Another trial run
Trip Start
Apr 12, 1992
1
2
65
Trip End
Jun 15, 1992
Fairhope,
Alabama,
United States
Tuesday, March 31, 1992
we drove across the new miles-long elevated section where I-65 spans the Mobile Bay Delta. In Mobile we walked through historic Bienville Square. I noted how much smaller the historic old park is than I remembered it. I've experienced this phenomenon before, the strange way things called from memory seem to change with the passage of time, how, after a long absence, pleasant recollections turn to disappointment when experienced again
05.131. Another beautiful day ends
.Mobile has experienced the fate of many major American cities. The downtown is almost dead, many historic structures have reached advanced decay, and large areas of old homes were cleared so they could be replaced with fake tourist attractions like the Fort Conde reproduction on the site of the first European (French: 1711) settlement in what is now Alabama. This is an interesting concept. Tear out genuine history to make room for new "historic" reproductions. NOTE: Mobile is currently (2005-6) undergoing new major construction projects near Bienville Square. A new office building will be the tallest building in Alabama when completed.
Then we elected to make an extended nostalgia tour. We dropped down into the old Bankhead Tunnel under the Mobile River, and followed U.S. 98 east and south to Fairhope and continued on to Foley and Gulf Shores. Condominium and commercial development here have destroyed any chance for enjoyment of the shoreline.
I recall, a few years ago, walking here for hours along deserted beaches. It was possible to spend a mild winter day totally alone. I enjoyed experiencing the awareness of being no more than a small particle of existence amidst vast skies, endless water and sand beaches that reached forever
05.192. Mobile Bay Delta
. It was just me and the sand crabs and the shore birds, sharing a tiny corner of infinity. Once, some years ago I even landed in a small plane on this very beach.We could have preserved this beautiful place simply by barring construction within 1/4 mile of the high tide line. Perhaps people will eventually tire of rebuilding after the annual hurricanes and allow the area to return to its natural state
The Bear (Helen) and I circled back to Fairhope by way of Orange Beach, Summerdale, Robertsdale, and Silverhill. We stopped in Fairhope for dinner at a once-favored hangout, Julwyn's Restaurant and Bar. then we went to Clyde and Ouina's home (Helen's father and step-mother). If it seems strange to have dinner first before going to their home it's because if we went there first and invited them to go uptown for dinner Ouina would insist on preparing a big meal at home. She is so old and frail we can't allow it, so we lie and say we ate on the way down and are not hungry. It's very seldom that we can lure Ouina out to a restaurant, and She can't enjoy the food from thinking about the menu prices.
It was good to see Ouina and Clyde again
05.242. Fairhope's Start
. They both seemed to enjoy relatively good health. Clyde was almost 90 years old, and still working. We were acutely aware they can't be around enjoying good health much longer. (Note: At the time I had no idea Clyde would be killed and Ouina badly injured in an auto accident less than a year later.)During the drive back to Huntsville we again experienced heavy rain and colder temperatures. I enjoy driving in the rain on open roads.
Retirement day finally arrived. It became official on Tuesday, March 31, 1992 at 5:00 P.m.. The next morning I reported to Dr. Riley for a routine EKG and a general checkup. He always seems to enjoy listening to the human donor mitral valve he installed. As he listened a smile appeared and he said, "That's good." We had a long talk.
I was harboring some concerns about my pacemaker. What happens if the batteries go dead while I am alone in a remote area? Dr. Riley explained the weakening battery would initially, before it completely failed, begin generating pulses at a slower rate, slower than the preset 64 per minute. I can test the unit at any time simply by counting my pulse. Anything less than 64 per minute indicates a weakening battery. If this should happen I have ten days or more to get the battery replaced, a relatively minor surgical procedure.
Helen has been very supportive of my desire to travel. She is resourceful enough to fill her leisure hours with agreeable activities. At home I installed a device that emits a deafening alarm whenever anything moves into the area near the stairway leading up to our bedroom. By her bedside she had access to a cordless phone and a .38 pistol. I planned to call home at least twice a week at 6 p.m.
