February 2015 - Westward Bound!

Feb 1st - Feb 8th, 2015

Magic River Resort - Long Beach, MS
Check out our Carport!

   Finally starting our trek from the East Coast to the West Coast. What I have not yet shared is that we will be making our way to Washington state to begin our first workamping job, which will start in mid April. After signing up to Workampers.com, we submitted our resumes to their online system and were soon contacted by several campgrounds wishing to interview us. We chose a position at a campground on Hood Canal, located about 45 min. from Bremerton, WA, as we have close friends there that we would like to spend time. We are so excited! It is also close to Seattle, so there should be plenty to see and do on our days off. We will be parked and working at Summertides Marina and RV Park from Mid April until the end of September, which will give us plenty of time to get up to speed on the whole workamping thing.

Fountain, FL.

Pine Lake RV Park

    First day back on the road we take it easy and stop at Pine Lake RV Park in the small town of Fountain. Time to catch up on laundry, stock up with groceries and supplies, and use the Internet to pay some bills. You see, the last three nights in the motorhome were spent dry camping first at the shop where we had the exhaust manifold problem fixed, then at the Flying J after we had the parking brake stick and were unable to move the RV, and then finally at the Napa Auto Shop where we had the parking brake problem checked out. Thank goodness for MK and Mimi, where we spent the first night that the RV was being worked on....a shower with real water pressure felt good! The RV shower is good, but the water pressure is not the greatest. Anyway, here we are and will stay two nights because so far all it has done is rain....great weather for catching up on bills and blogs. 

Passport America Main Office
Long Beach, MS

   
Long Beach, MS.

    Back on the road refreshed, we have driven on to Long Beach, MS. This is a small coastal town between Biloxi and Bay St. Louis. Using the Passport America App, we located a little campground with a great nightly rate called Magic River Resort. Nothing fancy, but it's winter time and more about finding a reasonably priced place to park than it is using a lot of park amenities.....at least when the weather is staying in the 40-50 degree range. Out our front window we have a view of a swamp, which is actually pretty cool!

They have two small lakes here, some gabby ducks, and an alligator! Well, at least that's what they tell me....we haven't seen it yet. Park is pretty full, but in the Summer time they say it is pretty much empty. I would imagine with the swamp  the bugs would be horrible and the humidity unbearable. Right now, tho, it's great! They have a morning bond fire around 6:00AM, which I can't tell you much about as I only get up long enough to pee that early in the morning. I suppose I need to work harder on being a morning person...hmmm.

Gulf Coast Beach

Art Sculptures from trees destroyed
by Hurricane Katrina

   The first couple of days in Long Beach we did regular stuff like laundry, groceries, get prescriptions refilled, haircuts, etc. The weather then warmed up some and the sun came out so we drove to the beach and enjoyed a walk there.

Evie, Red, Terry, Me, Paula, Darryl

Catching the beads!

    Not being early risers, we failed to meet our neighbors at the morning bond fires, but the day before our planned departure we met up with Paula and Darryl and their guests Terry and Evie, and hit it off right away! The day we arrived Paula and Evie had literally come running down the park to meet us when they saw us back our Smart Car out of the back of our motorhome......Paula said she told her husband she just saw a  motorhome sh*t a car out the back and had to go check it out! Their motorhome is 20 times nicer than ours, but I think she was ready to trade down for it just for the garage! Too funny! After meeting these folks, there was no way we could take off the next day....especially since they invited us to go to the Mardi Gras Parade in Bay St. Louis with them and come to their shrimp boil after. Wow! I'm so glad they made the effort to get acquainted with us - we haven't been too good at getting out and meeting people much on our own. The Mardi Gras parade was a first for us, and it was fun catching the beads. I'm sure it was a much tamer parade than in New Orleans, but that was fine with us...it was a good time! 

Goofy glasses and all!

Red did the flashing! I just helped
carry the beads...

You know, it really is the people you meet along the way that make the memories so memorable! If we had left that campground when we planned to we would have missed making some new friends and some great memories! I guess crazies attract crazies, cause we felt like we had been old friends rather than new acquaintances. The shrimp boil was great too, even tho Darryl said it was his first try....followed by the traditional King Cake and an introduction to a new card/board game of Horse Racing. Didn't know what to expect, but seems to be a popular game on the RV Trail, and was easy to catch on to. Taking over for Paula while she took a break, I managed to lose most of the nickels she had accumulated....but luckily, her husband Darryl came to the  rescue with enough nickels to keep us in the game! Fun game, so I guess I'll be saving nickels in case I run into some other players on our travels.

