Fishing in Fairhope

I had a great time in Fairhope today.  Everybody I met was absolutely charming.  I started my day in Page and Pallette, an independent book store, where I bought Winston Groom's, author of "Forrest Gump", new book on the Civil War battle, "Shiloh, which many say is as somber and spiritual a battlefield as Gettysburg.  The shop is arranging to have Winston Groom sign it, and then they'll send it to me.  I also got a collection of the Fairhope Writers Group short stories, and the latest issue of Garden and Gun, love that magazine.  Then I went to the Fairhope Artist Gallery and made a great connection with Robert Tarabella, a photographer, who does, among other things, some wonderful soft focus images that looked as much like paintings as photographs.  We talked about the very real possibility that I'd come back for a one-one tutorial session to learn more about his techniques Spark Imaging.  Then I went to the Church Mouse.

Church Mouse is wonderful English antique shop in one of Fairhope's most iconic buildings, captured in many paintings and photos of the town. There are actually two businesses in the space, Mary Ann Johnson runs the antique shop, and her husband, Spencer, runs the Fairhope Fly Shop, they seem to be mutually supportive enterprises as I saw pictures of Spencer landing a trophy Rainbow trout in an English stream, where Mary Ann was no doubt collecting antiques.  I enjoyed talking with Spencer about fresh and salt water fishing in the area, local guides, and gear, of course, gear!  Well, the next thing you know, Spencer invited me outside to practice fly casting in Church Street, which is a fairly busy side street.  He immediately cautioned me about my back cast snaring rear view windows.  Spencer is a wonderful instructor, both demonstrating some amazingly accurate casts, and coaching my more feeble attempts. I did hook a new model BMW, but unfortunately it was a catch and release street!

So, there's a future trip to Fairhope for fishing and photography!  I love these adventures. I've been blessed meeting some wonderful people.

Radley's and Ropin'

I stopped in Monroeville today, home of Harper Lee and her childhood friend Truman Capote.  First stop was at Radley's Fountain Grill to get a BLT Supreme, which, as you may know, is on the Top 100 list of Alabama Foods You Must Eat Before You Die.  http://www.yearofalabamafood.com/. The Supreme is prepared with fried green tomato and  remoulade sauce, which has whole grains of mustard suspended in the mayonnaise.  Radley's has gently borrowed their name from one of the main characters in To Kill A Mockingbird, the main draw to the charming little town of Monroeville.  Here you can tour the courthouse and museum, which dedicates space to both Harper Lee and Truman Capote.  I understand there is still an on-going debate about who helped whom with their respective books, but she did go to Kansas with him and helped make the acquaintance and interview so many locals who contributed to the background for "In Cold Blood."  Mockingbird  wasn't filmed in Monroeville, but the Hollywood courthouse was a very good replica of the actual one in town, and Gregory Peck visited here to meet Harper Lee, absorb the locale, and get in character. She said he did a very good job. 

The waitress at Radley's quickly associated me with the Winnebago View in the parking lot and went on about how she thought it was just the perfect size. She and her husband had had a much bigger RV that they used for their travels to ropin' events, but he tired of it as he got into his early 70s and had to drive that oversized rig on back roads late at night.  She said at one time they had traveled all over Alabama, east to Panama City, FL. and west to Dallas, TX. for different events.  I gently asked if he was still ropin' and she said, "My, yes."  He just won a second place in Mobile."  I even more gently asked if there were age classes and she said, "No, he took second against all the young whippersnappers."  She explained, the secret for a 75 year old beating 13-30 somethings is in the consistency of how you rope three different 300-400# steers, throw them to the ground, and wrap their legs together, before you raise your hat in the air.

I would have loved to met that guy. One of my questions for him might have been if he had ever had a Radley's BLT Supreme within 24 hours of a ropin' contest.

St. Mark's Wildlife Refuge

 I was traveling from Rainbow Springs, and my kayak adventure, on Rt. 98 north up the west coast of Florida to the Panhandle, not exactly a blue highway, but not interstate either.  I was "collecting" unusual highway business signs and making reasonable time without going at breakneck speed. The signs are a hoot: Big Willy's Swimwear (whaaat?), Gulf Coast Hypnosis Center, Mild II Wild Tattoos, and the Adult Super Center with Cafe R Esque.  Honest!

