipes-a-day)
sssarawolf
Has No Life - Lives on TB
Giving my thanks.
November 16(T) - Topsail Hill Preserve State Park
I nearly fell out when Lev got a good look at this morning’s breakfast. Apple-Bacon Gluten-free toast[1].
Then I had to tell him, “Lev, if I hadn’t meant for you to have your pick I wouldn’t have put them all on the table,” I said referring to all of the jars of jams, jellies, and the like. “They need to get used up so I can get them out of the frig where they are taking up too much room. We’ve just collected a few too many.”
“I thought you didn’t buy stuff. Er … what I mean is …”
I helped him get his foot out of his mouth. “Yeah, we’re minimalists by necessity and nature. So when I do get tempted to buy something, I try and make it an item that will get used up rather than turn into a dust collector.”
“My mother was the opposite. I think she spent money just to … I don’t know … fill a hole or something. My sister is kinda the same way only she packs all her tchotchkes into these fancy boxes and they get labeled and stored in her She-Shed all neat and … you remember the show Warehouse 13?”
“Uh … nope,” I answered wondering what the heck a she-shed was.
Before I could ask him and distract the convo he snorted, “Before my time too but I got stuck on a long flight and they had it available for streaming. Anyway, the warehouse was a building with endless boxes of weird sci-fi stuff. Reminded me of the building my brother-in-law built for my sister. She is kinda crazy about certain things. Their house is very … er … nice. Like magazine perfect all the time. For a long time she would hide her boxes in the basement or attic no matter that my brother-in-law told her to put her stuff out with everything else. She wouldn’t. So he built her a little cottage type thing and then put a garden around that for one of their anniversaries. She keeps her stuff in there all nice and neat but where she can take it out and mess with it anytime she wants to without worrying it will clash with the house or something weird like that. My brother-in-law is a good guy. Kinda hard to explain.
“You explained it perfect as far as I’m concerned. My grandfather had his space outside the house too. Everyone called it his man cave and that’s where he kept his stuff … tools, projects, mementos that didn’t really go in the house, not even his office. Grandmother Barry wouldn’t have cared if it was in the house, but they were both kind of neat-freaks and needed to keep their stuff a certain way and that way didn’t always mesh with the other person’s way,” I said with a grin remembering how they would sometimes irritate each other on purpose just to get a rise out of the other … and then make up. Ew. Still needing eye bleach for those memories of my grandparents.
Breakfast clean up was a shared job – with Benny earning brownie points for not having to be asked to help – and then we were off after making sure the jeep was secure and we’d picked up camp and left it nicer than we’d found it, including picking up some of the trash that had gotten blown in from someplace during the storm the previous night. Then it was off to Topsail which was a thirty-minute drive west. Yes, I said west. I felt like I was backtracking but the notes on the location stated that it was because that was when the space they had assigned us was available, one of the 156 RV sites.
It was a very nice set up though the van looked dinky next to some of the penthouse type RVs. Each site had electric, water, and sewer which I decided to hook up right away. There are also laundry facilities available which I’ll make use of, even if only for the bedding since the Lavario still works and I have a clothesline I can use for the clothes.
Topsail Hill Preserve State Park has an interesting history. First, it is a 1,640-acre park with a variety of habitats: beaches, freshwater coastal dune lakes, old-growth longleaf pine forests and wetlands. There is evidence from midden mounds (discarded debris from Native American communities) and a large mound adjacent to the park, to indicate that Native Americans used this area for fishing, hunting and camping. Non-natives used the land from the late 1800s to the mid-1900s to gather turpentine in the old-growth longleaf pines in the forests that are now part of the park.
We learned all the above after signing in and getting Benny’s Junior Ranger program. We also checked out the stand-up paddle boards that had been reserved for Benny and I. Back at the van, I got down the kayak for Lev to use. I’m really glad that we now have our own kayak trolley because while I might not mind carrying the kayak, I didn’t want to carry it from the RV lot all the way to the beach.
For a couple of hours until lunch, we paddle boarded the 3.2 miles of beaches in the park. The water was a gorgeous emerald green and I hated to get off the water but a wind had picked up so while the sailboards came out, we needed to get back to land.
I had prepped our lunch last night so the all I had to do was slice the gluten-free bread and give it a quick toasting in a skillet on the van’s range. Lev was half way through his first sandwich when he stopped, swallowed and said, “Hi. My name is Levinson Hargis and I’m an ungrateful pig.”
