St. George Island State Park, St. George Island, Florida
At the end of the hundred and fifty days the water had gone down, and on the seventeenth day of the seventh month, the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat. ~ Genesis 8:3-4
Note that the ark is sitting on top of a mountain, but they’re still stuck inside. Here’s a geography lesson for you: The highest peak in the mountains of Ararat has an elevation of 16,874’. (compare that to the highest in the world at Mt Everest, which is 29,029’) Elevation is the distance from sea level. But the same mountain’s prominence is measured at 11,847’. That’s how high it is in relation to the ground around it. Of course, the brainiacs of the science community describe it in more scientific terms. 😊 Oh. And just in case you’re wondering why God didn’t set them on top of the highest mountain, it’s roughly 2,500 miles away (the distance across the US); nowhere near where God wants to ‘plant’ His people.
It’s time for another shower story! Are you ready?
This place we’re parked in for six nights has water and electric but no sewer. As I’ve mentioned before, that means that we have to watch how much we allow to go down the drains – all the drains. One of the easiest ways to do that is for me to shower at the bathhouse. Sometimes that’s easy, sometimes it’s impossible (in my mind). Impossible are those places where the shower is driving distance away, or most often, it’s because the place is just gross – moldy, hairy, buggy, whatever. Yuck!! No way, Hosea!!
Here, the facilities are catty-cornered across the street (however there’s still a fairly lengthy walk because you have to go up a ramp to a second floor, and all the way around the building to get into the women’s section), the entire building is clean and seems fairly new, there’s nice tile on the walls and floors of the adequately sized stall, fantastic water pressure with a wide spray area, a seemingly unlimited supply of very hot water, a couple of hooks for your clothes/towel, and a bench to set your stuff on (I suppose you could sit there to get dressed or whatever, but I would never.)
So where’s the story, you’re wondering?
First, there are no curtains (Covid? Or always?). That means, when it’s cold out, it’s all open air. And when the wind’s blowing . . . well, you get the picture. But if you stay within the confines of the spray, you don’t notice either too much. Unless a body part escapes, or until you’re done. Second, there’s no place to prop your feet up. When’s the last time you shaved your legs while standing on one foot, within a foot-and-a-half wide area, and balancing on the edge of a 6” deep hole called ‘the drain’? Alright, maybe it’s not quite 6”, but it’s significant when you’re trying to balance!
And then, there’s the desire to stay warm once the water’s turned off. Something I’ve learned from experience is that, if you stand under hot water, gradually heating more and more to as much as your body can withstand, it warms you up for the journey home. But you have to warm everything, so I stand there and spin slowly like meat on a rotisserie, enduring every pelt of scalding water my body can absorb.
Then you run home before the wax in your ears re-hardens from the cold, and slap on lotion as fast as you can before the dry skin prickers drive you insane. And even with all that, I’d still rather shower over there. I love basking in the luxury of unlimited hot water and voluminous pressure.
Thanks for wasting your precious time to read all that. 😊
We didn’t do much today, except take on the only trail the Park has to offer. It was an easy out-and-back walk, with a few interesting man-made highlights.
but certainly not giant ones like in Michigan and other places.
but these are the messiest construction sites we’ve come across.
Not only are there materials scattered about, there are tools and trash as well.
Who’s doing this work???
At the end, instead of returning the same way, we ventured out to the beach to walk back. So blissfully peaceful and wonderful! We’re really going to miss this place come Monday!
They’re picnic shelters, and there are only a few.
This one was “helping” a fisherman. : )
Back home, our older son, Chris is reliving his childhood and sharing the experience with his sons and new wife. He’s gutted his bathroom in order to renovate it. We did a lot of that in our former life, but in the end, it was worth enduring the mess and plaster dust everywhere. He said the boys liked making the mess, but not so much cleaning it up. 😊
Cody and Max ready to work. 
Oh my! I remember those days! We had a bathroom (and other rooms) that looked just like that! I also remember how plaster dust ended up everywhere in the house. Poor Elise! 
Alex and Cody cleaning up.
I thought it was hysterical. LOL!