The Road to 65, Mile 86: Heirlooms

Posted by Sagittarian Seeker on February 28, 2015 in Personal goals, Social

February 22, 2015, Prescott- My paternal grandmother would have turned 116 today, a rather sobering thought. Her cooking, for a family of thirteen, depended almost entirely on organically-grown fruits, vegetables and animals. After World War II, as my father and his siblings grew up and the nest became empty, my widowed Nana went to the market and bought the freshest foods she could, paying little mind to the processed and packaged foods that were increasingly on the shelves and in the freezers. She liked the unsalted flat crackers that came in a long box, but everything else had to be frais.

We’ve slid a long ways downhill since those days. I encountered a lot of unhealthy offerings, in my recent travel across Texas and the Gulf Region. There were also several glimmers of hope, in the small artisan and organic cafes of the Panama City area, in New Orleans and in the West Texas desert. Heirloom seeds and the Ark of Taste represent sincere, concerted efforts to turn these glimmers of hope into a shining sun, with respect to diet.

The most recent issue of National Geographic Magazine makes note of the controversy over Genetically Modified Organisms, including it as one of the “War on Science” concerns, on its cover. Inside, the actual article barely mentions GMO’s, saying only that “We are asked to eat” them, and “There is no evidence that they are harmful”. This last conclusion may be true, with regard to some people, much as it’s true that not everyone dies after smoking cigarettes for five or ten years. Longitudinally, though, no one knows. Does that mean we should shuck it all, and make such foods our staples? In my opinion, no.

This evening, I helped serve a dinner, comprised of Ark of Taste food items, including Navajo Churro Lamb, wheat berries, chilipati and okra. There are over 100 items, worldwide, which have qualified for Ark of Taste. The Ark is an international effort to preserve foods and beverages whose ingredients have become endangered. It is a culinary version of the International Seed Bank, Longyearbyen, Norway. The Ark exists mainly through the efforts of growers, ranchers and culinary workers, in the areas of production. Its list of ingredients is growing, through a careful evaluation process, that emphasizes strict organic farming and animal husbandry.

Slow Food Prescott, of which I am a member, puts on this dinner every January or February. Other Slow Food groups, in several communities around the world, offer a similar meal. I believe educating oneself on the Ark of Taste is another step in overcoming the mindset of false convenience, in one’s daily diet.

The Road to 65, Mile 85: Auctions

Posted by Sagittarian Seeker on February 26, 2015 in Social

February 21, 2015, Phoenix-

I headed down here, this morning, to assist in the set-up for a major fund-raising auction at the Phoenix Baha’i Center, which was our primary spiritual gathering place from 2001-2011. It’s been renovated, in a big way, from the rather woeful state into which it was falling, during the time of Penny’s own physical decline. Still, it was a special place and we made do with what was available, in terms of facilities.

Now, there is a shine to the building, and a sense of new purpose. The auction will help repay some of the costs associated with the renovation: Ceramic tile flooring, larger and handicapped-accessible restrooms and the library moved to its own building.

Auctions are labour-intensive, energy-intensive. I admire the record-keeping skills and cross-coordination that went into today’s planning session. Two hours after we started hauling stuff in and setting up chairs and tables, every single item had a number, specific spot and minimum bid recorded, on the tag and in the Master Ledger, which is in pen and ink. It is also put in digital copy, for posterity.

My hosts and I went back to their apartment for a vegetarian lunch, short siesta and a round-the-table resolution of various social ills. At four o’clock, it was showtime, and we went back to the Center, for the intense bidding and good-natured haggling that accompanies a free-wheeling auction. It appears a tidy sum was raised- maybe not a Sotheby’s, Christie’s or Barrett-Jackson level, but an encouraging amount. Besides, we had a fabulous table of Persian cuisine, to accent the evening. Anyone who has never tried the exquisite noodle dish, known as Ash Resteh, would do well to put it on the bucket list.

The Road to 65, Mile 84: Arcaneness

Posted by Sagittarian Seeker on February 26, 2015 in Personal goals, Social

February 20, 2015, Prescott-

There has come out of Phoenix, over the past several months, a concern with Common Core- the Federally-initiated set of loose education standards, which are intended to be tweaked to the needs of states and localities. Because the Federal guidelines are so general, Common Core has appeared, to the average person, as a mishmash of convoluted lesson plans and circumlocution.

