Just the Two of Us - Nov 2-3

Thursday, November 2

The morning again started too cold and windy for a beach walk.  I had some ripe bananas and everything else on hand for banana bread, so that was my morning project, along with working on this blog, catching up the days that were too full for reflection.

I didn't have a loaf pan, so I baked in a square corningware dish

After lunch, we went for a walk at the Catman Rd Trail just off 180 in Orange Beach.  OBA  offers a number of walking and biking trails, both boardwalks and inland trails.  We walked in and out for a total of 1.5 miles of flat paved walkway.

Catman Rd Trail

For supper, I used the last of the Joe Patti Shrimp to make my favorite Charleston Shrimp Gravy over grits - my version of Shrimp & Grits. It was sooo good!

Shrimp & Grits

For the past few days I have been reading "Sustaining and Disrupting."  I finished it today.  It is has very good lessons for our church as we confront who we will be in the future. Pastor Linda and I have discussed the need to update our vision for Trinity and this book would be very helpful for leaders.  I don't know how many others will be willing to engage in the discussion.  I conceived of the 2030 Project, a visioning and strategic planning project to address the questions of who/what/where do we want to be in 2030 (the vision) and how do we get there (the strategy).

Friday, November 3

The weather is getting better every day.  Today I wanted to go to the park where I've seen the pitcher plants and go again to Fisherman's Corner for lunch.  We left late morning on this quest.  Tarklin Bayou Preserve State Park is less than 15 in Florida, so we headed east.  The Park is known for being the home of four species of endangered pitcher plants as well as other rare and endangered plants.  We enjoyed seeing and photographing the white-topped pitcher plants in the bog midway along the Bayou Trail.  The trail, a combination of pavement and boardwalk was about 1.5 miles in and out. It terminates at the Tarklin Bayou Bay which empties into Perdido Bay.

We were ready for a delicious lunch after our hike and Fisherman's Corner did not disappoint.  I had the Fried Gumbo Salad again and Bill has a Fried Oyster Po-Boy on Gambino Italian Bread, a New Orleans favorite.

The day wasn't done yet! After lunch, we stopped at the Perdido Seafood Market next door and bought 2 pounds of shrimp, most to eat and some for bait.  We also got a loaf of Gambino bread.  

Back at the condo, the afternoon was perfect for the beach - not too hot, not too windy, just right!  About 4:30 we carried a couple of chairs and fishing gear down to the beach.  We stayed until sunset. Not much happened at first, but finally, Bill got some bites and caught a double of whiting.  (He was using a double hook surf rig).  A little later he got a big bite, but lost it right at the edge of the surf before we got a good look.  It was probably a sting-ray.  

It was a lovely day, start to finish!  At the end is my beach poem for today.

I am much happier than I look!

The Next One

Fisherman and Farmer
Hope and expectation
For the next cast
For the next crop
For the next big one
that won't get away

Hope and expectation