I was about to take a first bite and had to stop. “Huh?”
“Uh … stuffing my face instead of saying thank you. But man is this stuff good. What do you call it?”
I chuffed a laugh and said, “Dilly Chickpea Salad Sandwiches[2]. Was one of the earlier things I tried to get Benny to eat when we had to go gluten-free.”
I noticed Benny was nearly vibrating and I asked him, “You okay?”
“I forgot to say thank you too.”
“Relax. You are saying it now and you usually remember your manners. For a mistake this was a small one. Besides if we are all going to complain we forgot our manners, I have to admit to forgetting to say thank you for helping me set the table and pour the drinks.”
We all laughed and got back to finishing our lunch so we could clean up and go hiking.
“Hey guys, what do you think of using the solar oven and cooking dinner while we are out hiking?”
“Seriously?” Lev asked like he was expecting me to pull a rabbit out of my hat. Benny said, “Can we? Pleeease?”
“Well if no one objects …?”
Neither of them did and they helped me to put the Sun Oven on top of the van and then watched in fascination as I put all of the ingredients in there after seering the chicken in the same skillet I had toasted the sandwich bread in.
“Now if everything turns out we’ll have Pizza Chicken[3] and if not … there’s always popcorn.”
Benny laughed as we’ve had a few meals of popcorn when my cooking didn’t pan out, no pun intended. Lev surprised me by saying, “Mmmmm, popcorn. I could live on the stuff and sometimes did. It is the only thing that has never caused me to get sick.”
“Yeah, Benny can put away some popcorn as well. It is the only snack I don’t have to worry about him reacting to. I’ve probably got more than a hundred popcorn recipes[4] that we’ve tried.”
Dinner under control and a surprise for dessert already in the freezer, we headed out to do some of the fifteen miles of trail within the park. We’d already walked the Beach Tram Trail to get from the campground to the beach so we decided to do the other paved trail, Campbell Lake Trail. From there we did one more hike along the 2.5 miles of Morris Lake Nature Trail which meandered through the former turpentine harvesting area through ancient dunes and scrub environments. Along this trail we also saw remnants of old iron tracks from the first WWII missile development program in the US.
Sandwiches apparently don’t hold a 6’6” guy, nor young hyper boys after a morning on the water and afternoon hiking. Back in camp I forgot how hot the dish in the solar cooker could get so I was glad to have Lev to help get it down and set it on the picnic table to cool a bit.
“This is amazing,” Lev said.
Benny the Goof said, “It’s better than amazing. It’s delicious.”
“Ha! Good point,” Lev laughed before his stomach gave a huge grumble about being empty.
I took the smallest piece, gave Benny the middle piece, and gave Lev the largest piece along with toasted gluten-free garlic toasts for each of us along the same sizes.
“Hey … uh …”
Knowing what he was going to say I shook my head. “Eat Lev. You and Benny need the bulk because you have really fast metabolisms. My metabolism is really efficient so I don’t need as much food to provide the same oomph.”
“You sure?”
“You’ll learn. I say what I mean and mean what I say. So eat already.”
I didn’t have to tell him twice. And when I brought out the frozen, chocolate covered bananas for dessert I thought I was going to have a stomach upset I was laughing so hard. He and Benny were in hog heaven while they slid deeper in their camp chairs watch the sky above, giving me time to clean up the little bit of mess we made and prep for tomorrow.
I was a little distracted. No sign of Rick. No word from Rick. I was just about to give up and ask the rangers at the park headquarters when I saw the man walking up the aisle towards the van.
“Hey, look who it is,” I said garnering a slight but tired smile.
“Sorry I’m late. Got hung up in meetings yesterday that ran over to today. Everything go okay?”
I left Lev to explain, got Benny up to wash up and ready for bed and then grabbed the last frozen banana out of the freezer and handed it to Rick after hearing his stomach give a small complaint after listening to Lev talk about our dinner and the solar oven.
“Good Lord … thank you.”
“Did you have dinner?”
“Late lunch and then a salad. Did … did you make these?” Rick answered while realizing the “handle” was a plastic hummus paddle.
“Yep. No gluten in the dark chocolate coating so eat up. Er … I forgot to ask you guys, can you eat pumpkin?”
“Pumpkin pie?” Rick asked cautiously.