In most instances, Common Core has been fit to the state levels by panels of local educators. The overriding concern, however, has been the mere fact that it is a byproduct of FEDERAL initiative. There has been a fair amount of obfuscation and deliberate taking things out of context, so as to change education back to- “Heck, I don’t know. Just make it something patriotic, adulatory of the Founding Fathers, pro-sports, useful for getting minimum-wage jobs, keeping the riff-raff in their place, and making Might the Master of Right.”

The only move the critics of Common Core have made thus far, here in the Grand Canyon State, is to institute a mandatory Civics Test, for those wanting to graduate high school. That’s fair enough. People who master Civics are less likely to be bamboozled. All the same, there is nothing in Common Core that forbids or discourages mastery of Civics, or of any other subject. We had a few years ago, in the Dysart Unified School District, in Surprise, AZ, west of Phoenix, something called Core Learning. There were, in the social studies classes in which I taught, off and on, specific units on which it was felt everyone should focus: The War for Independence, Slavery, the Civil War, World Wars I and II, the Great Depression. I filled in the gaps, though it was discouraged by the administrators. Several students, though, were more than glad to examine the Industrial Revolution, Gilded Age, the Spanish-American War and the Dust Bowl.

My point is that Common Core is a basic framework, not United Nations mandated indoctrination. There are frivolous, off-center lesson plans being advanced in its name, but these have occurred in the names of any of its predecessors, from “A Nation At Risk” to “The First Days of School”, as well as “No Child Left Behind”. Arcaneness is a peculiarly American aspect of education, more reflective of our freedom of expression, than of any Globo-stomp, Monolithic control of what kids learn.

I had these thoughts as I supervised groups of middle school students, who were working on learning somewhat arcane computer design applications, during the course of today.

The Road to 65, Mile 83: Purging

Posted by Sagittarian Seeker on February 25, 2015 in Social

February 19, 2015, Prescott-

The calls resumed even before I reached the El Paso city limits. Neediness knows few boundaries, in its self-perceived desperation. I bought some assurance of being left alone, so as to continue my drive in concentration and in peace.

I realize that I do not want a constant presence in my life that sucks that life out of me. I do not want someone in my business, constantly. I do not want to be tethered, or bled financially, drop by drop. My involvement in dealing with the dispossessed can’t be of such a form as to make me one of them. We all have a part to play in ending homelessness, but the solution can’t be piecemeal and it can’t be of such pressure tactics on individuals like me, as to breed resentment.

I feel tense, and a bit angry, at having to fend off constant requests for money- which I have to make last, a long time, ( thus my propensity for eating sparingly,for keeping my energy costs low, and, when traveling, for staying in cheap motels in winter, and campgrounds in warmer weather). Housing people in my apartment is forbidden by my landlord, and I am obedient to the terms of my lease.

On the other hand, when those who claim to be serving veterans and other homeless people adopt a piecemeal, almost capricious approach to service, enticing groups of men to their shelter and then staying closed in cold weather, they leave the people with no choice but to find abandoned homes, sleep in the forest, or in storage units, of all things. Utah offers small houses to their homeless, taking people off the streets and storefronts.

Thankfully, the local Interfaith Council has a meeting on this subject next month. I will encourage as many of the people who approach me for what I don’t have to give, to show up, presentably, at this meeting and at Prescott City Council meetings, and speak respectfully and as eloquently as possible, on what the current non-system of dealing with this issue is doing to the entire community.

We cannot continue,as a society, to think that putting people on buses out of town or merely thinking they will dry up and float away, will purge the issue from our midst. Quite the contrary, the numbers of dispossessed will only grow, as long as the issue is ignored. I know this, because I housed as many as ten people, over a three year period, when we lived in Phoenix.

The Road to 65, Mile 82 ( and the Twilight of Mile 81): Big Bend’s Outskirts

Posted by Sagittarian Seeker on February 24, 2015 in Social, Travel

February 17- 18, 2015, Marfa-

Big Bend National Park is way off the course I set for myself, upon leaving San Antonio, yesterday afternoon. I drove from Lackland AFB to Del Rio, almost without stopping. Uvalde is a nice town, which I visited in 2012, and may again, some day. Del Rio looks worth a few days, but at that point in time, it was rush hour and, even in that small town, things were a bit too congested for my frame of mind. So, onward it was, with a twenty-minute break overlooking the serenity of Amistad Reservoir, just past Comstock. I get the sense that one could meander for a dog’s age, along this section of Rio Grande/Rio Bravo- clear to Langtry, or down to Devils Lake, going the other direction.

