Best Day Ever

Or at least in the top 10. We would probably would have been better served by getting Nathan enrolled in school today. But we chose to make memories instead.

Our first stop was Ft. Pulaski on Cockspur Island, GA. And we finally got our first glimpse of a gator in the moat. Looked to be about 4-5 feet. The boys made jokes all day about going into the water to 'rastle' it. Enjoy the picture of 'General Nathan' on top of the paraphet.

We went back to Tybee Island to play in the water again. Much different pace of life since it was a weekday. There were a few grandparents with their preschool grandchildren, but mostly adults. There was an overcast sky, which made it a little colder than the day before. Having recently been in Oklahoma, to me, this is fall. It's not so hot there now, the leaves are starting to turn, and the air just feels different towards the end of the day. Not here on the coast, however. It's still summer. Maybe not blistering hot, but autumn is still distantly on the horizon.

I'll try to upload some more photos of the day to my flickr.com account, for those of you with access. You'll see a lot more pictures of Nathan and Eric, and none of me. This was a father/son bonding trip. I was just the official recorder. And that's okay. If we're facing a deployment next year, I'm glad that we've had this time to be tourists and make memories. The sight of Eric and Nathan karate-kicking the waves, 'living like Larry' (Spongebob reference), Nathan trying to pull Eric into the surf, looking for seashells. Eric forcibly making Nathan face the waves, yet being his anchor, and giving him the stability to be adventurous.

Lunch was at the Crab Shack. More touristy, gimmicky eatery. But, they did have their own baby alligator pit. Approximately 30 allegators, 1-3 feet. Eek! And yes, you can feed them yourselves! I didn't care for the exotic birds - too noisy. Have to include a picture of Eric's lunch. The seafood sampler was huge! And messy. By the time you shuck and crack and pick out the food from the shells, there isn't all that much food. By the time I shelled and de-armed my plate of shrimp, the magic was gone on the whole fresh seafood experience. I go out to eat so I don't have to prepare my own food. I was seriously need a wet-nap by the end.

Went back to the hotel for a couple of hours, got some laundry done, then took Nathan to the Chuck E. Cheese, which was right across the street. Now, I'd rather clean my kitty litter box than to go to CEC. But since it was a weeknight, the place wasn't totally overrun with screaming kids. It was bearable. Nathan of course enjoyed himself. Eric played a couple of games, himself.

So tomorrow it's back to the bizarre no-man's land life. But today? Pretty sweet.