I didn't have a long drive ahead, but by early afternoon I was looking for a place to pull over, make a sandwich, and take a break- a rest area, or anything but a McDonald's parking lot would do.  Suddenly, I spotted a little sign that said St. Mark's lighthouse, left three miles.  That sounded like just the spot, and I quickly pulled into Ouzts Oyster Bar parking lot paved with oyster shells to turnaround.  Ouzts is a bit of a rundown, but authentic looking seafood restaurant with the customary faded buoys and fishnet draped over the exterior plank walls.  Soon, the fiftyish, blonde, proprietress joined me outside and said they wouldn't be open until tomorrow.  Overcoming my natural shyness, I explained I was just looking for a place to make a sandwich and asked if she could tell me something about St. Marks.  In our conversation, I learned that the original owners of Ouzts were German, that they don't steam the oysters until you order them, and that St Mark's is a wonderful National Wildlife Refuge, with a visitor center about two miles down the road and the lighthouse another 4-5 miles beyond that.  www.fws.gov/stmarks/  Not only was she enthusiastic about the refuge, but she said I should also stop at Wakulla Springs, the world's largest natural spring, just a few miles farther up the road.   She pointed out that there is an historic lodge, built in the 1930s, and that while it doesn't have tv or phones in the rooms, it has a good dining room, and its a fun place to stay.  http://www.floridastateparks.org/wakullasprings/

Down the road I went to St. Mark's, stopping at a nice visitor center, where I was pleased to learn that my Senior Pass to National Parks also provides free admission to National Wildlife Refuges!  With map in hand, I headed through the expansive natural environment of woods, marsh, fresh water ponds, and saltwater lagoons.  My first stop was a small, observation platform built about fifteen feet up off the ground approximately a 1/4 mile off of a small parking area. I was having a ball spotting osprey, a variety egrets, and migrating ducks in the large, reedy pond spreading out beyond the platform.  About 70 yards away, I spotted an alligator, half hidden in the reeds, but very large and scaly in my binoculars.  I got a few, not terribly dramatic pictures, when I spotted another large alligator, not far from the first. Then I took my binoculars and more deliberately scanned the shoreline all along the pond and discovered the place was loaded with alligators, including two four-five foot guys who were in the reeds and grass at my feet below the platform!  Thank the lord alligators don't climb stairs!  They were motionless while I took some more pictures and probably glad to see me leave as I eventually made my way on down to the Gulf and the lighthouse, which was delightful and loaded with birders and photographers, intent on their past times with big scopes and lenses.  In part, through their excitement, I spotted Pied-billed Grebes, a  gorgeous Redhead, some fairly rare, white Pelicans, and an Eagle, plus Eagle nest (pictures to follow).  It was a great time and I could have spent a day or two there with new friends and fellow photographers. 

I reflected on a couple of things as I left. One was that all the wildlife, including the alligators, were content for the most part to let us humans pass them by.  Some, more shy than others, moved comfortably out of range, but most remained in place, serene in their experience that if they stayed still, we would move on.  It seemed a message for the much longer term as well.  

I also thought how fortunate I was to have experienced St. Marks at all.  My visit was a  coming together of being in the right place, at the right pace, and an openness to another's experience.  This opportunity probably started long before I got on Rt. 98 that morning.  Noticing the alligators on the pond was a lot like being able to see down into the open pools on Rainbow River. I had to pause, let my vision clear in order to see past the sparkling ripples on the water, and see both what was right in front of me and just beyond in the deeper water.  Some, I guess, call this mindfulness. 