When I got to the confluence of the Rio Grande and the Pecos, there was enough light left for a couple of keepsakes.

It was not so, when I pulled into Langtry, the home of the infamous Roy Bean. Everything was shut tight, and ghost towns aren’t much fun in the dark, so the place remains on my to-do list, for sometime between now and the Great Beyond.

I ended Tuesday in the small, “not much here” town of Sanderson, with its five motels, three restaurants (lunch and dinner, and closed at 8) and a sizable Stripes gas station, whose chimichanga and burrito were my 8:45 PM supper. I was grateful for the hospitality at Budget Inn, which offered a tray of snack foods, “just in case they’re all closed”, and a light India-style breakfast of sweet chai, crunchy puffed rice and a biscuit, this morning.

The road west, out of Sanderson, heads across the Chihuahua Desert, towards three unique and artsy towns: Marathon, Alpine and Marfa.

The foothills of the Chisos Mountains loom to the south.

Marathon (MA-ra-thun) is the most traditionally Western of the three, though Alpine has the Cowboy Poets Festival (Feb. 26-28) and Marfa has the supernatural aura.

I stopped in Marathon for a sausage biscuit and coffee at Johnny B’s, and a look-see next door, at the Gage Hotel. The welcome at Johnny’s was a hearty “Howdy Do” and about five cups of coffee, in a twenty-minute stool sit.

The Gage is a solid, old-fashioned business hotel, with a satisfied group of return clients, from what I saw this morning.

Alpine, on this Wednesday morning, was all business. Sul Ross State College is the largest institution and employer in town. Lawrence Sullivan Ross was another of those larger-than-life Lone Star figures, associated with the Republic of Texas, the Confederate Army and Texas’ full-blown recovery from Reconstruction. Sul was governor of Texas for two terms, refused a third, and took on the establishment of Texas A & M University. After he passed, in 1898, the Legislature named the University of the Big Bend, in his honour.

The downtown is dignified by three distinct churches:

Here is First Christian Church.

Down yonder, with the dome, is First Baptist.

Lastly, we find First Methodist,holding down the east side of town.

With all God’s children thus covered, here are a few shots of the commercial side of Alpine.

This edifice offers services for the disabled and abused, with handicrafts programs and a small store for the sale of the products.

I had intentions of taking lunch in Marfa, at the Thunderbird Cafe, which is also a culinary training facility, so I left Alpine and crossed the northern edge of the Chisos.

Marfa’s downtown features El Paisano Hotel, and Presidio County Courthouse. Marfa has an active arts scene, partly inspired by the eerie “Marfa Lights”. It being broad daylight, I set that thought aside. I will be back in this area, for a Big Bend- Fort Davis fortnight, sometime between April and November of 2016. In the meantime, here’s Marfa.

El Paisano Hotel was founded by Trost and Trost, in 1930. It served as James Dean’s stomping ground, during the making of the film, “Giant”, in 1955.

Even though Alpine holds the Cowboy Poets Gathering, Marfa gives it a good boost. Out here, neighbours are neighbourly.

Presidio County Courthouse’s dome may be seen fifty miles out, on a clear day, or so the tale goes.

First Christian Church is content to be seen from the edge of its own street.

Downtown Marfa has several fine old Art-Deco buildings, along its main drag.

The Thunderbird is a restored business hotel, and has the town’s most dependable lunch spot, the culinary institute. It is unsigned, but for a small rectangle saying “Lunch”.

The institute is across the street from the above hotel sign. The entry is one block south, behind this creative wall of native stone.

The courtyard was filled with appreciative locals, with whom I enjoyed lovely deli items and nouvelle-Mexican cuisine. The pulled pork reuben was a marvel, and definitely worthy of both the time it took to prepare and the $ 11. 00 price.

Yes, I will definitely be back this way. Home was calling though, so I did the rest of the way, to Van Horn, through El Paso, Las Cruces, Deming and Lordsburg, in short order- which meant four hours. Dinner was at another gem- La Casita, in Thatcher, AZ.