“No, pumpkin. I have some I need to use up. It won’t last until Thanksgiving so it is use it tomorrow or freeze it and my freezer space isn’t exactly empty right now.”
Lev said, “I’m game. We talking one of your gluten free breads?”
Rick was listening so I explained, “Pumpkin Soup for dinner and for tomorrow night’s dessert, pumpkin spice milkshakes.”
Lev’s stomach made begging noise and he looked down at it and said, “Hush, I already fed you.”
He caught Rick off guard and we actually got a laugh out of him that showed he was starting to relax. Benny was half asleep already when I checked on him so I let him go off on his own and then we sat down to plan tomorrow and the last couple of days in Walton County.
[1] Food Network Magazine (page 18, recipe-a-day)
[2] Dilly Chickpea Salad Sandwiches
[3] Pizza chicken on page 110 in Recipe-a-Day only cooked in a Sun Oven.
[4] Popcorn , 12 Popcorn Recipes That'll Make Movie Night Even Better , 50 Flavored Popcorn Recipes
November 17(W) - Eden Gardens State Park
I was first one up and had managed to finish my morning exercises and start breakfast without waking anyone. The men went off to the shower to wash and shave and I had my turn in the head in the van. By the time everyone was up, washed, groomed, and back to camp I had the Quick-Bread Waffles[1] ready to put the feed on. Thinking of the men, I added sliced ham to everyone’s plates as well. After that we grabbed what we would need and took the jeep to Eden Gardens State Park.
It took less than fifteen minutes to get to Eden Gardens State Park, 163 acres of the former estate of the William Henry Wesley family. Before we did anything, Rick stopped in at the park office to check in, let them know we were around and why we would be taking photos and videos. He also grabbed a Junior Ranger packet for Benny making him very happy.
We had to wait for our turn to take a tour of the beautiful plantation house, so we took a walk through the gardens. Wow. There was Hidden Garden, the Rose Garden, the Butterfly Garden, the Azalea Garden, and the Camelia Garden which while they weren’t in bloom there were buds over all of the bushes reminding me of the camelia bushes at the River House where my grandparents lived. Grandmother was so proud of those bushes. She planted them the first year they were married and they were all different varieties. They made quite a show in December and January when they bloomed. And I helped her cover them when there was a killing freeze that could take out the buds even if it didn’t kill the bushes.
We picnic’d next to Tucker Bayou on a lunch of Turkey Pitas with Creamy Slaw[2]. Our turn finally came for our tour, and I made sure that Benny listened so he could answer the questions to really earn the Junior Ranger badge than just the baby stuff that some of the ones he had run into up to this point.
According to our tour guide, “The Florida Panhandle was once covered in virgin forest, with thick stands of longleaf pines and hearty cypress. Here in the Panhandle, about halfway between today's Fort Walton and Panama City, William Henry Wesley set up a lumber company during the late 1800s. The operation utilized the area's dense forests and took advantage of nearby access to Gulf of Mexico ports to transport lumber. A small city grew up around the mill, with crews and their families living in 20 company owned houses.”
Eventually a woman named Lois Maxon purchased the home in 1963 along with 10.5 acres for $12,500, she stated that she had “found her Eden” and proceeded to devote a million dollars to an extensive renovation of the home. The Wesley house, which had been built in the Victorian style, received a more antebellum update, with renovations continuing for most of the five years she owned the home. She donated the property to the Florida Park Service on Christmas Eve 1968.
The tour was only forty-five minutes long, but it was pretty neat and I can see Grandmother and Meemo enjoying it. The idea of taking care of something like that gave me the heebies, but I did like the gardens. We hung around a bit longer to allow Benny to finish the kids’ programs but then headed back to Topsail for the evening.
Dinner was a little more detailed than normal and I might not just be using leftovers but was trying to show off. I’m self-aware enough to admit it. There was the Pumpkin Soup Bowls (page 169, recipe-a-day), and to that I added Bacon Wrapped Corn (page 107, recipe-a-day) and Blueberry Cornbread (page 17, recipes-a-day), plus the dessert of Pumpkin Spice Milkshakes (page 168, recipe-a-day).
“You sure you don’t mind Gus?” Rick asked referring to the fact that they needed to go over some things that he was notified of in his meetings yesterday.
I looked at Lev and Rick and just shook my head. “Of course I don’t mind. I’ve got some things I need to do too,” I told them thinking of Benny’s portfolio and this log book. “Tomorrow is going to be a full day. Just knock if you need anything.”
