One Last Ode to Margaret

After half a century of living (give or take a few years) there are times when I look back at my life and wonder at the great and not so great decisions I have made in my life and the results, both good and bad.  Nope, not going to go into the marriage discussion here.  By far the one decision that has had the greatest impact on my life was joining the U.S. Navy (OK, I admit there were times while I was in that I thought it was the dumbest idea ever but that's another story).  In so many ways it changed me and made me stronger.  It was truly the first time I really got out of my comfortable life and pushed myself hard.  Habits I still follow through on today. 

Margaret on the right with
another WAC in London
during the war.

But perhaps the greatest reward of my naval career was a World WAR II WAC named Margaret.  OK, I realize that sounds like a great leap, but... if I hadn't joined the Navy I wouldn't have been a woman veteran who was introduced to Harriet a World War II WAVE who was organizing a group of women veterans in Middle Tennessee who asked me to give a lady named Margaret a ride home one day which began a friendship that lasted 18 years... whew....  Did you follow all that?


I have always been fascinated with World War II both as history and sociology, but I won't go into the lecture here.  And Margaret was a living, breathing encyclopedia of that period.  No, better.  She lived that period to its fullest.  Not a week went by that I didn't spend at least one visit with her and listen to her stories.  In fact, in the mid 90s I introduced her to the world of the internet and armed with her new identity, WW2WAC, she was off telling her stories to the world.  At first timid, by the end of her life, she was answering some 50 or so emails a day and scanning the web for articles she could contribute to. 

Margaret never had children and her husband had died about 5 years before we met.  She lived on the 11th floor of a senior high rise near Vanderbilt where she kept a pair of binoculars near the big picture window in her livingroom.  I'll let you wonder what she was seeing from up there.  But more than anything she loved telling about her wartime experiences.  She frequently spent her own money to purchase women's WWII memorbilia and then turn around and donate those items to university programs focused on that period. 

My buddy Margaret

When Margaret died in 2010 she still had several items that needed to be sent to the WWII studies collection at Florida State University in Tallahassee.  I've been toting these items around in my storage area since I sold the house and finally this week I was able to deliver those items to the archivist who worked with her over the years.  In fact, Joan drove out to my campsite to receive the items and discuss Margaret, who she never met except through the internet, even though she retired from FSU last year.  The lady had that kind of an influence on you. 

A Lucky Find

My view with back to the gulf

Close up for my readers

One of the things I really like about traveling the county and state highways as opposed to the interstate system is finding little gems I would have missed.  Today I want to tell you about my latest find along highway 98 which runs along the Gulf Coast of Florida (and on to Texas but I'm not ready to go that far today).  I had planned to drive as far as Mexico Beach, about 30 miles from Panama City, stopping along the way to walk on the beach, collect shells, and maybe find a geocache or two.  Mother Nature changed my plans.  At first I was upset about missing out on the beach combing, but with winds gusting up to 30mph I wasn't about to argue with her.  I stopped at a beach use area because I saw a restroom there.  As I walked back to the car I noticed an historical marker (and if you're wondering why I didn't notice it when I parked you've obviously never been with me when my bladder is full!).  A quick check on my phone told me there was a museum in town dedicated to these wartime residents and why they were here.  My navigator app took me straight to it. 

Now I have been to several museums and shows about the war so this one was cool to me because it focused on the men and women who were here to meet a specific mission.  There was no admission charge but a donation is always accepted.  I dropped a few bucks in the donation box and started in the first room just as a woman anounced she would be taking viewers out to see the vehicle exhibit, so away I went.  The vehicles were pretty typical with a little twist.

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 There was a duck boat like the ones used to deliver soldiers to the beaches, a typical army jeep restored to really nice condition.  I've seen a lot of jeeps over the years but this was the first one I've seen with the wire cutter on the front.  This was there to cut wire strung across the road in hopes of decapitating the driver and any passengers.  Nice little factoid there.  But what really caught my eye was the German utility vehicle.  Looks like a typical Volkswagon from the front but the back end is more like a truck bed. 

Must say I've never seen one of those. 


Back inside I perused the many rooms of uniforms and ephemera related to the war.  I was glad to see a WAVE officer uniform and a presentation dedicated to a Navy nurse who had served here.  There was a looping tape of local vets telling their stories as well as a section dedicated to some of the POWs who were held here during the war.  One German POW was held here for over 2 years then repatriated to his home and later brought his family to the U.S. to become citizens. 

So it turned out to be a nice day for visiting a museum that I wouldn't have even known existed if the winds hadn't been blowing so hard.  Pretty cool how the universe steers your course, huh?