I felt at home, sitting at the counter as the booths and tables were full. The take-out trade was also fast and furious. La Casita’s food is that good. I was touched that the owner gave each of his waitresses a break, with fried ice cream as a treat. I filed that item in my head, in case I get back here during a lunch hour.

The rest of my jaunt homeward took three hours, so by 11:30, the quixotic and chaotic were done, for another few weeks, at least.

The Road to 65, Mile 80: Lundi Gras

Posted by Sagittarian Seeker on February 22, 2015 in Social, Travel

February 16, 2015- Pearlington to Luling, With A Good Dose of NOLA

The Pearl River divides the eastern nub of Louisiana from Mississippi, before joining the Gulf of Mexico. It’s a working man’s river, so there were dozens of fisherfolk already at work, when I moseyed on through, on this President’s Day morning. It is a gray day, payback for three days of Florida sunshine. This was Cajun Land, though, and the good times would roll, regardless.

A few miles westward, Lake Pontchartrain unfolded, in all its Southern Cousin to the Great Lakes glory. It, too, is a working man’s waterway, and many were likewise hard at labour, on its shores. My brief visit was to Irish Bayou, on the southeast corner of the lake.

My main stop of the day, though, was New Orleans. Granted, the Big Event in Big Easy was to come tomorrow, but my Life Path would have me elsewhere by the actual Mardi Gras, and besides, this is a SEASON with which we’re dealing, not just a one-day deal. So, I parked at the Ten-Hour for $5 Lot, across from Basin Street Visitor Center, and made my way, slowly, towards Bourbon Street.

The first order of business was an homage to the departed, at St. Louis Cemetery.

New Orleans’ skyline seems to have recovered quite a bit from 2005’s tempests and trials.

The Business District would wait for another time, though. Bourbon Street was the main focus. The Toulouse route was a bit on the quiet side.

Things started popping, and beads flying, once I reached the edge of Bourbon.

Having filled up on gumbo a few days earlier, I was happy with a jumbo slice of pizza. There was no seating, but the doorway gave a fine vantage point for what was going on outside.

An Earth Angel was sending bubbles down on the happy crowd, from one of the ubiquitous balconies.

Bourbon, at lunchtime, was getting beaucoup crowded, always a good sign. I managed to garner four sets of beads, besides the small one I was given yesterday, in Ocean Springs.

It’s a nice idea, but I won’t be ready for this, for a good while yet.

The bayou, that would be worth a week or so of camping among the Cajuns!

Although today was not a parade day, some krewes were out for a spin anyway.

As I walked back towards Basin Street, Simon Bolivar was there, reminding us of the spirit off freedom that was starting to stir in the Gulf Region, at the dawn of the 19th Century. The enslaved, however, would not taste of liberty until our nation had nearly been rent asunder.

Once back in my car, I made an investigation into the listed address of New Orleans Baha’i Center. Shades of Brussels, the Baha’is have moved- the place is now a snow cone establishment. Today, being 50 degrees, was not a day for me to enjoy such fare. I headed out of town, accompanied by rain, clear to Luling, TX,my stop for the night. Lake Charles, however, has Steamboat Bill’s, right off the highway and packed to the rafters with diners- some of whom were headed to the Big Easy. I was good with a pile of catfish and hush puppies, and the company of a stuffed gator.

Three hours later, I was fine and dandy at Luling’s Coachmen’s Inn.

The Road to 65, Mile 79: Beach Trees, A Cannoli, and That Blissful Honky Tonk

Posted by Sagittarian Seeker on February 21, 2015 in Social, Travel

February 15, 2015- Panama City to Waveland I am a bit of a stick-in-the-mud, when it comes to breakfast. I want no fried, boiled or poached eggs, no bananas and I think keeping the heavy to a minimum is good- so very little, in the way of biscuits and gravy, hits my plate. I did, however, leave my friends’ home in Panama City, with a fair amount of freshly picked kumquats. They are a fabulous snack food, and full of Vitamin C, being the only citrus fruit which may be eaten, rind and all. I will hold these exquisite people in the highest regard, though, I’m not in the market for any of the various ladies with whom Host might want to arrange a relationship. My presence in anyone else’s life is too fleeting. Nonetheless, goodbyes don’t come easy.