Benny is now asleep and all of my chores taken care of. I was going to work on the menu but I’m going to leave that for Friday as it is a “Rest Day,” or at least a rest day from park stuff. I think I am just going to get a little extra sleep. It can’t hurt.
[1] Quick Bread Waffles, page 21, Recipe-a-Day
[2] Turkey Pitas with Creamy Slaw
sssarawolf
Has No Life - Lives on TB
Thank you.
November 18 (R) – Britton Hill >> Shoal River Paddling Trail >> Gulfarium Marine Adventure Park
This morning breakfast was more “carry and go” than normal. I made Pastry-Wrapped Sausages (page 173, recipe-a-day) using a gluten-free egg roll wrapper rather than a sheet of pastry dough. I know they make gluten free pastry dough, heck I’ve even made it from scratch, but this morning was not the kind of morning I was prepared to go to all that trouble so pre-made egg roll wrappers it was. The guys didn’t say anything so I doubt they noticed the difference. I swear they remind me of my old crew and shipmates. Just put something edible in front of them and they are content. Put something more than just edible and they are like happy, squirmy puppies. Though I seriously doubt they’d appreciate that description. It still fit.
We were up early because we have a full schedule. There was also a lot of driving to get everything in the State wanted to include. First, we drove an hour north to reach Britton Hill, nearly on the state line, to visit the highest point in the state.
Britton Hill is located at Lakewood Park just inside the state line that divides Walton County in Florida from Alabama. It got its name from a former lumber mill baron, William Henry Britton who developed the area in the early 1900s. The highest point is actually more of a plateau, about 900 feet by 400 feet. A sign-thingie there described it as a “staggering 345 feet, this peak offers a beautiful view of the surrounding countryside and also carries the honor of being the lowest high point in the US.” After some of our national park adventures I gotta admit it gave me a laught.
Another sign-thingie told us that Mt. McKinley in Denali, Alaska is the highest point in the United States at 20,237 feet. Some other “low” high points include:
- Delaware – Ebright Azimuth at 448 feet
- Louisiana – Driskell Mountain at 535 feet
- Mississippi – Woodall Mountain at 806 feet
- Rhode Island – Jerimoth Hill at 812 feet
While Britton Hill may not seem like a hiker’s dream, it is actually an internationally-known must-do peak. I’m not joking. A group of mountain climbers, known as the Highpointers Club, attempt to climb the highest point in each of the lower 48 states. So far, over 500 of them have achieved that feat – which includes “climbing” Britton Hill.
The most notable thing about the park in my opinion was the fussing that one couple was doing that their dog was not allowed on the trail. Whoops. Research your adventure before you get on the road.
We left that park with what Lev called some “filler” and headed to Shoal River Paddling Trail. The Shoal River is swift-flowing, wide and mostly shallow (at normal water levels). Named for its many shoals, there are a few sandbars for easy stopping should you be so inclined. During periods of low-water the sandbars can be a pain. I’ve been kayaking on that paddling trail before and it was during a low water period so trust me, because of how many sandbars there are, it can make it craptastically un-fun.
The river flows through mostly undeveloped forested area. The Designated Paddling Trail runs 9.5 miles from Ray Barnes Public Boat Ramp (SR 90) south to Bill Duggan Jr. Park (SR 85). We kayaked a short distance upstream and back from the SR 85 launch, a workout similar to many swift flowing rivers and creeks in the Panhandle. The water was a little above normal so no problems with the sandbars, but there were a couple of snags that needed to be marked for safety reasons.
We had a picnic lunch of Shrimp Avocado Salad[1]. Lev enjoyed the food, but I noticed Rick wasn’t as enthusiastic. Apparently he isn’t a fan of avocado. Well now I know. I made a note to myself to be careful not to include it too often.
Next came a sponsor’s contribution; the Gulfarium Marine Adventure Park. We didn’t have the place to ourselves but it wasn’t busy either as it was during the week and kids were in school. With no other kids that needed attention, they ran us (mostly for Benny’s sake) through a lot of the animal encounters. He was a very happy little boy.