A Little Birdie Nest

While in Cedar Key I enjoyed daily bike rides across the island both alone and with some of my fellow campers.  I discovered a long boardwalk through the marsh near the old city cemetery which ends at a playground and fitness trail.  One day I was walking across and noticed some people standing and staring up into the tall pines.  I looked up to see the attraction and there it was - a nesting osprey.  Not as neatly composed as the eagle nests I've seen at Reelfoot Lake, but every bit as large.  We all stood and chatted for a while as the lady of the nest shouted warnings to us to say back from her home.  Guess she didn't know we couldn't fly up and get a closer look

Doesn't he look threatening? 

Later I rode my bike past the school (yes, there is one school on the island which houses K-12 and it's not very large) and heard that warning cry, but I was too far from the boardwalk.  I stopped and looked up to see that another pair of osprey have set up housekeeping in a nest atop a utility pole behind the athletic field.  In this case one of the pair was on the nest and the mate was on a pole closer to the road shouting out warnings to trespassers.  I just had to laugh.  If my Will knew he'd get to see osprey on the nests everyday he'd be rushing to school! 

Look closely atop the poles

 

See the nest?  And the lookout on the nearby pole?

Looks messy doesn't it?

Magic Words To Me

The next time I'm at the dentist and she says, "Close your eyes and think of someplace really relaxing" I only have 2 words to say: Cedar Key


.

Can't miss the entrance!

My week there was waaayy too short.  The folks were so good to me and easy to get to know and spend time with.  I do wish I could have stayed longer but at best, I can hope to get back there next year and believe me, next time it will be for at least a month!  To all my friends I left there, well, I'm jealous.  To all my friends and readers who haven't been there yet, ya' gotta go.  No, wait, if too many of you go there won't be room for me.  So sit back and enjoy the view.  It's real old Florida style.

The park where I camped is called Sunset Isle RV Park but I forgot to get a picture of the sunset.  Just too busy I guess. 

View of the camp from across the water.  No you can't see my spot.



Very old Florida style


 

 

Next door is the place I really see Ann staying when she visits me here. 











The Tiki Bar is literally steps from your room Ann (and not many steps from the hammock).









The Tiki Bar doesn't look like much from the water but up close you will see some really unique use of old wine and liquor bottles.  Wish I could have gotten a photo of the morning sun shining through the glass.

Just follow the signpost to get here

I really liked the continuation of the bottle theme on the gates
near the hammock that lead to the private garden.

But Aren't You Lonely?

I get asked a lot of questions about life on the road.  One of the most common ones is about loneliness and lack of friends.  Well I can tell you that I am only alone when I choose to be.  There is a large tribe of folks out on the road like me.  We meet in parks and campgrounds wherever we travel.  It takes very little discussion to find common ground and before you know it you have a new friend that you spend some time with here and may meet up with somewhere down the road.

Last winter I worked at a campground just outside the entrance to the Okeefenokee NWR for 5 months.  I still hear from my UP'er camp buddy on ocassion through Skype.  And just last week I got a text from Herman and Linda, the other campers I worked with there, that they were working at a retreat 20 miles from where I was camped.  So we got together for the afternoon and caught up with each other.  The next day I left the Ocala National Forest and started heading west leaving Herman and Linda behind but catching up with my constant companions on NPR.

Yes, that's right, National Public Radio.  No matter where I go I can always find those same familiar voices keeping me informed on the news, new books, movies, even music.  And of course there is the entertainment.  Every Saturday night, whether I'm driving down the road or sitting in my camp, Garrison Keillor is there to entertain me for 2 hours.  I know I'm a geek, and an English major, and a bit off my rocker.  So that makes me a natural fan of his show.  His bits about the POEM (Professional Organization of English Majors) most of whom are working as burger flippers and other less than exciting jobs, just crack me up.  And the Guy Noir skits are great too. 

But it isn't all nerdy fun.  Click and Clack on Saturday afternoon are hysterical and I know next to nothing about cars.  They are actually 2 brothers from Boston who sprinkle a little car advice to call in listeners while cracking up the audience with their jokes.  This show also makes me miss my brother Clint a little, but it is just hysterical some times. 

Of course there is also my Tennessee license plate.  Not a week goes by that I don't have someone take a look at the plates and ask what part of Tennessee I hail from.  In the past week I've met a man from Pulaski, a couple from Florence, AL, and another couple from Decaturville.  New friends with common ground instantly!

So, am I lonely out here on the road?  Well, maybe a little sometimes.  But not for long.  I have my radio, new friends, old friends, the internet, and with luck, good cell phone coverage!

Turning North

Well, I finally made it as far south as I plan to go on this trip.  No, not Key West.  I spent 2 weeks there on active duty training and it was perfect.  I returned there during the break between Christmas and New Year's with my stepdaughter about a year later.  That was nearly 20 years ago and we still refer to it as the vacation from Hell.  I think I will keep my good memories of the 2 weeks on base there and cut my losses. 