Stay tuned in for our next stop!

The Bee-gals
   Kathy & Kathy (Red)
  

January - Protesting, Ft Frederica, Geocaching, and New Friends!

Jan, 2015 - Protesting, Fort Frederica, Geocaching, and New Friends!

Our time in Brunswick and St Simons Island has been speeding by, and in just a few days we will be back on the road heading West, but until then there are still things to see and do. Oh, and there is always time for a good protest, huh? 

Protesting  New Development

Our friends, MK and Mimi have lived on the island for 9 years; they have seen the encroachment of commercial development eat away at the tranquil hideaway and blissful solitude that drew them here. As restaurants chains, and gas stations pop up on the island, urban creep seems to be crowding out the simple village ambiance and residents are not happy. That is how we got involved in a protest of island residents against the development of yet another gas station/convenience store being built along an already busy two-lane corridor on the island. Due to our protest signs and fliers distributed  along Frederica Rd, a meeting of the Island Planning Commission the following day was packed beyond capacity with angry residents wanting to block the station from being built. They actually had to reschedule the meeting to a larger venue to allow all interested residents to attend. Our part was small, but it felt good to be a part of such an effort.  

Fort Frederica

Kat in a Hat

The Wave!

A major landmark on St Simons is Fort Frederica. The ruins, preserved now as a State Park, recall the struggle for empire in the southeast between rivals Great Britain and Spain. The Battle of Bloody Marsh saved the British Georgia Colony from Spanish invasion in 1742. Expecting an attack from Spanish held St. Augustine, British Commander James Oglethorpe with his regiment of 900 soldiers sent intercepting forces to ambush the invaders as they proceeded toward Fort Frederica. A second ambush later the same day convinced the Spanish that they were out numbered and caused them to retreat, with their 50 sailing vessels and 2000 men. The grounds of Fort Frederica consists of the uncovered foundations of the homes and ruins of the fort and barracks, as well as a cemetery.

Red  finds our first geocache!

 While scouting out the area near Fort Frederica, we decided to check to see if there were any geocaches hidden in the area. Of course, we found there were many, so we decided to search for a couple to round out the day. Geocaching, for those who may not be familiar with it, is a recreational activity where geocaches are hidden by participants and then searched for by other participants using a GPS device like that found in most smart phones. 

There are millions of geocaches that have been hidden all over the world, so it's an outdoor activity that can be enjoyed anywhere. For more information on how to join in, click here. This day we searched and found two caches....one located inside a fence post by a water tower, and the other on a nature walk close to Christs Church.

     
   

Christ Church, the 2nd oldest
 Episcopal Church in Georgia

  

Cemetery at Christ Church

Shrimp Feast!

One of the best parts of our travel is getting to meet new people and friends of friends. While spending time with MK and Mimi, we were thrilled to meet Jimmy Ann and Janice and delighted to be invited for a lunch feast of boiled shrimp! The lake view from their dining room window presented a show of many of the birds on the island.

New Smart Car Owners 

Before starting our journey west, we were honored to accompany MK and Mimi on a road trip to Florida for their purchase of a Smart Car. After driving our Smart car they thought it would make a good island car, which I'm sure it will. Enjoyable, but also sad, as we parted ways in Jacksonville to start our trek to the Pacific Coast.







Follow us Westward!
   
   The Bee-Gals
        Kathy and Red


POST UPDATE - 

    Who would ever think that 1000 miles away from home we would run into a client from our Bee-Line Express shuttle service back in Quincy, IL. While visiting our friends in St Simons, we mentioned that a client of our service had moved down to this area. MK ask what her name was, and when we told her it was Becky Mentesti, she couldn't believe it, because Becky lives right there in their complex, just two doors down! So of course we had to go down and surprise her! She invited us in for a glass of wine and we got to catch up on a few Bee-Line Express memories. She loves living on the island and is getting to spend precious time with her grandkids, 3 year old twins Wilson and Calvin.

