Day 18: Goose Island State Park, Lamar, TX. We think we’re alone now

I’ve really got to stop sleeping in. Or do I? Wind came up to shake us a bit in the night, but not for long. Two Coors Light resulted in a few too many 18 inch walks to the washroom during the night.

Speaking of night and trips to the relief room. My paternal grandfather had a number of rhymes he passed along to us when we were children.

Old King Cole was a merry old soul,
and a merry old soul was he,
he called for his light in the middle of the night to go to the w.c.,
the wind blew through the keyhole and the candle took a fit,
and old King Cole went down the hole and got all covered in…
shavings.

Morning walk was unique. Mr Tony (they use real names) was out at about the same time so we joined forces after I did the logistics of checking out of our old site and into our new one. We both walk around the neighbourhood back home every day, but rarely walk together due to different schedules and paces and such. So, we completed about the last 3 km of our walks together and had some fun chats. According to Texas law, I think we should have been carrying sidearms when walking together. Not sure though.

Post walk, all of the neighbours / neighbour’s progeny packed up and left. We had some nice goodbye chats helping ensure they all left close to the cutoff time. We disconnected and moved the 200 or so meters to our new site. It is at a slightly different angle to the wind. Pretty much everyone on this loop of the park packed up and left. It was quiet. Even the wind packed up and left for a bit. The sun never arrived.

Then the new camping neighbours started arriving. The people to our left are tenting it and started to erect their tent on our site “hoping to get out of the wind”. Based on previous accounts, you know my generosity kicked in and I asked them to set up on their own site. Generous as I could have waited until stakes were in the ground. The people on our right arrived with a rusted older trailer that had all of the normal noise making operations turned up to 11. Lower the stabilizing jack: use the drill and extend the jack well past where it has ever been extended / lubricated before. Squeak for the next 5 minutes. Oh, before you stabilize, make sure your wheels are on the down slope and only put in one of those yellow plastic chocks on each side. Stabilize before you disconnect. When they disconnected from the tow vehicle, the whole trailer shifted back a few inches. I wonder if they will be in the ocean when we wake up.

We took a lovely walk down to the other end and looked at the birds. We saw some birds. Some big birds (not the one Jim Henson created). Not Whooping Cranes though. Sad face. Maybe tomorrow.

We had a quiet time post walk while Mrs Milddogs attempted to get some last ocean side outdoor sitting time in. But between the lack of sun, coolish temperatures, wind and Mr and Mrs ClinkityClank next door, she eventually gave up.

Pre-dinner we went for another walk to the pier. It was 97% less packed than last week when the weather was good. Most of the pier was replaced after the 2017 hurricane so it is in good shape. At the end of the pier they must have been filming an episode of “Fishing Gangs of New Dock”. The dudes caught a big fish called a “mumble with cigarette in mouth”. They could not keep the fish as it was too big, they said. They released it with a big toss to the water below resulting in a big fish slap. I looked it up, it was a Black Drum and the maximum size you can keep is 30 inches.

Dinner was some salad and fresh tortilla wraps with meat and stuff. Those tortillas from the H-E-B are really good. They don’t last for months without molding like the ones at home. Perhaps H-E-B has not discovered the fine art of preservatives? Dessert was more birthday cake. We are almost out of birthday cake. Maybe we should just part ways with the rest of the cake, it might be best for us and the cake.

There was a pretty sunset. The kind you get when you get cloudy skies all day but just over there it is clear. Not the best pictures.

Tomorrow we hit the road for the Austin area. We plan to stop in Lockhart, TX. The official BBQ capital of Texas. We shall grab some meat at one of the well reviewed BBQ places there. We will probably also stop at a H-E-B for a few supplies.

Soon we may need to find a laundry facility. No, I don’t smell, my clothes do!

Running just as fast as we can
Holding on to one another’s hand