Jumping Hermits

Who knew?  Hermit crabs love okra and shimmy up the stalks to eat it.  Then once at the top of the plant the scurry out on a leaf and use it as a trampoline to go down to the next level.  It's better than TV watching those guys gorge themselves.

Today is Friday so I dont have to work and am using the wi-fi at the McD on Willmington Island.  This place is hopping.  Not an empty seat in the room and retired folks flitting from table to table.  I kind of feel like I've stumbled into a subculture - not sure yet if it's a good thing.  Last night went for a swim off Tybee after work.  The waves were big due to the full moon and upcoming storm.  It was incredible.

Last Sunday was a different story.  I went out to walk on the beach after finishing unpacking.  I had on shorts and a tank top.  All the years by the Pacific.... didn' occur to me to wear a swimsuit.  Plus it was 7pm.  When even the Middle Eastern women with head coverings had on less clothes than me and were swimming it occured to me that I was the foriegner.  I cracked up laughing.

Cheers from Ga.  The storm last night was amazingly powerful.  I put up the blinds and sat in wonder.

It's Different Here

It's good to be back in Georgia but is going to take a little bit of getting used to.  It's hot all the time. 

There has already been several powerful thunderstorms.  On Thursday I sat out on Joe's dock and watched the lightening while soaking in the wind and power of the storm.  When it let up a bit I walked back up to the house and sat on the screened porch.  Joe showed up with some beer and the storm let loose in full blast. It was frightening but fun at the same time.

I got a call while we were in Moab that my background/drug tests had cleared and I could start work on Monday 6/27.  I'll work Mon-Thurs next week and then be off until July 11.  I am trying to figure out where I am going to live.  Margi and Joe are letting me stay in their guestroom.  It is really nice being here.  I got to go Jo Jo's soccer game this morning and may get to tag along to Cars2 this afternoon.  Joe is already harvesting tomatoes and okra and catches crabs off the dock everyday.

Cheers!  Kathleen

Made It!

We drove over 3000 miles and pulled into Savannah on Wednesday night.  The last day was the most difficult driving due to the over abundance of 'real' rain.  It was coming down so hard that I couldn't see out the window and followed the faint glow of the tail lights in front of me; hoping and praying that the car wouldn't stop.  A lot of people pulled off the road waiting for the storm to pass - but we kept driving.
We stopped quickly at Natural Bridge Alabama.

Tybee - dipped our feet in the nice warm Atlantic water to end the trip.  

Last Legs

James and I pulled into Savannah Wednesday night.  We didn't care for Texas too much and made it through without spending a dime.

Closed

No Tolerance - how Oklahoma brands itself

We enjoyed the Hi Lee all you can eat Chinese Buffet in Olkmolgee; where we spent Monday night.

Tuesday we pulled into Memphis around lunchtime and dropped by James' old school.  It is on Mud Island which had been flooded but seems to be drying out nicely.



Site of the BIG turnip

We then ate some BBQ and headed down to Tunica, Mississippi.  Pulled into Delta Tire right before 5:00 so James could surprise his Godfaterh Jim and say hello.

Took Hwy 4 through rice fields to Tupelo.  There were a lot of nice hotels but none of them had room for us.  After going to three places we ended up and America's Best Inn.  James coached me that I needed to act more 'southern' and maybe we could get a room.  I was welcomed by a man in red suspenders and a red tie.  He held my hand and said 'God Bless You'.  When he heard I was moving back to Georgia after living in Oregon for 14 years he sighed and said 'Praise God you got out in time!'  I must have looked taken aback because he explained that everyone knows the End is coming and it's starting with the West Coast.  It seems like I've been away for a long, long time.

Message in a Dream

James had a bad dream last night. He dreamed that he accidentally tossed his iTouch in the ocean and lost all of his pictures. He was especially upset that he lost all of his pictures of the Mormons. We take dreams seriously out here on the West Coast. So here are all of the Mormon pictures, preserved for posterity.

We will drive 500 miles...

What a long day.  We are now in Okmulgee, OK and are about to get some supper.  James saw three viable options - Chinese buffet, bbq and cheeseburger/icecream palace.

Holy Spirit Gets a Bum Rap

Even the Grotto didn't have any items to honor the Holy Spirit.  Joe thought perhaps there had been a run on them since Pentecost was last Sunday until the cashier told him otherwise.  He's not a big seller, doesn't have the following or the clout of the Big Guy and the Son.  Such a shame really.  Joe, James and I scoured the giftshop and came up with one measley holy card.  Joe kept bring up how the world is short changing the Holy Ghost and we had to agree with him.  Then today as we were driving away from the Grand Canyon on Arizona HWY180 low and behold we saw a sign.

I had to do yet another U-turn so we could go in and say a little prayer.

It was curious because there was all sorts of 'holy' graffiti written on the walls and the floor was loose gravel.  I'd never seen such before and was surprised.

James said he'd never seen a motorcycle riding airedale either (as was in Moab) or a hitch-hiker playing the trombone (as we saw on Hwy20 on the way to the coast) or a ucallali playing Mexican serenading the Arches.  Maybe the Holy Spirit doesn't really need a formal following, he seems to be making his mark just fine.

Cheers from Moriarty, New Mexico!  KB