The road between destinations always throws in its share of bounties and bestowals. That’s the magic of the journey. So it was, that I left Panama City, headed for Pensacola, with at least the intention of spending a couple of hours poking around the historic sights and sounds of Escambia Bay. There was, as it happened though, the chance of connecting with my friends from Alabama, down in Ocean Springs, MS, for a day or so. Mental arithmetic led to my decision to put off Pensacola and Mobile, until an as yet undetermined “next time”. I did stop at Shrimp Basket, in Pensacola, for a take-out lunch. That was a good thing, as Sunday lunch in the Florida Panhandle means wearing one’s Sunday Best. My attire was neat, clean-and very casual. The crab cakes, though, were very tasty, once I got to that picnic table, outside Ocean Springs. The view of the channel at the rest area, west of Pascagoula, was comforting in itself.

I called a new friend, who happened to be in Ocean Springs, and was pleased to share an hour or so, in that splendid little town, consisting of the two villages of Bienville and Iberville. We met outside the old Rail Station, as he walked towards my car.

As you might guess, he, too, is taking the slow and easy approach to life, at least for a time.

We took the jeep to the beach area, after savouring coffee, and, at least in my case, a cannoli, at the only Coffee House in town.

The beach here is a blend of sand, due to the recovery efforts from the Great Hurricanes of 2005.

You can see that there are still some stands of cypress trees and pin oaks, along the Causeway, north of the beach.

The Gulf here shimmers as well as it does everywhere, belying the ongoing recovery efforts from the Deep Water Horizon, which only the fishermen still feel.

Well, the pelicans feel it, too. They were gathered this fine evening, on posts at the end of an old pier.

The beach towns have always been places to while away a day, in gentlemanly fashion. Had this been a weekday, chances are some would be gathered in the beach-side park, for a game of chess.

They’d have been greeted with a fine message.

A suspension bridge connects Ocean Springs with the barrier islands just to the south.

Downtown Ocean Springs had celebrated Mardi Gras, just a few hours earlier, as had several towns along the coast. There were beads and other mementos of the festivities, strewn along the sidewalks. In this grand scheme of life, even Man’s best friend gets in the act.

Saying farewell to my friend, I headed further along, to Biloxi, another fine old French-heritage site. Before I ran out of daylight, some lovely memoirs of the Mississippi that was, showed themselves during an hour’s walk.

Here is Biloxi City Hall.

The Magnolia Hotel is Biloxi’s Grande Dame. It was built in 1847.

Mary Mahoney’s French House is the city’s premier restaurant.

The white sand beaches, though, are a key element of what keeps Biloxi thriving.

My last photo of the evening came with a brief stop at the grounds of a place bound to evoke mixed emotions for the history buff: Beauvoir, the Jefferson Davis Home and Library. Knowing the past helps shape the future, so on a future sojourn, I may well stop here and learn just what made the man form such an alternate view of how America was to evolve.

The night did not come in a shy manner. I continued on, through Pass Christian, which had just finished its Mardi Gras parade, Bay Saint Louis, where none of the Mom and Pop motels had their Welcome lights on, to Waveland, where I got a modest-sized room, for a premier price- this being so close to Mardi Gras and all. Dinner was cheap, though, at Third Base Bar and Grill, a honky tonk which is one of the most convivial places I’ve yet had the pleasure to visit. This is country Mississippi as I wish it had been in the 60’s, everyone getting along, without regard to who was from where, or from what background. I was treated just fine, with my mushroom Swiss burger, lightly-oiled fries and a pitcher of ice water- me being a teetotaler and all.

The journey becomes a destination, in and of itself.

The Road to 65, Mile 78: All Love’s Labours

Posted by Sagittarian Seeker on February 20, 2015 in Entertainment, Hiking and Nature, Social

February 14, 2015- Panama City, FL. Actors have an open-ended mission: To relieve tension in their audience, but also to incite thought. This is as true of those who devote themselves to small-city “stock” theater productions, becoming more intimate with both their audiences and their crews, as it is of those who stride the Red Carpet on awards night.

The rehearsal on which I sat in, this lovely north Florida morning, was intent on taking the viewer/listener back to childhood: Specifically, it addressed the Spelling Bee, on the surface level, and the issues of parents living through their children and the resulting effects this brazen, immature vicarious life has on the child, on the more crucial, underlying, level.