Jekyll Island, GA - Jan, 2015

About 7 miles from where we have been camped in Brunswick, GA, is the cut off to Jekyll Island. Though we visited the island once before, we've not taken time to learn about the history nor have we visited the Georgia Sea Turtle Center that is located there.  Having visited the Turtle Farm in the Cayman Islands, I wasn't sure what to expect at the Sea Turtle Center in Georgia. Come to find out, there is a huge difference in their missions. The Cayman Turtle Farm is home to thousands of Green Sea Turtles and was established in 1965 to raise the Green Sea Turtle for commercial purposes (food) without depleting the wild populations. Consequently, when the laws that were in effect to protect the sea turtle prevented them from selling the product they were raising, it became a huge tourists attraction instead.

Turtle sculpture (not the best photo angle) created from debris
found on the beach that affects the sea turtle habitat.

The Sea Turtle Center in Georgia, however, was opened in 2007 to raise awareness of habitat and wild life conservation challenges. It is an advanced hospital and rehabilitation pavilion with many sea turtle patients regularly on view for guests. Sea Turtles observed when we visited were being cared for and rehabilitated to be released back into the wild. Many had been stranded and found along Atlantic Coast beaches. The turtles are all named and their progress is monitored until such time that they are released back into the ocean at their own  turtle release party. Education is a major part of the mission of The Sea Turtle Center, with focus on how our coastal ecosystems are impacted by the way we live and care for our environment. Many turtles are injured or killed by boat propellers, or being trapped in nets, but a common danger to them as well as all other marine life is the plastic that is discarded on our beaches and dumped in our oceans. Turtles and fish mistake our plastic trash for food and ingest it to their own demise. When you get the chance to walk on our beautiful sand beaches, take a bag along to pick up cigarette butts, plastic bottles and caps, and plastic bags. Not only will it help to beautify our beaches, but it will help to detoxify our ecosystem and protect our marine life. My eyes were just recently opened as to how serious the problem has become and it is up to us who have created the problem to correct it for the benefit of marine life, which in turn effects our lives. Rant over!

            

                Two clowns at the Sea Turtle Hospital.

No rehabilitating these two!

Hotel guests still dress in white to play croquet in the yard. 

Jekyll Island was originally purchased in 1886 to become an exclusive winter retreat for some of the nation's most elite families. Known as the Jekyll Island Club, the legendary Rockefellers, Morgans, Pulitzers, and Vanderbilts came here to 'get away from it all'. During the Depression of the 1930's the cottages fell into disrepair and after WW II club members never returned. Descendants of the Jekyll Island Club families had little interest in maintaining the 'Cottages' comprising 'millionaires row' and the historic landmarks were all but lost to decay. 

One of the original Cottages on  Millionaires Row.
Not exactly what I picture as a 'cottage'.

Nice little island cart from
Jekyll Island Club days.

Thankfully, the state of Georgia purchased the Island and created The Jekyll Island Club National Historic Landmark District. Projects were started to restore the landmark structures, including the historic Jekyll Island Club Hotel. Today you can tour the cottages which made up millionaire's row, book a room at the Jekyll Island Club Hotel, and even play croquet on the lawn, but you must be outfitted in white, as is still the tradition.

We are Family!
MK, Red, Me, and Mimi

Looking up to see the moss
in the Live Oaks.

There is just something serene about taking a walk on the beach...  Driftwood Beach on Jekyll Island is natures own gallery of driftwood art. Every piece seems to have been sculpted perfectly by the winds and waves.                        

The fishing pier is quiet and empty this day while the tide is low. What a scenic fishing perch it would make, if I only had a fishing pole. My next purchase, for sure!

Till Next Time,

    The Bee-Gals

     Kathy and Kathy

       

Blue Christmas

This post will be the last of my posts in diary format; starting with the next post
 I will change my blog format to be event and destination centered. Rather than bore you with mundane life events, I'd rather bore you with our more interesting adventures. ROFL

 






Monday, Dec 22, 2014

Started out like a pretty normal day; at least as normal as any day has been on this month long initiation into retirement living on wheels. While finishing the mid-morning coffee Red gets a call from her dad at the nursing home, and he seems upset that her mom is sleeping so much and not even waking enough to go to the dining room. Not an unusual phone call from him these days, as he does call occasionally with much the same anxious discourse. Red explains again that Mom is just tired and the disease is taking it's toll. But this time, it seemed like a call to the nurse might be in order, and with talking to Jesse (the nurse) it sounds like she is declining rapidly at this point. Wow, so today is Monday...better be checking on flights; may not be easy to get this close to Christmas, but Red really needs to get home. I missed my moms last Christmas, and that has always been a regret.

