May 2 – “Poor Deer Dears”

Ah … experiencing the wildlife.  We stopped at the visitor center for the Gulf Islands National Seashore in Mississippi.  We actually went there last year, but it was closed for Covid.  Hmm.  That sounds like a national holiday or a religious observance of some kind.  “Closed for Covid.”  But it was open this time.  In fact, we followed the ranger in as she unlocked the door.  Chris got her park stamp for her book.  WooHoo. 

 

While we were there, we experienced the local wildlife up close and personal.  Understand first of all that we were in the middle of a swamp.  We decided to check out a little path they had made next to the visitor center.  The wildlife?  Turtles?  No.  Alligators?  Nope.  These were big – no, HUGE – horseflies, or as they are affectionately called around these parts, deer flies.  Poor deer dears.  They were absolutely annoying.  And they bit.  And it hurt.  So … not a fun stop, other than the stamp.  Despite all the ranger’s efforts, there was no way I was taking a hike there.  On to Florida.

 

We stopped for lunch at a brand-new phenomenon in Alabama.  Hottest place in the whole state right now.  The place even has a mascot.  Little beaver.  Yep … they have a Buc-ees in Alabama.  Unfortunately for us, every weekend everybody from 100 plus miles around descends upon this place.  It was packed.  Madisonville can relax.  It no longer holds the top spot in our rank of  packedicity – the busiest places on earth to stop while traveling.  Inside wasn’t that bad, but when we tried to leave?  I’ll just say that it took us 50 minutes to get out of the parking lot.  No exaggeration there.  Chris was about to give them one of two lessons:

1. How to merge zipper-style, or

2. This is what Texas road rage looks like!

 

Not far down the road we ran into another traffic jam.  This one was because an 18-wheeler was broken down in the middle lane.  Well, he wasn’t actually broken down any more.  In fact, he wasn’t even there anymore.  But the traffic was still bottled up in his honor.  Then later we came upon a wreck involving three cars and a pickup hauling a trailer with a big tractor on it.  Police and ambulances were already on scene.  This one didn’t add as much time to our journey as either of the other two, and it was the only one with a real reason to exist as a slow-down.  It was probably a casualty of the intermittent thunderstorms.  Hope those don’t affect the baseball games this week.

 

One key landmark we passed was the Eastern time zone marker.  Except there was no marker.  All that waiting with camera at the ready, and no sign.  Our phones just changed over.  We lost another hour that way.  Our ETA crept closer and closer to 9 p.m.  And the darker it got, the more I knew … my time to drive was approaching.

 

We followed the Astros game on my MLB phone app.  Another one-run loss.  Those guys need to start hitting.  Against the Blue Jays they either score 11 runs or lose by one run. 

 

After yet another traffic slowdown of miles and miles – this time because of a truck with a flat tire already on the side of the road – we finally arrived at our destination sometime around nine p.m. Florida time.  Whatever time that is back in Galveston.

 

Psalms 18:2 says, “The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.”

 

Father, thank you for the safety you granted us on what were sometimes pretty slick, wet roads.  Please protect these ball players and their families as they play this week.  Micah is already pretty sunburned.  Please give him some quick relief.  Amen.