Acquiring Language is like building a temple.
You can't learn how to build a temple by
just learning how to make bricks.
Posting from Albuquerque (backtracking)
Mar 24 - 26 GEORGIA-FLORIDA
Sunday March 24 - Drove through rain leapfrogging SC to Georgia and now at Jekyll island.It's about noon. The place is impeccably clean and manicured to perfection; no blade of grass is overlooked, no blade of grass is there on it's own volition; nothing wild is allowed - the place is under control. I felt immediately, even as I drove on a road to it, that this island probably is not a place for me, but it was not entirely prohibitive, and I wanted to see the ocean.
I drove past the convention center going left (north). It's real warm here - which is quite incredible after the cold weather I left behind, and the ocean is beautiful green; I jumped into the water twice; swam a bit, it's real shallow there, going far out; Water still cold but I got refreshed...
Drove to check out the campsite on the northern end of the island. I liked the island there a bit more; there was a lot more nature there left to be on it's own, but it still was very crowded.
I looked at the campsite from behind the fence they had separating it from the rest; I knew that this campground might be the only place I'll be able to stay at, since this island was definitely not the one where you can just sleep on a beach; so after driving out and around a bit I decided to check it out. It was nice but they wanted $23 a night and it was packed with people like sardines. ->
Drove away, found a spot at the tip of the island and dried my tent and sleeping bag; then went for a walk on a trail nearby, quite an interesting place...
I walked there for a while and made a few pictures and a video thinking at the same time if I can maybe sleep on a beach there, but this wasn't really a good place for that.
I spent some time there and then drove off going back to the center of the island to a little store; I wanted to mail a card back home.
This whole island is about tourism, for people who can spend money; the center of the island is all grand hotels and as you go away from the center they get a bit smaller like this one on the left, and even further you see houses for rent and the place gets a bit more natural as you get to the tips of the island.
So I mailed the card and it's 7:23 pm now and I think I'll try to stick here for the night.
Drove to the southern part of the island, to the very tip of it. There is a secluded parking lot on the south tip; I think it's a local hangout judging by a few cars and the crowd there. That might be a good spot for the night. Parked my car in a side corner of the park, and went off on by the shore some decent distance from the car walking on a beach next to a groove (woods/barrens) right by the water - there was nobody there and the tide was coming up - I could sleep off the beach right next to it, behind the protection of the trees under the open sky - - it looked perfect.
Went back to the car, opened a can, ate, put my sleeping bag, pad, and my knife in a backpack; and went there. It was a really beautiful night with the stars and the moon, and it was warm in the beginning; but some time later on, the wind came from the shore, a real brutal wind and it got real cold. The wind was fierce although there were no clouds at all - it was strange! I got so cold I thought of going back to the car, but the tide was high and I couldn't walk back on the beach to it, so I got up and moved further inland behind the trees that were swaying wildly and found a depression in the ground where the wind didn't reach and slept there till morning; once I got there I was OK and warmed up.
That was NIGHT 7
Here is a look back from about half way to the spot where I spend the night, and you can see my car between the trees. The groove of trees and bushes, is pretty dense on the right.
This walkway on the beach is all covered by the water all the way to the trees at a high tide as you can see
The groove of trees and bushes, is pretty dense off the beach on the right with tall plants and diverse trees. I settled right behind a tall handsome cypress - there was just a perfect bed of sand between the plants; from there I had a good view of things, but it would be pretty hard to spot me there if somebody went looking.
<-- My sleeping spot is to the right of here
Monday, March 25. Got up after 7 am. Drove to the center of the island. Tried to work on my laptop next to the Convention center there, the internet access there was not too bad, but doing it from the car just doesn't pan out... Decided to go. Will try to do it from some library on the way down South.
Good Bye Jekyll Island. You still have a few good spots. I wonder for how long.
*****************
Drove all the way down south partly on 95, partly getting off it driving 25/17 all the way to Kingsland; it's a town in GA close to Georgia-Florida border - Population 15,913 per Jul 2011 U.S. Census Bureau
Did a bit of work there typing my notes and loaded pictures and video on my laptop, but didn't get too far. It was getting late. Checked their Autistic catalog; asked librarian, an older friendly woman if they had Loud Hands; ended up donating it; asked if I could take a picture of her with the book; she didn't mind.
<-so here it is: Thank you Margie Rose!
Getting out of the library, decided to go further south, cross over to Florida and try Little Talbot Island State Park there; it's a park situated off R-1A right on the ocean side.
Got there just before the sunset but the park itself was closed; there was a gate; drove on a road through as the sunset was progressing; it was a village of a kind, real nice, with dwellings spread out far away from each other but close enough, so I couldn't just park the car and go into the park that was on both sides - it was truly beautiful place.
As I drove almost to the end where the boat launch was there was a young ranger parked on a side helping another guy with the boat in a tow; I stopped and asked if there is a place to camp out there. He said No; but told me that I might find some lodging place back in a little town which was about 12 miles back, from where I came, once I cross the bridge. 
Coming to the park, I had to cross bay that about maybe 8th of a mile wide. I drove back but stopped to make a few pictures - the sunset was spectacular but I couldn't get to a good spot in time: still here they are:
When I drove back to the bridge - there was a small parking lot right next to it on the left side, some boat launch there; it was empty now. I parked there and walked off in a twilight on the shore; it was quite similar to the place I spend the previous night at Jekyll Island, except it was closer to the road; but the road was very quiet, with just a few cars by now crossing the bridge. I walked for a bit, and then saw a good spot some distance away from the car. Then I went back; packed my sleeping gear into a bag; ate a can of corn; put another layer of warm clothes on, locked my car, I hoped it would be alright there unattended; it wasn't really obvious from the road; and went off by the shore and slept in a groove, nice place but the wind was cold and furious; the second day in a row, with skies as clear as it could be. How is it possible?
The wind is rising! Cold biting wind.
That was NIGHT 8
Tuesday. March 26 - got up at dawn and drove off in the direction of Tallahassee.
{what is it about language on my mind? things becoming clearer as I'm training my recorder and my hand to be an extension of my speech. Some day I might listen to my mumbles?}
Tuesday. March 26 - got up at dawn and drove off in the direction of Tallahassee.
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