Fuckin’ delighted to let y’all know that I drove my little car right onto this beach to camp. If you haven’t attempted to drive on sand before, let me tell you: don’t. This beach, with the exception of shorebird nesting areas and the strange interruption of a gator swamp, is packed down and specifically maintained for vehicles to cruise on. Two nights in a row now I’ve been able to get good sleeps in the sea breeze despite the temperature remaining well above 65F. In the mornings there are hundreds of water-loving birds: little sandpipers, kildeer, and plovers flitting to and fro in the sand, hooded and other gulls bathing in the calm pools made by a break wall, giant brown pelicans diving in the background. All of them noisy and excitable as a lunchroom full of seven year olds: socializing, bickering, eating. No swimming here, so I keep myself busy at the myriad nature preserves and bird sanctuaries in this area.

I hadn’t seen the Gulf of Mexico before. The horizon out here is dotted with what I assume are oil rigs. Way, way out there are metal monstrosities that never move. They are lit up all day and night, but would be easy to spot regardless. I am deeply grateful to have found myself in a part of this area that celebrates and protects wildlife. There’s hurricane damage here, but no particularly noteworthy human destruction.

I was greeted this morning by a man who wanted to talk about my Maine plates. He ended up giving me a map for a National Park where he works in Wisconsin. We laughed that the day I visit will probably be his day off. His wife gave me a giant cookie from a local bakery. It was her birthday.

It hasn’t been easy for me to acclimate to the deep south social culture. I am always up for single serving friendships, but this was one of my first happy, easy, traveling exchanges since.. last year. I’m not sure why—and I’m certainly not gonna spend much time on it—but my charm is pretty ineffectual round these parts. So far none of my “little while friends” have been southerners, but that won’t stop me trying.

Slowly but surely, this cowboy is heading to Texas.