Mustang Island

Knowing which voices to listen to is one of the tricky parts of life. I have a lot of them in my head. Yesterday, perhaps the day before, I met Larry Richardson. He’s a real nice guy, a birdwatcher and a bicyclist. The first time we talked, he had told be he had some bad neighbors.

Do you mean less good? I said.

“Not very good at all, up til three in the morning.” He’s right next to them, he’s the closer of the two sites past the far left side of site seventy eight, and I can hear them too. I understand how he feels, yet I had met one of those guests, both times at the bathrooms.

Young man with short reddish/brown hair in an orange patterned sundress, the same each time I saw him. The first time I saw him there, actually just before we got there, I just said good morning with a nod. We both we coming from different sides, coming around the building to the same door. He noticed my comment, barely.

Monday after I had showered I nearly ran into him coming out the door and it startled me, bad. Thoughts of ahh and falling and omg, it startled me bad. Then I sucked my breathe in quickly, realizing I was not dead, apologized and said, omg, you startled me!

He smiled big at my sight or my words, said “sorry!” As I made way for him to enter, I just said my bad, good morning! He said the same and that was it, I went back to the site.

I told Larry that I don’t believe in “bad” people, only that there are less good ones. Any usually, they need the help of someone more good to get better. Larry is twice my age and likely is accustomed, as he should be, to handing out the wisdom. Today he told me, repeating his father, that you shouldn’t buy a ten dollar wallet, if you don’t have anything left to put in it.

He rode up into my site today to give me a break from packing (thank you!) He openly admits that he likes to chat, I like him. Another mention of the neighbors, and he used my terms, slowly and deliberately, his less good neighbors, were up until two, and they should be more considerate.

He is a very nice and polite man, don’t let me mislead that, a really great guy. I asked if there was ever an age when he was that inconsiderate, maybe as a young man. “We’d party then, but never bother the neighbors”. I suggested maybe they came to the campground to not bother their neighbors at home.

His forehead wrinkled and head tilted to the right just a bit as a grin spread across his face to match my own. I like Larry. He’s active and over the next week or two is moving every few days. His next stop would be a primitive camping location.

I’ve seen these on the map for cheap- twelve dollar annual pass and you can camp six days a month, no more than three at a time. Yet primitive sounds like a bit more than I can handle, hence the state parks with their restrooms and walking paths.

Yet, if Larry can.. why shouldn’t I listen to DC and Falco?

On the radio last night, separately, DC mentioned I should visit the Lexington while I’m in town. I explained the goals for my visit and said I was going to New Mexico today. Into the conversation a bit, he said “I don’t want to twist your arm, I just don’t understand why you would come all the way from Michigan and get this close to the beach and not go see it.”

Later on Falco gave me the directions to the place he would camp as a kid, it’s primitive though he said. And though it’s a goal to be able to camp/live “off grid”, right now I need restrooms and water!

Then Larry today and now I’m at Mustang Island. Camping on the beach tonight, primitively!

Woke at seven am and went nonstop til noon. Eleven fifty six. Legs hurt, no walking yesterday was not good. They didn’t stretch with the work I was doing. Today made it worse. They hurt bad. On the drive I considered a motel room.

Saw the beach, met Jaun and bought my permit, gave him my card.

Walked two and a half miles so far. Love this place.

Time to rest.