Highways and Byways

Left Friends in Rotondo this morning traveling north on Florida route 75 with traffic between 55-70 mph. The countryside is not particularly attractive.  It's flat and the tropical weather means everything green just merges together.  Lots of highways signs to read though, including churches of every possible denomination.  Lord there are a lot of churches, seems like a soul could find at least one to fit. They look kinda lonely during the week; abandoned, no people, no cars, no singing.  Maybe if you opened up the steeple, you'd . . .  I think there ought to be legislation to consolidate all these churches and let the congregations each have a day, plus two afternoons and a Friday or Saturday night for bingo.  It would be a lot more efficient, sorta "green" churches- self sustaining don't you know.  Prayer might be more potent too, all consolidated. 

Some of the other signs were interesting too, in addition to McDonalds and Hardees, and all the other fast food joints, there was Bar B Que Bill's, the Florida Citrus Center, with gator head wind chimes, and the Adult Super Center with the "Cafe R Esque", an all night cafe.  You can't make this stuff up!  I think I'll stick to the churches. Fortunately, the world goes by fast on the highway, but its hard on the eyes, ears, and soul too.

I arrived in Rainbow Springs State Park mid-afternoon, got a nice campsite with water, electric, and sewer, and was hooked up in about 15 minutes.  Then I rented a kayak and paddled about a mile up the Rainbow river toward the first magnitude spring head that pumps approximately 490 million gallons of artesian water a day, eventually flowing from the Rainbow into the Withlacoochee river.  Crystal springs like the Rainbow drain large areas of their surrounding countryside through limestone aquifers that bubble up near the coast and make their way to the Gulf. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rainbow_Springs

The Rainbow is crystal clear to depths of 25' or more though much of it is less than five feet deep and covered in beds of lush green grasses waving downstream.  But, it seemed like every 50-100 feet or so those grass beds would open up and the river bottom would drop away, sometimes 10',  sometimes 20' or more.  Some of that clear bottom was sandy and probably indicated a sink hole in the river bed, but in some of those clear patches you could see large, flat beds of limestone, and, in others, small cliffs stepping their way down into the aquifer.  Scuba divers explore the vents and caverns for miles.  Some of the spots reminded me of Yellowstone or Hawaiian fumeroles, but instead of spouting steam, they're spouting warm water.

As you can imagine, it was easy to spot big large mouth bass (that's not redundant), blue gills, grass carp, water turtles, and one 2-3 foot soft shell turtle.  They have long rubbery necks and pointy snouts. I saw a family of river otters swimming about 10-20 feet away near the reedy shoreline. When I first spotted the multiple backs of the foursome, I thought it was a small, local Nessie humping through the water.  I also saw a Snowy Egret and a few Anhingas, both diving and sunning themselves on tree limbs. I missed the pair of eagles that live near the kayak put in.  Maybe tomorrow.

It sure is a lot more peaceful here than on the highway.  Sort of a natural super center.  Don't need a building to pray.  It's real close to heaven.

Man Dies of Gumbo in RV!

I went to Bubba’s Seafood House in Orange Beach, Alabama last night at the recommendation of a few locals.  http://bubbasseafoodhouse.com/ My waiter Jaime couldn’t have been more helpful.  I had a half dozen oysters on the half shell and an oyster and shrimp po’ boy.   Boy was it good-  lived up to the recommendations.  Bubba’s is on the main drag at the beach with a fun bar and restaurant.  I loved their tee shirt with “Bubba’s” on the front (natch) and lettering on the back, “A quaint little drinking village, with a fishing problem.  Orange Beach, Al.”

I almost wrote up my experience last night for the View, but I hesitated thinking I should wait until tonight.  Well, my intuition paid  off.  Tonight I went to King Neptune’s www.kingneptuneseafoodrestaurant.com based on the Yelp recommendations for gumbo.  I met Al Sawyer, the owner, outside, because he was nice enough to caution me to avoid some low hanging branches in the parking lot (with my RV.)  Al was sitting on a red bench outside smoking a cigarette and wearing a checkered Bear Bryant hat with Jeannie, one of his star waitresses, who came to work fourteen years ago at age fifteen to help out for just one night and is still there. Once I learned he was the owner, I overcame my natural shyness and asked what he recommended for an appetizer because I knew I was having gumbo for an entree.  When he suggested the fried green tomatoes, I knew I didn’t even need to refer to a menu.  The six slices of corn meal tomatoes were accompanied by four corn meal shrimp with both remoulade and cocktail sauce.  Wonderful!  I did glance at the menu while I enjoyed this light little dish and noted I might have ordered a steamed Ocean Platter for Two, which includes one pound of Aquila Royal Red Shrimp, two Alaskan King crab claws, 8 oz. of cocktail crab claws, one Alaskan Snow crab cluster, four steamed oysters, and one Dungeness cluster.  They would have had to lock me in the Dungeness after that!