Two hours of love were put into this endeavour, at least from the actors’ perspective. There will be more, before the February 20 presentation. The troupe presents before school groups, so this play will hit home, for any child who is in an activity for the sake of his/her parents.

I started the morning watching my hosts’ dogs play, in the back yard. Dogs have the right perspective: Only do what feels right, do it as a team, and mess around a bit, while doing it.

The actors have the team thing down, and so will get through the production quite well. My host is one of the best at this, and while messing around is not on her agenda- there is no one who has more fun with her work.

The Martin Theater, where the production will first be staged, is a venerable institution in Panama City, and was a key USO site during World War II, when north Florida was a key staging area for the European Theatre of the conflict.

The murals on its south wall reflect the spirit of that time of national teamwork, and determination. Womankind in those days was far more than Rosie the Riveter. Style and grace remained key elements of maintaining morale.

After the two-hour practice, there was a new mission: Lunch. Where better to begin this important search, than at a Farmer’s Market. Panama City has a fine one, in the St. Andrews neighbourhood.

We found lots of arts, crafts and fresh vegetables, but a complete meal required crossing the street- to Little Village, a lovely old house that was converted by its owner into a small restaurant, bar and gift shop complex. It reminds me of a similar arrangement in an airplane hangar, at Oceanside, CA.

Little Village is certainly well appreciated by the residents of Panama City: The place was packed, and we got stuffed by the amazing Veracruz-style Mexican cuisine. Music was provided by a pianist-singer, evoking a cross between Billy Joel and Carlos Santana.

I was beginning to think that I might end this journey looking like these fellows.

We decided to walk off the meal, as best we could, and drove to St. Andrews State Recreation Area, first visiting Gator Lake, an encounter with a swamp environment. The signature creatures were nowhere to be seen. Of course, it was early afternoon, and alligators usually prefer to be out and about in the morning.

The sand here is the whitest I’ve yet seen, being largely the result of shell deposits.

Needless to say, Host and I were both in our elements.

The afternoon would not have been complete, though, without going across the parking lot and seeing the fabulous stretches of pure white sand and rather feisty surf.

This was a very full St. Valentine’s Day. As much as sourpuss revisionists like to put down the Patron Saint of lovers, I like to think his devotion to his chosen mission was a path of love, much like that of the actors whom I watched last night, and this morning.

The theme of real love continued on into the night, as we sat in my hosts’ living room and watched “The Good Lie”, wherein Reese Witherspoon teaches, and is taught by, four refugees from Sudan. We did so in segments, around the work of loving parents who put their son and his needs first. Later this evening, with my exhausted hosts gone to bed, I had the pleasure of talking with another house guest, an amazingly insightful boy of twelve, for about ninety minutes of free-ranging exploration of just what is needed, in order for families that are fragmented, to reconnect and ultimately thrive. I think the man-child will do just fine.

The Road to 65, Mile 77: As Luck Does Have It

Posted by Sagittarian Seeker on February 17, 2015 in Hiking and Nature, Social, Travel

July 13, 2015- Panama City, FL Yes, I believe from now on, I will add location to my datelines. I am back on track, writing, after several days of focusing just on what’s in front of me. Today, I connected with two friends: One, an extended family member who’s in an exile, of sorts and the other, an online friend who’s been after me to come by this town, off and on, for the last three years.

So, here I am, in lovely northwest Florida. The area does seem more soul-connected than some other parts of the Sunshine State, but maybe that’s because its heritage, along with that of St. Augustine and the northeast, runs a bit deeper. I began my visit by lunching with said family member at Gary’s Oyster Shack, in Springfield, about five miles east of PC. My eponymous restaurant host was a taciturn sort, a bit reserved, but he and his kids put forth some great Low Country Boil, and a full range of other dishes. It’s great to be back dining by, and of, the sea.

After an hour’s conversation, I bid farewell and Godspeed to my friend, and leaded forth to downtown Panama City. Walking around the seemingly defunct Hawk’s Nest Bar and Grill, I spotted signs that the place was once a fabulous place at which to while away an afternoon, or an evening. The woods outside make for a fine picnic spot.

Murals most often tell a good story, as this one does.

Then, there is the front veranda and patio- one of the great appeals of the Coastal South.

Back along the waterfront, there is a crowded marina- reminder of fishing’s prominence here.

