When we last touched base, our long-suffering, long-term camper (me) was in the throes of despair over wintery weather, ill health, and ceaseless setbacks with the home building plan. I was not in a good place…
In Return of the King, J.R.R. Tolkien states, “Oft hope is born when all is forlorn.” He’s right. I was more than forlorn. I was despondent, but after a visit to an urgent care, a 20 degree rise in ambient temperature, and a little good news on the construction front, I am feeling a strange, almost buoyant sensation. Could it be hope? Is it possible that there is a genuine glimmer at the end of this long, dark tunnel?
The Ocean has restorative power. The rhythm of the tide, the gentle breezes and the salt air create a tranquility that washes over you, encourages introspection, and empowers you to move forward. with an attitude of gratitude.
With a renewed spirit, and improved health, I ventured out to have a little fun.
Myrtle Beach is all about pancake houses, quaint inlet bars, shopping, entertainment venues, breweries and GOLF. If you are a serious golfer, there are roughly 60 golf courses in the immediate area. If you are a woefully weak duffer, like I am, there are still lots of options for dragging out those clubs. You can try your hand at Top Golf, putter around an executive course, or enjoy a myriad of mini-golf options.
Myrtle Beach State Park is an absolute gem. The beachfront is pristine, the hiking trails are thick with native vegetation and the campsites are large. Because March is not yet tourist season, the oceanfront is uncrowded with the exception of a few surfers, fishermen, and children who do not mind plunging, like polar bears, into the surf.
There are, however, a large number of jellyfish that wash up on the beach every morning. I’m a little surprised that these gelatinous blobs are appearing this early in the year. I thought they were warm water creatures. There is much I do not know about Medusozoa, other than that they are creepy and would not taste good with peanut butter.
I have had an epiphany. It is truly springtime. The calendar says so, and I am beginning to believe that this crazy dream of lakefront living will actually come true. If I can make it through a mid-Atlantic April, which is a notoriously vicious month, I will be on the homestretch! Since we will soon be back to Maryland and on the ballfields with our grandkids, the next couple of months should fly by. And then…. here we come, Lake Anna…
Off to North Carolina in the morning.
Stay tuned….
Retired and Rambling 
Joe and Kathy lived there in the late 70’s and I visited once or twice a year. I recall jogging in the park and looking out on the trail at some point and seeing what looked like a log across it. Then the log moved, big alligator. Joe & I hit a sculpture garden one day and I heard him say whoa and about five feet to my left was a five foot long gator. I wasn’t scared by it, but I did start looking around for Mama gator.
So keep your eyes open, lots of gators down there.
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