Yesterday evening, before an outstanding dinner at Cafe Tango on 30A, a couple of friends reached out to us to find out when we're planning on leaving for home. They pointed out that there is a significant weather event headed through the south today - straight line winds, tornados, hail, heavy rain - and that it was supposed to hit Alabama by midday. The concern was our getting caught in a traffic jam somewhere on the interstate in Alabama in the middle of a severe storm.
Jude and I talked about it and, initially, decided to pack last night and leave early this morning in an effort to beat traffic and the storm. On a lark, I reached out to the owners of our house, Beyond the Sea, and asked it we could extend our stay by a day and leave Sunday. Quickly, they responded that we could and here we are with an extra day in Santa Rosa Beach.
It brings to mind the one other time that Jude and I extended out stay by a day, many years ago, when we were staying with JP in Another Happy Day, the first house we rented in Old Florida Village. The reason for that extension? We were desperate to finish a 1000 piece jigsaw puzzle. I'm not joking. We stayed another day and got close but still didn't manage to finish the puzzle. We still laugh about it.
Of course, as is always the case, the morning you leave the beach (or are supposed to leave) is always the prettiest morning of your stay. Today is no exception. Although it's a little windy, as it has been all week, it's a gorgeous 30A spring morning. It sure doesn't look like bad weather is on the way. Without our luck, the weather pattern will be delayed a day or it won't arrive here until tomorrow morning and we'll be pulling out of town in a storm. Still, one more day at the beach is one more day at the beach.
I'm having coffee this morning, again, at my new place, Black Bear Bread Company, in Grayton Beach. It's closer than Ama Vida, the coffee is just as good, and the atmosphere is better. It's in a small development called The Shops of Grayton Beach. Two small buildings, connected by a breezeway with outside seating. A coffee shop, sandwich shop, and a small bar serving specialty drinks, Bloody Mary's, mimosas, beer, and wine. It has a good vibe, too, which I like in coffee shop.
The staff already has begun to recognize and greet me, mostly because I bring my own coffee mug. Of course, it may be my disturbing mustache - see, e.g. Sam Elliott - that makes me stand out enough to be remembered, as well. It's a conversation piece, if nothing else, as evidenced but the humorous exchange I had with a more heavily mustachioed man and his wife as we were leaving lunch yesterday at Stinky's Bait Shack.
I told him the guy that when my mustache grew up, it wanted to look like his. He laughed and laughed, as his wife should her head sadly. Jude walked up and both wives commiserated about how ridiculous their husbands looked with mustaches. Jude is still not happy with the mustache, a gift I gave her last month for our 22nd anniversary.
I diverge because this morning, I was thinking about a conversation Jude and I had last night. The question that started our conversation was an interesting one.
Could we retire on a distant day in the future and live here, in Santa Rosa Beach, full time?
Jude immediately said yes. I wasn't so sure. It's interesting because for many years, I would have been an instant yes, too. It's hard for me to imagine being retired at all, to begin with. It's even harder for me to imagine being retired and leaving Nashville to move to the beach.
My early mornings this week spent at Black Bear Bread Company are proof that I could quickly find a favorite coffee shop or two, a favorite restaurant or bar, and become a regular. That's important to me for some reason. I think it's the almost daily interaction with other human beings who are in my orbit. Not family or close friends but other humans that I see regularly and with whom I exchange pleasantries. It makes me feel alive.
I don't think I'm capable of living in relative anonymity. A part of me needs consistent interaction with acquaintances and almost friends. Why? I'm not sure.
I would love the weather and, more importantly the beach an ocean. I would love to be able to run on the 30A bike path or nearby trails every day. I think I would enjoy integrating myself into a neighborhood like Old Florida Village, a mixture of residence and short-term rentals. We would find a Catholic Church to attend, I know.
Still, I'm not sure I could completely give up the semi-cosmopolitan aspect of living in a medium sized city like Nashville. A varied restaurant scene. A plethora of coffee shops. Professional and college sports. My friends. Live music. All of it.
I think Jude could easily give up all of that, partly because she doesn't gravitate to those types of things like I do. We're different in that way.
For me, today, I find myself thinking of my mom's longtime neighbors and friends, Evelyn and Bill Pilkinton - may God rest their souls. They lived in the house in Brenthaven, next door to my mom (and later, in a condominium) for half of the year and lived in Florida for the other half of the year. They were very active in both places until very late in life. Spring an summer in Brentwood and fall and winter in Florida. That I could do, I think.
A quick recap of yesterday as the coffee shop fills up with families - pickle ball at the park. Jude and finally got a game off the boys, although they beat us three straight after our one win. A bike ride to Stinky's Fish Camp for lunch. Watching the Vols beat Texas in the SEC basketball tournament. A three mile run on the Longleaf Trail for me. Dinner at Cafe Tango and when we got back to Old Florida Village, Joe's first driving lesson in the golf cart. Hilarious and slightly frightening.
The best of days during the best of weeks.