Thank goodness for priceline.com...with flights from JAX to STL running $720 - $850 
I manage to get Red a round trip for $350 and then $53 on to Quincy on Cape Air. Never thought I'd say that...Cape Air. But then there is no longer a shuttle to Quincy from St. Louis...imagine that! Flight leaves at 6:30AM, so we spend the rest of the day packing, making phone calls, and talking about the inevitable. 

Tue, Dec 23, 2014

After a really short night/nap, we take off around 3:00AM for Jacksonville Airport.
Very foggy, and rainy, but the traffic is light, so it's a short trip. Planned to stop and get coffee when we get close, but we pass all likely stops before we realize we are practically at the drop-off area. Quick goodbye and Red is off to catch her flight and I'm turned around and headed back to Brunswick. Wow...I really wish I was going with her instead of heading back to the motor home alone. However we have our two 'girls'  and no one down here to look after them right now. Also, at this point we don't know how long we might need to be gone. I'm not excited about being alone over the Holidays, but I'm sure Red isn't looking forward to her situation either so we will both make the best of it.

Getting back to the motorhome around 5:30AM, I get a text from Red saying she is at her gate and waiting to board. Good...I took a picture of her itinerary and put it on her phone since I didn't have a printer to print her e-ticket. She's better at airports than I am...I hate to fly and just the thought makes me nauseous.  I don't get airsick, I just get sick at the thought of airports and flying and making connections. Give me a map and I'll drive you anywhere, but tell me I'm flying and my brain becomes jelly.

Wide awake, I decide on a cup of tea to try to relax before attempting to get some sleep. It sure seems quiet...

 Not quite sure what to do with myself, but I know that this is the way it needs to be right now, and I can't stop thinking about Red on her journey home. Finally around Noon the phone rings and I breath a deep sigh of relief when I realize Red has made it home safely. Kelly has picked her up at the airport and they are now at the nursing home with their mom. This is going to be tough on both on them. I don't see a lot of sleep in the foreseeable future for either of them.

Meanwhile, back at the camp (pun intended), I'm spending time cleaning carpet, doing laundry, listening to Christmas Carols on the radio and working on my laptop. I find I prefer the radio to the TV as a means of company. Red and I check in with each other every few hours to compare notes and discuss her mom's condition.

Wed, Dec 24, 2014

Wow, I can't believe it's Christmas Eve! This sucks big time, but as lonely as I feel at

this end, I know it has to be worse for Red back home in Quincy. I can't stop thinking about what she must be going through. Time will pass, it will be fine.

Christmas Eve's dinner is Dominoes Pizza!

Thu, Dec25th, 2014

Christmas morning...sunny and about 60 degrees. It's about 18 degrees in Quincy. I call Red in Quincy and hear that her mom is rallying somewhat, probably because of the Holiday, and the family being there to celebrate. Happy sad; good to see that she is responding a little, but sad to know that overall the disease is taking it's toll.

The Marsh on Jekyll Island. Christmas Day

As I return from the grocery, I notice that several of the kids in the campground neighborhood are out on their new bikes they received from Santa. That makes my day. They are having the time of their life...I can tell by the campers that they are living in that it probably was quite a sacrifice for their folks to help Santa deliver these Christmas presents. 

Warm but Cloudy Christmas Day

As Christmas day turns into Christmas night, I feel a sense of relief that the Holiday is almost past and the world will soon be returning to post holiday normalcy. I've survived my '
first Christmas totally alone and I'm doing ok!




Fri, Dec 26, 2014

Talking to Red this morning I can tell that today is not going well in Quincy. After yesterdays rally, there is much less response from her mom today. She is very tired and not appearing to register what's going on around her. Red has been staying at the nursing home at night to be with her mom and I'm sure is near exhaustion at this point. 

