50 Years

 How to sum up 50 years of marriage ....

Looking back, I seem to remember many more good times than difficult ones. I have laughed more often than I have cried. This man I have been attached to for so long, aka HeWho loves me, is the most tolerant and exasperating person I have ever met.

We pulled out last Monday morning, believing that our trip was a mere 6 hours to our destination, Skidway State Park in Savannah. No hurries, we ambled along roads we had never traveled before. My view was limited, as usual from my perch on the dinette "bed" in the RV. I always ride in the back with the dogs, fearing that they might end up under the driver's feet. They are happy to be with me. Toni Louise sits right behind the driver's seat and will stick her head onto his shoulder from time to time for a pat on the head from her master.

I can only see out the window to my left, but if I scrunch way down, I have a sliver of front wind shield to see ahead. As we headed south, dressed for the cold morning on the mountain, the temperature rose steadily. When we stopped to let the canines pee, I started shedding clothes.

The camping area of this state park was wonderful. The sites were placed well apart, giving each site a modicum of privacy. I heard from HeWho that the shower house and laundry was clean and well appointed. The best part was the price! A little over $20 a night! No sewer on site, but a dump station was handy on the way out. We got decent TV reception to watch the news and a couple of programs at night. The dogs were intrigued by the woods surrounding us.

I managed to improvise on the morning potty break for the dogs. You can easily forget how convenient home is, where you simply open the door to let them out to their yard. I found an extra leash on board and ran it through the leash "handles", pulled it back through and attached the loose end to the door handle. This left me to make my coffee in peace and not have to put clothes and shoes on and go outside. This wouldn't work any other time of the day, as they are apt to explore. In the morning, they simply want to empty their bladders and rush back in. They are eager to see if I might be eating something they will want a sample of. 

On the Big Day, our anniversary, we headed downtown. Our RV is only 22' long and we chose not to tow the car. It is easier to just drive the RV, and it keeps the dogs close to where we are. Upon arriving to downtown, we discovered that parking was going to be an issue. I can't imagine how crowded it would be during the height of the season.

We circle the crowded downtown streets ...... over and over again. I saw the same scenery outside my window at least 8 times! Finally found a parking lot with plenty of openings, but HeWho drives did not want to park and scan to pay without knowing how much it would cost. We wasted 45 minutes as he drove aimlessly in circles. His wife would point out parking spots that he would pretend not to hear until they were in the rearview mirror. Finally, we parked at a Quality Inn offering public parking and paid $10 for 2 hours. May it be known that the wife had suggested this same spot 4 times before he decided it was his idea!

It was a pretty empty lot and about 2 blocks from the river front. We (I) spoke with the canines and told them we would be back very soon and warned them about barking too much. Then we headed towards the river and all the places to eat. Most people were on foot, and we felt pretty safe walking.

That was until we encountered the first set of "historical" stairs that was marked with a sign warning us to take care and descend at our own risk. They were quite steep, and the steps were tall enough that I would be pulling my knee way up as I stepped down. They were wet, as well. This was enough discouragement for me not to try them.

As we had approached the steps, I saw a young man squatting next to the wall. He was fiddling around with something and at first, I thought he might be a graffiti artist, as I had seen a flash of white. I looked to the side after determining that I would not be descending the stairs to the level below the seawall. The flash of white I saw turned out to be a white cup that he was holding under a faucet. That was strange enough, because there was nothing coming out of that faucet. Then he stood up.

Those tiny hairs on the back of my neck were standing at attention when I saw his eyes. This guy was high on something. We walked in the opposite direction until we hit a dead end and had to turn around. The guy was still there, waving his arms, like he may have seen someone he knew. No-one was there and we crossed the street to avoid him.

We finally found some steps that were steep, but not wet and carefully made our way down to the street below with all the food. It was a late lunch we sought and were not disappointed in our choices.

I can't tell you the name of the restaurant, but I had a wonderful pastrami sandwich and some slaw. We headed back outside with the intention of getting the dogs and walking along the riverfront. It started raining lightly as we walked back to the RV and came down harder after we were inside. No walk for my canines!

We decided to drive to Tybee Island and headed that way. Stay tuned ...... a parking ticket of $135 is coming up!