There were dolphins and Benny got to pretend he was an acting veterinarian, while joining the marine mammal trainers dockside. He got to touch and feed a dolphin! He also got to meet a dolphin family as they played. One of the younger ones thought it would be hilarious to splash me in the face and then “laugh” about it. The silly beast had prankster written all over him, I kid you not. I would have liked to have gotten in the water with him but the trainers nixed it because he was wound up and not behaving. Dolphins are curious and spirited by nature and can be rough without realizing they are being too rough. That boy wanted to play and was getting a little rough … like I could be when I was a little kid. I explained it to Benny that way and he understood immediately and just told the dolphin, “You must have ADHD or something like that. Maybe when you’ve worked off some wiggles we can come say hi again.”
The trainers thought that was “so cute.” It was also pretty close to the truth. Apparently that particular dolphin had lost its mother or been abandoned by its pod, and had been rescued and brought to the gulfarium in hopes that he could be rehabilitated and released. Unfortunately he was likely going to have to remain a captive dolphin because sometimes he just fritzed out and could seem to get along with other of its kind and was becoming too habituated to human care.
Another encounter was snorkeling with stingrays, bamboo sharks and a variety of tropical fish. I was in the water with Benny for this one with Lev attaching an underwater camera to me.
Some of the other things we did included:
- We touched and fed harbor seals and sea lions.
- We met the gulfarium’s reptiles including turtles, lizards, snakes, and alligators.
- We fed and touched African penguins and a few fluffy penguin chicks too. Good Lord those things stink, but they were kinda funny.
- We met seafaring loggerheads turtles and land-loving African spurred tortoises in a turtle rescue and rehabilitation program.
“Hey, weird question but are you Aunt Gus and Little Bear that does all of the adventuring at the national parks?”
“Short answer? Yeah. Um … why?”
“I just gotta say you got my sister to let my niece out of the iron cage because she watched you two have a life despite … all … you know … stuff.”
“I hope that’s a good thing.”
“Oh definitely. She and my brother-in-law took my niece out of public school to give her time to decompress and they joined a home school support group and wow, the different is a-maze-ing. I kid you not. They’ve even been able to lower a couple of her meds.”
Benny asked, “What’s her name?”
“Emmaleigh.”
“Uh … I can’t spell that. Can I just draw her a picture?”
He drew a picture of a bear waving hello on the notepad I keep handy. We finally got on the road and I only half-way jokingly told Benny, “Need to watch giving autographs.”
“Huh? I just wanted to say hello.”
I let it go as I didn’t want to make an issue of it, but I’ve also spoken with Lev and Rick and told them I don’t really want any notoriety.
“Not a prob,” Lev said agreeing. “For the record I don’t think the kid really got it. He was just being nice.”
“I agree, just don’t want him to get a fat head. He is a good kid and I want to keep it that way.”
For Dinner I fixed Smoky BBQ Fries (page 171, recipe-a-day) and for dessert Chocolate-Pineapple Pops (page 18, recipe-a-day). I don’t mind being the cook for our crew, but it won’t break my heart if one of the guys volunteers every now and again either.
Benny had fallen asleep and Lev was working when Rick came over and sat beside me.
“Hi.”
“Hi,” I told him right back.
“Sooo, I’ve talked to Hargis but I’d like to hear your side. Everything going okay?”
“With the job? No complaints from my side. I take it they are asking you to be some kind of go-between. Is there anything they need, want, are complaining about? You don’t need to soft-pitch it to me Rick. I knew going into this job that there was a chain of command and someone was eventually going to want something specific.”
He relaxed. “No. They’re satisfied with the work that is being produced. Human resources is starting to sweat it however. That’s the reason for tomorrow’s Rest Day. I have to start taking every Sunday off unless there is a specific reason not to. They want to make sure that you … and Hargis … aren’t … er …”
“No melt down on the horizon or anything like that. Sorry you are being put in the hot seat.”
“No, just this liaison position is a little more complicated than I expected. Sort of a too many chefs not enough cooks.”
Well that was the PC version. I responded, “Just let me know if there is anything I can do to alleviate any confusion. You aren’t going to hurt my feelings.”
He sighed in relief. “Thank you. Right now it is just the human resources stuff. I tried to explain that this was a lifestyle for you and Benny but … kinda falling on deaf ears at the moment.”
It seemed he wanted to talk about something else but then didn’t. Am I that scary or unapproachable? Guess I’ll see next time he wants to talk.
[1] Shrimp Avocado Salad
Same.
sssarawolf
Has No Life - Lives on TB
Another thank you .
.beaglemama
Contributing Member
Thank you, Kathy!
