Niceville, FL and Gulfport, MS

We have stopped in the Gulfport, MS area for the evening. We are staying at Southern Oaks Mobile home and RV Park. As it turns out it is a nice little place to stop when traveling on I-10. Once a FEMA trailer facility it is now transitioning to a commercial park. All the pads are cement and there is grass between the sites. There are many young trees, so it is a nice environment. Lots of full time residents, but there are some pull-through sites that allow those of us traveling pulling a car to stop for the night without unhooking the car.

I am sitting in the shade of the motorhome enjoying a beer while I write today’s entry. Although there is considerable highway noise from I-10 it blends into the background. In the distance I can hear the clang of a game of horseshoes being played somewhere nearby.

We spent the last two nights with good sailing friends Jim and Phyllis Kaiserski in Niceville, FL. Their home is on a short cul de sac with homes on only one side so there is room to leave the motorhome on the street.

The Kaiserski home is on a bayou off of Choctawhathcee Bay. What a wonderful setting. They have a great view out back across the creek feeding the bayou. They overlook a previously undeveloped parcel of land. Unfortunately, that is to be short lived since the owner has started clearing roads to build homes. For now, though, it is a little slice of heaven. One of the perks of this home is the ability to keep their boat docked out back. Sure beats the two-hour drive we had to visit Totem. If it were this handy we would possibly still have her.

Phyllis, Sonata and Barbara with Sisu in the background.

We had the opportunity to go sailing on Sisu yesterday. It was a wonderful sunny day with a brisk breeze. We took some cheese and crackers along and had a terrific time. Barbara and I have found the secret to sailing. Use OPB! (Other People’s Boats)

Jim and Phyllis introduced us to a new pizza place. Luckily it is a chain so you can look for one near you. It is called Papa Murphy's. What makes Papa Murphy’s so different is that they do not cook pizza! Huh? You say. Nope, YOU cook the pizza at home. Papa Murphy’s little helpers prepare the pizza to go. It is on an oven proof disc and over-wrapped in cellophane so it does not come apart on the way home. You toss it in the oven (without the cellophane) for 12-18 minutes and you end up with one very good pizza. I should have taken a picture. Not only do they taste super, they are gorgeous to look at. Look and see if there is one near you and give them a try. Unfortunately, back home the closest one is forty minutes away, so it would be a very special event for us when we get home. It is good enough to make the effort, though, and we will.

Someone mentioned that a common theme in my writing is food. I guess they were right, weren’t they! It always seems to work its way in there.