Sat, Dec 27, 2014

Stormy weather here in Georgia....warm, but not pretty. Seems there isn't any positive change in Red's world in Quincy. This is so hard to watch; I know, as I've been in the same situation myself. I think Red's Dad is doing as well as can be expected. He has been in the meetings with hospice, and has been there when the doctor has given his update, so he is aware of the situation as it stands. Hard for him to accept I know.

Sun, Dec 28, 2014

Speaking with Red this morning I feel a change in the emotional climate of the room where Red is sitting with her mom. Her Dad and Kelly are there along with Larry and the boys. They have been informed that time is short, and are trying to make this as comfortable as possible for her mom. The family is at peace, knowing that she will be free of  pain and suffering. Still, these are painful, emotion filled hours.

 I receive the call just after Noon that Shirley has passed on peacefully. A mixture of sorrow and relief fills my heart as Red describes their last hours together. 

Mon, Dec 29, 2014

Waiting to find out the arrangement details for Shirley, I find myself conflicted on how I will get to Illinois to be with Red and the family. Our friends who live here on St Simons Island have been in Palm Beach with family for Christmas and just returned home late last evening. The only way I can leave to make the trip is to have someone take care of our cats while I'm gone. They are old and I don't want to kennel them if I don't have to. I hate to have MK and Mimi come over here (about 30 miles rt) to check on them every day, but they insists, and I am so thankful for them.

My conflicted feelings on how I'm going to get to Illinois end when I check for prices to fly back. I hate to fly, so it doesn't take alot to convince me to drive; my only hesitation is driving the Smart Car back. Didn't buy it with plans to drive it on long interstate trips, so this may be a real test. 

MK and Mimi stop by to get the details on taking care of the 'girls', after which we go out for a meal together before I load up to leave. Doesn't take long to load up the car; just need to see if I can get a few hours sleep before taking off...plan is to leave
around 4:00AM so that I miss rush hour traffic when I get to Atlanta. 

Tue, Dec 30, 2014

Not much  luck sleeping, but I do doze some. Rather than go up to bed in the loft, I decide to nap on the couch. While trying to fall asleep, I began hearing noise outside close to our motorhome. Peaking out the blinds I spot our neighbor outside with a flashlight crawling on the ground beside his trailer. So much for trying to sleep. It's about 1:00AM and this is only the second time I've seen him come outside his trailer since we have been here; maybe he only comes out at night...weird.  We've been warned that he has some serious mental issues and we should probably not approach him if we see him outside, so I can't help but wonder what he might be up to. Just hope he stays over there and goes back inside before I have to leave.

Somehow I manage to doze off for a bit before my alarm buzzes at 3:45AM. As I lock up the RV and jump in the SMART, I notice the fog is so thick I can barely make out the street lights. This should be fun....NOT. I leave at 4:30AM ET.

Getting on the interstate I'm conflicted on the visibility issue. Night driving is usually difficult for me with my contacts in because it causes halos and doubles car lights. I'm seeing pretty well I think, but by the time I get close to Savannah I realize that I can't continue like this. It is now raining, besides the fog, and all the lights are blurring into each other. Ready for coffee anyway, I take an exit and head for Micky D's. If removing my contact doesn't help I'll be forced to stay here until daylight when it will be easier to see; but after taking out the right lens I find it makes a 200% improvement and am ready to get back on the road. Thank You God!

Not much traffic leaving Savannah on I-16, I  hit Macon, GA about 7:30AM. I lost  some time with my Micky D stop, but I did get breakfast while there, so not bad.
My hope is to get to Nashville before needing to stop for the night. My 8 gal tank means I will be pit-stopping about every 225-250 miles. 

Coming into Atlanta around 9:00AM, I'm glad my timing has worked out so well. Traffic is steady and flowing smoothly; I'm only a little nervous because my car is so little I worry I won't be seen so I make sure to keep a lot of space between me and what's ahead. Feel like I should honk when I pass a semi, just to let them know I'm there..LOL!

With Atlanta behind me, it's smooth sailing for a couple more hours before I get into Chattanooga. Getting phone calls from Red and friends checking on my progress; problem is my blue tooth isn't connecting to the car for some reason, so I have to take the calls manually rather than thru the speaker, so I keep the conversations short. Hope they understand.

