Abita Springs, LA

We made the looooong 94 mile trip from Biloxi today after stopping by Jody & Renato's place to pick up our dry laundry, a quick McDonald's breakfast stop & trying to fill the trucks tank. The BP station was out of diesel but we have plenty left in the auxiliary tank. My 27 year old Harley belt buckle has finally had it so we stopped at a Harley dealer for a new one, didn't like any and one possibility was made in China.

We went back to the park & packed up, left at 10:30 and arrived in Abita Springs at 12:30. It's a free ROD park so we ended up with 30a and water site, no sewer so we'll not stay a full week as the shower holding tank will be full. I never thought we'd get a satellite signal through the trees but Judy was optimistic and guess what......a perfect signal!

Free, Free, Free at last!

We left Gulf Shores Friday morning for the 115 mile trip to Biloxi. We returned to Foxes RV Park where we stayed last fall when visiting Jody & Renato. We had a little surprise when we arrived as two slides didn't want to work right when we set up. We got them to work without much trouble but will have to keep an eye on them as something is not right. We went over to see Jody & Renato which was great, then went to their favorite Japanese restaurant. Saturday Jody & Judy went to Mobile for hair "styling". When they returned we all went out for for lunch. We sat outside with the beach & gulf behind us. We went by the clinic where she works as you can see. That night we all went to a Mississippi Surge hockey game at the coliseum. It was quite enjoyable listening to rednecks at a hockey game in flip flops. One interesting item is when two players fight the refs allow them to remove their gloves & helmets, go to center ice and fist fight. When one falls down they both go the the penalty box. Wish I would have gotten a video. Sunday Jody & Renato rode their bikes over (3 miles) and washed the HitchHiker AND truck. THANK YOU!!!!! We then went to Newks as we were all starving. Afterwords we went to see the movie 21 Jump Street before saying our goodbyes as they return to work Monday & we head west to Abita Springs, LA.

Gulf Shores is almost in our rear view mirror

Our time in Gulf Shores this winter is drawing to a close. Our neighbor, Corn, had a fish fry this week and here is is frying fish from the gulf. We went out for one of our last meals (at Steamers) with our HitchHiker friends Paul & Dottie and Dave & Donna (even though they have a Mobile Suite) and Don & Zola.
As you can see Patches like small boxes, and we saw a nice bluebird outside our window. We have been seeing robins for a month now.
The marina & boats in strorage were next to a nice resturant we went to with Don & Zola.

Eat eat eat

Since the last post we have been socializing with many of our friends. Socializing usually means going out to eat. The bad news is that it's March so all the half price meals have now returned to full price, bummer. In the picture we were out with Don & Zola, Dave & Donna plus two of Donna girl friends who are here visiting. Today we had two HitchHiker couples show up. Ron & Roberta arrived from FL on their way to TX and are just a few sites down from us. Paul & Dottie arrived from FL going to TX today but are staying at the Escapee park in Summerdale, 16 miles north. The six of us went to DeSotos this afternoon for dinner then visited more at our place. Tomorrow we'll go up to Summerdale to LA BBQ for lunch.

We will also be migrating west to TX two weeks from today, the six of us are joining a group of 25 couples in TX for a rally. We'll stop to see Jody & Renato as we head west.

Patches is in one of her favorite places & watching anything moving out our back window in the other picture. Correction.....watching for a few minutes but really taking a loooong cat nap.

We are watching the weather monitoring all the tornadoes north of us. It has been quite warm (high 70s) the last few days but often overcast. So far all the bad weather has been to the north.

Judy won $40 Wednesday evening playing euchre at the American Legion, I won a paltry $5 Tuesday night here at the park playing euchre. We both won playing poker this afternoon here at the park.

FiFi, The Brat III plus 3 little old friends

While in Mobile we stopped to see Austel's newest Navy ship that's under construction.

Here's the P51 Mustang The Brat III. Today we went to Spanish Fort and met Jody & Renato for lunch at the Olive Garden, Dave & Donna went with us. After lunch Jody & Renato returned to Biloxi as they were going to the hockey game with all of Renato's family. Jody has always liked hockey so she took Renato to his first couple games. He likes the Zamboni too. He liked hockey so much he got his mother & brothers and their families to go tonight.

After lunch Dave, Donna, Judy & me went to the Mobile downtown airport to see the only flying B29 and a P51 that's with it on a southern tour. We have seen several P 51's but never a functioning B29. There were also 3 biplanes there & we could get right up & close to all the planes. If you want to take a ride in the B29's bombardier's position in the front with all the windows........$1500. Wanna go?

Cast is off & having fun with Dave & Donna

Judy had her cast removed on Monday 2/20 & is doing very well now with physical therapy. She wears her soft wrist brace often and is back doing water aerobics.

We have been going out with friends quite often to eat and after going to Streamers Dave, Judy & Donna posed for my cell camera by one of the many souvenir shops in Gulf Shores. Yes, we had shrimp & they were good, we remain unsuccessful eating all the shrimp caught in the Gulf of Mexico be we do try.

Just living & eating in Gulf Shores

Since my last blog entry we haven't done too much but eat. This is our 5th winter here so we have explored the area pretty much all we intend. We have been to several pot lucks, the long food line was the Valentines Day party, we also went to a pulled pork left over clean out the freezer potluck and then a pastie pot luck. There's a lady from upper MI who moved down here a few years back and she makes some GOOD pasties! We'll contact here and order a couple more. Today we joined Dave & Donna with another couple for lunch at Sea & Suds. Chuck & Chris own a HitchHiker and are passing through from FL to TX and stopped to spend a week in Gulf Shores. This is the first time we have met them but we'll all get together Tuesday after the Mardi Gras parade for lunch at Mikee's. I took a picture with my cell phone last night of the rig with the pavilon lit up behind us.