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poor_old_dad
12-28-2004, 06:45 PM
Hello Boys and Girls, Friends I wish were neighbors, on-lookers, and others, Etc.,

While I have a chance, I want to send ya'll a "postcard from on the road".

Everything is going good (good,?, hell - it's great). The whole idea of "going walkabout", I very much recommend.

I did most of my early years "Stuck in Mobile, with the Memphis Blues again" The past few days I've been driving around, looking at houses I've lived in and other important places. A few things I've noticed:

1) There aren't any signs saying, "Poor_old_dad lived here ....." etc.
2) Trees and bushes that were small 15, or 20, or 35 years ago, are now large.
3) Some of my favorite ones are gone. They paved paradise and put up a parking lot.
4) Some haven't changed at all.

I've touched bases with some old (some of them very old) friends. I left the Mobile area in February 1990. Some of them are still complaining that they wish they could get away from Mobile. They've been doing that since 1974. A couple of friends are now divorced, one is married, one died. One couple worked long and hard and gained their success ($$$$$) and another couple fell into the same. Most are still about the same and a lot of them are still stuck in the rut (their term, not mine) they've been in (in some cases since the mid-1960s).

I've been staying with some friends (from the mid-1980s). They live in Baldwin county, across the bay from Mobile. They have a big, diverse farm. The biggest part of their operation is the sod farm. They love to say, "We grow grass." They were glad to find out that when I gave up cigarettes 2 years ago, I didn't quit smoking. And I am very happy about them being glad. There is a song, I think it's by Charlie Daniels, "Long Haired Country Boy". Got a line in it: "I get stoned in the morning, I get drunk in the afternoon." (Or is the other way around? - or both?) Well, anyhow - that's what we're doing. Shit, I've totally lost track of what I was saying.

Well, anyhow, I'm going to head over into Florida or over toward New Orleans next, but I'm already missing the farm.

John Denver, "Sometimes this old farm seems like a long lost friend."

I'll keep in touch.

Peace and love to all
Your friend,
poor_old_dad

~Sam~
12-31-2004, 07:49 PM
Hey Dad! Glad you got to go on a Walk About. Which way did you go, btw? East er West? I was bettin' on Norleans. But that means that you went to Florida.

Isn't it sumpthin how those big backyards we used to know as kids can seem So small to us when we finally make the "drive by" to look at where we used to live?

Ken and I went on a retirement real estate hunt yesterday. I'm ready to pack up bag and baggage... let me post a few pics of the property we found in the southern hemisphere...

It's 9.4 acres of sub-tropic organic property... $240 K

http://realestate.escapeartist.com/data/properties/images/29493-55513-1B6IMS2JKN.jpg
To... "Breath of Heaven


http://realestate.escapeartist.com/data/properties/images/29493-55492-2G506SKQP1.jpg
One room house... Totally off the grid



http://realestate.escapeartist.com/data/properties/images/29493-55518-240INU1HN2.jpg
Cozy, warm and dry



http://realestate.escapeartist.com/data/properties/images/29493-55486-GQUN61R61T.jpg
Waterfall/Rockpool below dwelling



http://realestate.escapeartist.com/data/properties/images/29493-55499-2BBEUBDPK2.jpg
Another pool on the property



http://realestate.escapeartist.com/data/properties/images/29493-55512-7PP822MLQO.jpg



http://realestate.escapeartist.com/data/properties/images/29493-55520-1OFC7F236U.jpg
More views of the streams that surround this piece of heaven.


Have a safe journey, and a nice arrival home...

poor_old_dad
01-02-2005, 04:17 PM
Howdy, how ya'll doin'?

First let me say, after looking at the photos, only one work comes to my mine - paradise.

Well my traveling road show left the most southern part of Alabama and went past Pensacola, through Fort Walton Beach and Destin, then north on US331 and to the town of Red Bay. Red Bay is a story all of it's own. Had 40 acres there in the late 1970s until mid 1980s. When they write the book about my life - you know, the one the movie will be based on - they'll have a list of my 5 worst mistakes and high on the list will be parting with that 40 acres.
Anyhow, from there north to Ponce de Leon, west to De Funiak Springs, south then west to Niceville, looked around there, then north to get on I- 10. On I-10, 200 miles west to Gulfport, Ms. There is a very small Po-Boy stand there that sell an Oyster Po-Boy that is worth the trip. From there it was back to Mobile. New Year's Eve was spent at a private jazz club, that was nice. Yesterday and part of today will be spent at a local hospital. Turns out one of my very best friends had surgery for prostrate cancer. My friend (I'll call him "Rick" because that's his name) and I have had such adventures that a lot of folks think he does not exist. But he does.
Later today it's "back to the farm". I've enjoyed the walkabout, but I do miss ... home. Ain't no where like it.

Peace, your friend,
poor_old_dad

ps. picture of Destin - yes the sand is that white.

~Sam~
01-04-2005, 02:48 PM
Just scouted out your journey in the Rand McNally Road Apples. Pretty nice walk about, Man.

I'm sorry to hear of your friend Rick's surgery. I hope he heals well and becomes a survivor.

I have one of those 40 acre stories too... bummer ain't it? Glad you got back home safe and sound.

Be Talkin' At'cha Soon,
Sam

teepi
01-05-2005, 08:23 PM
What I would give for an Oyster sandwich.......MMmmmm

Let me know when you're back....

Glad you had a good time and best wishes for Rick.

Every time we go to town I am happy to get away for a bit...but never as happy as when we turn back into our driveway...
teepi

~Sam~
01-05-2005, 10:47 PM
Ain't that the troof of it? Turnin' back inta the drive again, I mean.

~Sam~
01-05-2005, 10:48 PM
Ain't thet the truff of it? Turnin' back inta the drive, I mean.

~Sam~
01-05-2005, 10:52 PM
And... What would you give for an oyster sandmitch, teepi? Turns out I'm right in the heart of oyster country... I'm open to suggestions....

Sam

teepi
01-06-2005, 02:46 AM
Would that be "Mountain Oysters"???...lol

I just told Larry about the sambitches (mmmm) and he made a face, (Poor old Larry, he don't understand 'bout no seafood)

I sure miss the coast. Grew up on Oysters....one of my favorites: buy a buschel of oysters, lay them on the grill till the shells pop open, dose with a squirt of Tabasco slurp down and chase with some beer.....
Or raw on the half shell
Or casino'ed
Or Bingo'ed
Or fried
Or in a stew.
Clams too...
MMMmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

poor_old_dad
01-06-2005, 04:21 AM
Ok, to start with, ya'll have GOT to come down here and enjoy a po-boy. You'll never want a sandwich again.

http://www.gumbopages.com/food/samwiches/po-boys.html

I didn't make it back home until yesterday (Jan 4th) mid-morning.

One of the standard movie themes has been: The parent(s) are gone for a short while, the "kids" have all their friends over and the entire place is trashed, the parent returns and it's funny. Funny on the screen, not so funny when you're not in a movie and you're the parent. I say "kids", because at 19 and 21 years old you'd think ...

Never mind, I've got to get some stuff done, I'll type up a full report, and an article about my friend, Rick, and (some of) our adventures.

Peace, your home again friend,
poor_old_dad