Rain, rain and more rain

Friday April 5^th was a layover day and the rain just kept coming.  We seem to be bringing it with us as some sort of bizarre RV accessory.  St. Bernard Park is actually pretty darn beautiful even in the rain so we didn’t mind the weather.  We all had a much needed indoor day - dogs napped, Dave researched where our next few stops should be, I read and blogged.

  

We did take the dogs for a walk when the rain was just drizzling rather than sheeting and Brodie didn’t seem to mind too much.

I liked this day because rather than rely on crummy antenna tv or mindless phone apps, we listened to the frogs that were quite vocal around our site, we listened to birds and of course the rain.  It seemed to me that for the first time since we left Austin, we were enjoying what we’d set out to do – leave the modern world behind for a while and enjoy what’s around us. 

But let me take this opportunity to switch gears and confess something right now – I’ve become THAT person.  You know, the crazy person who carries their dog on a walk in a baby carrier or sling and you think to yourself “What is the point of carrying the damn dog when it’s supposed to be on a walk?!”  Yeah, that’s me. 

Brodie is not a walker.  He’s an ambler.  A sniffer.  A dilly-dally-er.  So while the rest of us are trying to get around the loop or see something cool or get some exercise, Brodie just wants to investigate what that smell is next to the dumpster.  If there’s a garbage can, trash bin, sewer dump or anything else with dubious matter in or around it, Brodie is on board.  There are times when we need to hike and move and get places and he just can’t or won’t keep up.  When he starts to drag his feet, we tuck him into the backpack and he happily rides along, catching the smells that waft by him.

We grilled bratwurst for dinner (instead of sampling the local cuisine) and I can almost imagine what you all are thinking right now, so let me play out the conversation I’m sure we’d have in person:

Blog reader:  So you guys were right near New Orleans!  That’s awesome!  Did you get to the French Quarter?

Me: No, no that didn’t work out.

Blog reader:  Wait, do you mean to tell me you got that close to the French Quarter and didn’t even go for a drink or dinner?  Why not?

Me:  Well friend, I’m glad you asked that question and the answer is threefold.  First, we would have to unhook the RV, prep it for travel, strap everyone down, make the drive to a very tiny historic district with narrow streets and find a place to park a 32 foot motor home.  Secondly, we’d have to leash up three nervous dogs and walk them around drunk people and horse drawn carriages and still not be able to go inside any restaurants or bars.  Alternatively, we could leave them in the unairconditioned RV with the whole pack howling and barking.  Neither choice sounded palatable.  Third, Dave and I would have to suit up in our rain gear and go out in the torrential downpour all to have a cocktail someplace that would, under different circumstances, be pretty awesome.  So no, it didn’t work out this time.

Saturday morning we headed toward Florida and went through Mississippi (very briefly) and Alabama (also briefly) along the way.  During the drive Dave and I had a really nice conversation about recalibrating our expectations for the trip.  Are we going to see every site and destination we want during this year?  No.  Are we going to spend more time than we’d anticipated inside some off leash dog parks?  Yes.  Can we do everything we ever dreamed of during this gap year?  No.  Can we have a lot of fun and adventures of a different kind?  Yes.  I’m learning that your happiness level directly corresponds with your expectation level.

When we arrived in Florida we stopped at the Visitor’s Center and had lunch at a nice picnic table.

I made us pita sandwiches with hummus, feta, grilled chicken and chopped veggies.  So much better than fast food.  Thank you, meal prep!

We arrived at Topsail Hill Preserve State Park outside Destin and it was HUGE!  Like a giant well-kept RV neighborhood!  Streets, parks, laundry room, shuffleboard courts, kids riding bikes, people out grilling – we agreed that this is a place we’d like to come back to for a week or more in the future.

We walked to the beach that afternoon (sadly no dogs are allowed on the beach so they stayed home) and the sand was soft and white, the water was a clear greenish blue and it was just the place we needed after all that rain.

We sat outside under the awning of the RV the first night at Topsail with a glass of wine and made a pact.   

Dave and I both deleted news apps and game apps from our phones.  No more mindless distractions.  If we only get a year of this, we’re going to make sure we use that year wisely.  You know what changes in the news from day to day?  Hardly anything.  If someone famous dies or we go to war, I’ll hear about it at some point I’m sure.  For now, we’re going to see how many animals we can spot on our walks, we’re going to listen to the sounds around us and we’re going to keep taking care of each other.  Sounds corny but hey.  We’re corny sometimes.