Where I did go was the southern tip on the Gulf side of the state.  I spent 2 wonderful nights at Collier Seminole State Park.  Of course I had my reasons: 1) it's in the Everglades but it's not swampy (it's actually a hardwood hammock) and 2) it's home to the oldest cache in the state of Florida.  I mean, as long as I'm out there I might as well grab a milestone.  The hike to the cache was just under a mile and a half.  I set out about 10:30 in the morning.  Now, because of the wildlife in the area (bear, panther, and gators of course) I hung a set of chimes on my backpack.  Since I hike at a brisk pace I'm sure if it's true that every time a bell rings an angel gets its wings then I filled the skies with angels that morning.  Just as I was within 300 ft. of the actual cache (and watching for gators since previous cachers had been turned back at this point by a momma and her baby) I met up with a caching couple from Quebec who had just signed the log and were hiking out.  Between their broken English and my broken French I managed to learn that all was safe in the area of the cache so I rushed in and signed off as quickly as possible.  It didn't take me long to catch up with my new caching friends after leaving the cache.  Like I said, I hike at a brisk pace.  But sure did feel great to mark that milestone.

On my last day in the Glades I actually drove over to the area of the national park and drove a 20 mile loop through the area.  Saw lots of ibis, herons, and even a wood stork.  And yes, of course, alligators.  36 to be exact.  One even made me wait while he patiently crossed the road.  Well, it is his habitat after all.  I'm just a visitor.  After the drive I arrived back in camp in time to tear down my campsite and check out on time. 

And then I started driving north.  In case you haven't noticed by now, I tend to indulge my need for serendipity on these adventures.  I had no real itinerary in mind other than beginning to work my way up the gulf side of the state.  I listened to a local radio station and learned that the Tampa/St Pete area (in the general direction I was headed) was expected cooler temps, rain, and strong winds.  Decided that I could find just as much serendipity heading a little more northeast.  Just about sundown I pulled into an rv park about 60 miles inland from Tampa and paid for 2 nights.  The next day I left out early in the car and drove to Tampa Bay.  It is an amazing sight and the waves were really whitecapping in that wind.  Glad I had a jacket with me.  Of course I did some geocaching along the way as well. 

What I really like about geocaching is finding places and sites that I might miss had I not been looking for a cache.  There in the middle of the Sunshine Skylight bridge across the bay I found a memorial to some brave coast guardsmen who died in the bay on a foggy night.  The story really adds dimension to the sight of the water stretching out for what seems like forever.

After leaving Tampa I drove back toward camp passing through town after town of orange groves and citrus production plants.  Now this is the rural Florida I was expecting.  Stopped to do a cache at the Florida Cracker Museum and had a few laughs.  Very unique roadside attraction. 

Today I will hook up the little orange car and head out north again.  Where to?  Wherever serendipity takes me.

The Other Florida

 

Today I am driving away from the beaches to a different Florida.  The white sandy beaches have given way to rich black soil.  There are still palm trees but also

 

hardwoods and of all things cattle.  Yes, everywhere around me I see acres of open land with grassy fields and cattle grazing along with the ocassional horse.  Then the cattle fields give way to acres and acres of sugar cane.  Up the road a little ways the air smells a bit sweet as I pass a road called Sugar House and I can see a processing plant belching a plume of smoke into the sky.  Trucks pass me along the highway carrying loads of freshly harvested cane back down to the sugar house.  I did not expect to see this kind of farm life in Florida.  I guess I just think of Florida as a place of beaches and Mickey Mouse.  But the real reason I am here is to see Lake Okeechobee.  Here in the land that is extremely flat for as far as the eye can see I suddenly see dikes and levees rising up ahead of me.  And now that I am here I learn that the Big O is home to some highly sought after bass fishing.  Of course I had to stop and grab a cache along the way.  This one was in someone's front yard.  The clue said "pulled by Clyde and Dale."  I laughed quite a bit at this one.  The parking lot near Hoover Dike is still over two thirds full of trucks and boat trailers from the weekend's bass tournament.  The dikes and levees were built to control the waters after the massive flooding and destruction from the hurricane of 1926.  In fact, the "big blow on the muck" was a central action in my favorite book by Zora Neale Hurston.  The muck was the name locals called the muddy black fields the sugar cane workers lived and worked in.  And many of them died in that dreadful weather season back in 1926. Since I am driving the rv today and towing my car there are few pictures to add because it's hard to find spots to park this rig to take pictures.  You will have to take my word for the sugar cane fields.  But I was able to get a few shots of the lake.  All the while I was thinking of my brother Mike who would be content to sit in his boat on this lake and fish the days away.  I would go with him, but of course I would lay in the boat and read.  We are compatible that way.