7-3 thru 7-7 Fla-Ark

Finally got somewhere with wifi, so update:

Wed. 7-3 at Rocky Creek State Park
Launched the canoe and paddled to the head of the little bay and found a creek the ranger told us about. Fresh water, very clear, sand bottom, quick current and overhanging foliage. Perfect canoeing. We paddled about 1 1/2 miles upstream. There is an undefined border into Eglin AFB's ordinance disposal facility, and we did hear explosions. Also saw the remains of a WWII plane which had crashed there. A quicker paddle downstream and back to camp. Later we took a very short nature trail walk, but otherwise loafed in the AC.

Thur. 7-4 Happy Independence Day. Stopped at Mobile to tour the Battleship Alabama, which we'd seen from the highway several times over the years. Very interesting and impressive. Built in 1944, served in WWII, Korea and Vietnam. Teak deck. Hard to find a campsite on 4th of July but stayed at a simple RV park E of Jackson, Miss. Planned to seek out a fireworks display but none close by so we sat out in the cool of the evening under stars and a crescent moon, and listened to people's personal fireworks all around.

Fri. 7-5 still at Morton MS. Shopping and laundry. Sunny and hot.

Sat. 7-6 Happy Birthday Pete.
to Mtn. View, Ark, in the Ozarks, where we've been twice before. A mecca for people to  jam with country and folk music. I do have the dulcimer and ukulele with me. I noticed that once we crossed the Mississippi River, theew longleaf yellow pine trees were gone. They're everywhere in the SE. The fireworks here was rained out on the 4th (no rain where we were) so the Elks Lodge across the street had a good fireworks display for us this evening.

Sun. 7-7 Campground (Ozark RV Park) had gospel music and a church service. We enjoyed the singing and ducked out before the sermon to go to the small local Catholic Church. An excellent breakfast afterward at a cafe in town. We're ahead of schedule so called S's niece Carol and arranged to visit her and niece Susan on Tuesday. A group of about a dozen teenagers in the campground on a cross-country cycling tour. Hope they have as good a time as we did on our transamerica ride.

In the evening we went to the center of town and listened to some good mountain music.