I walked along the coastal path, crossing a drawbridge- the oldest working such bridge in these parts.

Towards the end of the road, there were several lovely historical homes. Some are large, like the Howell/Hobbs House (1909).

Others were cottage-style, like the McKenzie/Pickens House (1918).

These homes are in grand proximity to some of the clearest ocean anywhere.

My host later explained to me that there are pools of fresh water, parallel to the ocean, and that alligators traverse between the two water supplies, feasting on the best of both.

I was in need of a rest, and of wifi, after this fine little outing, and so repaired to Willows British Tea House, just up Harrison Street, as it happens, from the Martin Theater, where I would observe a play practice in a day or so. The awning shows where Willows is located. There were some ladies inside, who did not wish to be photographed, so this is as close as I choose to show the lovely establishment. Here, I finally connected with my host, and arranged to meet her at the Martin. After a refreshing pot of orange tea and a piece of lemon cake, I headed for the theater.

Here is a scene from the Martin Theater’s lobby. It has a long exchequer of fine performances, and still serves as Panama City’s center for showing art cinema.

That evening, after a marvelous meal of gumbo and rice, Kelly, Fernando and I headed for Kaleidoscope Theater and watched a pleasing, though overlong, production of a play entitled “There’s A Burglar In My Bed”- a British-style farce, where several people got in one another’s way, mostly in an inadvertent manner. It’s all great fun.

The Road to 65, Mile 76: Happiness Is A Hot Wheels Tattoo

Posted by Sagittarian Seeker on February 14, 2015 in Social, Travel

February 12, 2015, Marianna to Sylacauga- Today was a day of few photographs. The central purpose of my drive up to Sylacauga, midway between Montgomery and Birmingham, on the Beeline (U.S. 231), was to lend a listening ear to a young friend. Alabama has lots to offer the visitor, but for this journey- it was enough to visit the Welcome Center at Madrid, enjoy a couple of barbecue meals (lunch at Smokin’s, in Wetumpka and dinner at Larry’s, in Ozark, where I spent the night), and sit conversing with my friend, while her toddler alternated between playing in the McDonald’s rumpus area and coming over to get our attention. That’s what 3-5 year-olds have to do, to make sense of their slowly unfolding world.

I began the day in Marianna, about an hour west of Tallahassee. I had spent the night there, at Best Value Motel, and did my laundry at a nearby coin-op. I had an interesting conversation with the owner of the laundromat and one of the other patrons. The owner was a native of Marianna, and has watched it go through several changes. To him, having grown up and stuck with the city’s West Side as home, the gradual deterioration of family values and increase in crime and dysfunction were not things he foresaw. On the surface, things in that area look quite peaceful, but he advised me not to walk around much, at that hour of the night (It was 8:30). I only had to walk next door, so it was no problem.

This morning, I took a walk around downtown Marianna, after breakfast at Bobbie’s Waffle Iron. The mood in the breakfast spot was a bit colder than that at Jim’s Buffet, the night before. I was pretty much served quickly and expected to eat and leave quickly- with some men at the other end of the place muttering about “stranger over there”. No one bothered me, though, so I just went on about my exploration.

I checked out some of the noteworthy buildings and an obelisk commemorating the Confederate Veterans. I noted the difference between First Baptist and First Methodist.

The Confederate Obelisk stands in front of an apartment building, in the center of Marianna.

Leaving Marianna around 10 AM, I made good time along the Beeline. Here are some scenes from the Madrid, AL Welcome Center. Composting is done with watermelon rinds, by shredding them.

This Army helicopter is a reminder of Alabama’s strong military presence. Fort Rucker is not far away, and the regional airport is named for Igor Sikorsky, the inventor of the chopper.

Alabama has welcomed me nicely, each time I have passed through.

I didn’t take any photos of Sylacauga or of my friend, Christy and her son. The mood didn’t feel right. Little man was quite tired, it being mid-afternoon and all. He was, however, quite proud to show me his Hot Wheels tattoo, so I know a bond was starting to form. His mom and I talked for a short while about things that concerned her, and I think she felt a bit better afterward. That is time well-spent.

I headed back downstate, and took a room at Ozark Motel, 3 miles north of the town of Ozark- close enough, so that I would be on track for Friday’s two meet-ups, in Panama City. Time grooves on.

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