Friends are good! OLD friends are special

 Photo of the day:

 

So for today:

Many years ago My sister suggested Lake Manatee, a State Park for camping near Bradenton, FL.  WE made reservations and went for a couple weeks and fell in love with the lake and area. WE spent many winters there. Fresh veggies and fruit were available nearby to ‘buy or self-pick.’ We met the campground hosts and rangers, all were friendly, nice folk and helpful. We fished most days and had fish 2-4 times a week.

Most of the time my sister and her husband were also camping there.  We became good friends with R.E. and Mary, camp hosts from Tennessee. Al and Judy from Maine, also camp hosts. Later we visited them at their homes in Tennessee and Maine.

AND with Judy, there was that great Mainer accent and the uniqueness of personalities.

Al was a character. I have mentioned in the past they lived way back in the woods just off upper Maine coastline. When Al was going to build the inspectors told him they didn’t care what he built there, unless he required electricity, then he would be required to have inspections.  True to his nature, he said I won’t require electric.

WE visited back them in the woods. They had a well for water and the house was wired for 12v electric (Not the normal 120v we all have). He backed his truck up to a beautiful log cabin and plugged the house into his truck battery; just like it was a travel trailer. It all amazed me. They even had a small 12v TV to watch.  He told me he used a generator once a week for Judy to vacuum the floors and wash clothes.  At the same time (Using the generator) water was pumped to a stainless steel tank in the loft, to furnish water for the house for the next week.

I have searched for a picture but somehow many of my photos are gone.

Al and R.E. died about 20 years ago. We have stayed in contact with Judy and Mary. This all comes back to me because we just visited Judy who still winters near Nocomis, FL. Such fun recalling memories and times together. I don’t remember the card game called Golf, but we played it with Al and Judy many evenings.

Judy is a sweetheart and skinny as a rail. She is 9 months older than I and still jumping around.

YES OLD friends are special and getting less in number for us.

   

Nite Shipslog

PS.

Thank, to all of you that read here. We enjoy comments and appreciate them. It is great to have friends that tolerate you!         ;-)  Even OLD ones.  LOL They tell me Florida is cooling off for a few days, Please shut the door, you guys north of us!