Perdido Farewell!

Walking the beach

Shells, anyone?

The last weekend we were at our condo, our friends Dennis Price and Jane Schneider came to help us close out our vacation time there.  The weather cooperated --- staying sunny and clear.  We spent most of our time close to the condo enjoying the beach - either walking it, gathering more shells or reading while stretched out on the sand.

Some of the highlights of their time with us at the condo:

Sure, I look happy.  The game's just started.

• Highly competitive Scrabble games.  Scrabble is the one and only game that Jim won’t play.  I love to play, but only on rare occasions get to do so.  As Dennis and Jane are both avid players, this visit we snuck in quite a few games.  We sat out on the sunny balcony, listening to the waves.  I did not win a single game! - but I did get a seven letter word or two. Occasionally Jim would hear me whining: “Who knew ‘nu’ was a word, did you?”   (Maybe even if I can’t win, I could be the next Dr. Seuss!)

• Bittersweet sunsets.  The sunsets during the last few days were heart-wrenchingly beautiful.  I call them bittersweet only because they were bidding us farewell.

  

  Sunset adieu

• Swimming.  I did go swimming again twice while they were here, but I was the only brave – or crazy – soul in the water.  The water temp remains cool (OK, cold), and very refreshing. 

  

  Come on in.  The water's fine!

• Just hanging around - levitating!

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While we cooked most meals in the condo as we had to use up the food we had, we did go out a couple of nights.  Both nights were really fun.  Monday night, we went to The Flora-Bama. Billed as “America’s Last Great Roadhouse,” the Flora-Bama is pretty famous in the area.  Most nights the parking lot is packed. Songs have been written about the place, including one by Kenny Chesney. John Grisham featured it in his book, The Pelican Brief. 

What makes it so unique? The Flora-Bama was built in 1964 straddling the state line - one half was on the Florida side; the other half was in Alabama.  At one point in its history, the Alabama side was located in a dry county.  So people would eat dinner on that side, and then walk “across the state line” to the other side of the building to enjoy a drink.  In its two-state heyday, phone booths sat side by side where one of a couple could “call” their partner in another state even though they were sitting in booths side by side!  However, when Hurricane Katrina hit, the Flora-Bama was pretty much destroyed.  When they went to rebuild, this time the states made them “pick a side” – they had to choose which state to be in since there was different sales tax, liquor tax, etc. depending on the state.  They decided to build it all on the Florida side. 

Getting "bush-whacked" at the Flora-Bama

It is really fun!  The building sprawls -- with rooms tacked on kitty-wampus.  Every night of the week they have live music – with up to five stages going in the different rooms.  The night we were there, it was open mike night.  One young guy I really liked.  His name was Kevin Swanson - “like the broth,” as he says.  Really good guitarist, singer and as a composer, he’s quite creative!  He’s a little too country for me, but I loved his ‘unique’ lyrics.  Here's a sampling:

o   “I tied one on a little too tight last night.”

o   “Let’s make some memories we’ll never remember.”

o   “I take a walk down memory lane, ‘cause I love running into you.”

Like any good groupie, I went up to him afterward to tell him how much I had enjoyed his set.  He is hoping to release a CD in October, although his full-time job right now is serving in the Navy.  Keep your eyes open for me!

The other set we enjoyed was a duo of women about my age.  I especially loved the husky voice of the one who looked like Connie Schnepf’s sister Kay.  She was wearing shoes with funny-lookiing soles, which of course caused Dennis to pun that “She is a sole singer.”  Her voice did have a lot of soul in it, but they too sang country ballads like: “Same verse, different husband!”  Jim and I both wished we had discovered the Flora-Bama earlier in our stay. We probably would have been regulars.

On Tuesday, the 27th, we went back to The Sassy Bass.  My sister Sharon had sent us another certificate for a dinner there, so Dennis and I decided to use it to celebrate our shared birthdays.  Dennis is almost my birthday brother.  I was born on February 29^th and he was born on March 1^st, the same year.  Too bad he wasn’t a little faster out of the womb; he too could have been a Leap Baby!  

We enjoyed a great meal, a free birthday dessert... AND the opportunity to wear matching lobster hats! 

Birthday fun

All of us had to head out early February 28th.   Leaving is hard.  What a difference a month has made!  After the rains of the early part of the month, every shrub and tree has that unique spring green color, sometimes crowned with purple, yellow, white, red or pink flowers.

 The magnolia trees are in full bloom, as are the tulips.  And, we’re heading back to snow! 

First though, we'll be spending about a week going to a number of Civil Rights sites - starting with Tuskegee. This will be a more somber part of our trip, but so important.  I'm looking forward to learning - and re-learning - my history.