Wow! Chattanooga is a breeze, and I'm still pumped so getting to Nashville should not be a problem. It's pretty cold out when I make my pit stop; time to dig out my jacket. The wind is pretty strong now, but through the mountains it wasn't too bad.
From Chattanooga to Nashville seems like a long stretch, mostly because of the hills and some road construction, but In  getting near Nashville around 2:00PM I hear on the radio that traffic is backed up downtown due to a bowl game at the stadium which is right on my route. It's ok, I'll just go with the flow and hope there aren't too many idiots late for the 2:00PM game.

Finally through Nashville, I find I'm not tired enough to stop for the day, and besides it's too early to want to check in to a hotel. All I would do is be bored waiting for time to pass if I couldn't sleep. I tell myself I'll just drive until I'm tired and then stop. Traffic is sparse now and the sun is getting lower in the West. Looks like it will be a beautiful sunset soon. This is a great section of I-26 through Kentucky with towns scattered about. Fort Campbell, about 60 miles North of Nashville looks like a nice area; we have friends Mandy and Jerry who were stationed here for a few years and I never could quite picture where they lived.

Amazingly, I've not once felt drowsy so far on this trip. I've been driving about 12 hours and will soon be entering Illinois. The farther I go, the more I think it doesn't make sense to stop...I'm sure it would probably be smart, but I guess I'm running on adrenalin. Crossing the bridge into Metropolis, IL (Home of Superman), I call Red to let her know I've made it to Illinois. She ask me if I'm in Quincy, and I chuckle. I'm still about 5 hours away...I should make it around 10:00PM if I don't get too tired and have to stop.

Wow, the St. Louis Arch never looked so good! It's 7:30PM and home from here seems like a piece of cake. If I had brains I would stop at our friends, Gary and Ellen Maxey and spend the night, but I've made it this far watching the remaining miles grow smaller and smaller on my GPS; my competitive nature takes over and this becomes the homestretch of my personal marathon.

Coming into Hannibal, MO I feel like I'm home with only about 17 miles left on this journey. It occurs to me that I haven't stop to eat since somewhere North of Nashville; better stop for a sandwich before I get to my emotion filled destination.
Taco Bell sounds good at this point, so I stop and actually go inside to sit down and eat. I can relax a bit knowing that I am all but home, but I must look like a zombie, by the looks I'm getting from my co-diners at this late hour. 

Feeling revived, the last 17 miles go by quickly, and soon I'm pulling into the O'Hara driveway in Quincy. I see Red through the picture window staring at me and talking on her cell phone; obviously calling someone to tell them I finally arrived, safely.

It's about 10:30PM, as I go inside, and Jack has been waiting up for me to get in. Warm feelings as I realize he and other family and friends have been concerned about my arrival. So glad to see Red, I'm almost tongue tied.

Wed, Dec 31, 2014

Last day of 2014...it's always difficult to lose a loved one, especially a parent or child, but when it's around the Holidays, it's even harder. Not only is the family grieving over the loss of it's matriarch, Shirley O'Hara, but today is also the  13th anniversary of another much loved family member, Eric Weiman, which is Shirley's grandson. He was killed on New Years Eve afternoon 2001 when a pickup crashed head on into the car in which he was a passenger. He was 16 years old and not more than 2 miles from home. 

We will spend a quiet evening at home tonight, and most likely be in bed before midnight. The next few days will be a blur I'm sure.

Thu, Jan 1, 2015

A new year begins...but there is business and emotions yet to deal with from 2014. New Years day is a mixture of football, and preparation for Shirley's visitation and funeral. A day for family, memories, picture boards, and  of course, food. 

Visitation, Friday, is a reflection of the impact this family has had
on the community. With numbers in the hundreds, it is a great show of respect and love for a life well lived. Likewise, the memorial mass is well prepared and moving, providing closure and honoring Shirley's life. A winter day with a cold rain coming down is the backdrop to the graveside service, but it doesn't hinder the expressions of love and respect I both see and feel. 

As hard as it is to bury a parent, there is some comfort for the family in knowing that their loved one is no longer suffering, and is now in a better place. 

Shirley O'Hara

Apr 21, 1935 - Dec 28 2014

It has been an honor to know you and have you in my life.