Of Storytellers and Goodhearted People

 Getty ready to leave Space 10

After fighting the bugs all week we ended our stay at St. Joe Peninsula State Park on a fabulous note.  We had to leave space 100 in the Shady Pines area and move to the Gulf Breeze area space 10.  Oh thank the wind gods-there was a wonderful breeze as we manuevered Ruby into her new home for the night.  After setting up Jim started to take Hailey for walk and never made it further than our next door neighbors in space #9-Johnny and Marcia from outside Gainesville.  I only wish we would have been camping next to them the entire time ! We were quickly joined by Chuck and Michelle, Tallahassee residents and the current occupants of space #8. Chuck and Michelle are the kind of visitors you love to see coming-huge smiles on their faces and hands loaded with Pina Coladas for everyone .

We sat around for hours sharing drinks and stories and I have to tell you-Southerners are the most hospitable people I have ever met, along with being incredible storytellers.  Between Johnny and his stories of their property adventures, including the hysterical account of trying to build their own island on their first piece of property to Chuck and his stories of alligators,water moccasins and bears, I thought I would fall out of my chair laughing the night away. And we won't soon forget the story of people who clip their stringer loaded with fish onto their belts as they wade out into the Gulf -oblivious to the fact that sharks do swim in the Gulf.  Or the story of a water moccasin chasing their fishing boat trying to get up into the boat to get to their fish . The stories went on and on-just a perfect evening of laughter and new friends.

Sunrise as we were leaving 

This is what we both love about camping-you meet the best people in the world-down to earth,good hearted people. They might not show up on our Facebook pages but they will always be in our hearts and memories.

We left quietly in the morning, sad to say our goodbyes but taking with us a whole list of restaurants to try out in Florida-thanks Johnny!  And Chuck gave us some advice we will always remember with chuckles-if anyone ever says " Hey watch me or Hey look at this", step back a few feet to a safety zone,grab your video camera because there will be something so riduculously stupid happening that it will garner a million hits on You Tube !!

I hope we run into these couples again while out on the road-wishing you good friends , good times and Happy Trails along the way.