The decor matched the wonderful food with red and blue neon lights, and walls full of pictures both old and new, including some with Bobby Flay, who did a Food Channel show with Al.  Here’s a copy of the gumbo recipe www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/foodnation-with-bobby-flay/gumbo-recipe/index.html

Elvis and Fats Domino were crooning the background music, but I was surprised to see Erin Burnett covering the news on the TV behind the bar.  There was a great poster on the wall with this nice red tomato and the text, “Year of Alabama Food”, but, as I looked closely, it didn’t have a year on it.  As it turns out, it’s another Alabama promotion like the golf trail, that promotes famous Alabama dishes, secret recipes, and a trail of great food and restaurants.  You really have to see this site.  It’s wonderful! http://www.yearofalabamafood.com/http://www.yearofalabamafood.com/

Well, I could spend a year in Alabama enjoying the sites and the food, but I think I would roux the day!  Just one more famous recipe and they may find me passed out in my RV from too much gumbo!  I’m heading for Manatee Springs, Florida tomorrow where, if the  folks don’t live longer, at least they’re all on Medicare.  God, Al, and Bubba knows I need it!

Alabama Poker

 Friday, January 4, 2013

My son-in-law and I joined his dad and four other guys at a "lodge" or ranch house on a farm outside of Montgomery for their regular poker night.  Quite an experience!  The rustic lodge with large stone fireplace, big dining area, and card room, sits in the middle of about 600 acres a dear friend of theirs left to his family when he died a few years ago.  His will stipulated that the lodge was to remain available to his friends for their long-standing poker games as long as they could continue to enjoy it. It was remarkable to watch them go into action. Sam* had picked up steaks and salad ingredients.  By the time we arrived, "J", the grandson of the original owner, had started a fire with huge logs and charcoal lighter fluid in the fireplace, and began making slices of Texas toast.  Roy had already started a fire in the big, ol' oil drum grill, and then started making salad, chopping whole onions, red, green, and yellow peppers, tomatoes, greens, and jalapeños.  He filled a large stainless steel bowl with the colorful mix.  I set the table and put out ice and glasses for tea, unsweetened surprisingly, and Steve, a confirmed bachelor and cattle farmer, cooked the steaks from Derk's Filet and Vine, http://www.filetandvine.com/.  The steaks from Derk's arrived black with their special grilling rub, a jar of which sits in my spice cabinet.  I noticed J timing the browning of the toast to the salad making and Steve's arrival from the grill.  It all came together in moments and we sat down to a simple feast.  A couple of them had brought their favorite pints, Old Forrester, Jim Beam, or Jack and had a drink, maybe two, before dinner- I only noticed one after dinner. Sam kidded in the car coming home that you can't afford to drink and play because the games get too complicated!  Roy did chew during the game, and spit discretely into a Snapple Ice Tea bottle, which sat in his drink holder in the green velvet and wood trimmed card table. He'd take the cap off the bottle occasionally, spit, recap it, and set it back into the drink holder. It looked like a dark brown liquor growing in volume while he emptied his solitary drink over the course of the evening.   Good thing he didn't get confused!  Mark, a late arrival, and another cattle farmer, is a retired orthopedic surgeon who serves as an insurance company "gatekeeper" on patient procedures, imaging etc.  It was a very gentlemanly game.

It seemed like everybody won. I walked away with a few bucks.  I don't know how we all did it. I barely had a clue during the game and if it hadn't of been for some good natured coaching, I would have lost my shirt. 

We drove off into the rain and the night leaving the fire to burn out on its own. Their friendship glowed in the embers as we left. 

* Names changed to protect the innocent!