Hit and Run

8:24 AM 10/11/2011


Still no internet. I guess the storm has knocked it out. It's been down for a day or two. At least I am ensconced in my favorite place on the whole wide planet;  Hunting Island, South Carolina. It could rain, snow, or blow a hurricane and I wouldn't care, I am just in love with this place. 


2:02 PM, Internet restored

Many campers have fled the island, due to the weather. I encountered one hiker early one morning, who apparently didn't understand the vast difference here between low tide and high tide. He had been to the beach for sunrise, which happened to be high tide, plus it's the full moon, which tends to make tides even higher. The beach was practically gone.  He  bitterly told me the storm washed away the beach! He rushed off in such a big hurry, that I didn't get to explain to him that when the tide went out again, there would be a huge expanse of powdery white beach.


I am amazed at the folks that can forego their prepaid reservations to simply depart.  I could never afford that, and would feel such tremendous guilt for squandering money. I have been scrimping, saving, working,  and even sold some things I decided to live without, in order to get here. The park will not refund for inclement weather unless they officially close the park. Even if they close the park, they will probably have to tow me out of here, kicking and screaming, as I don't want to leave.  Not ever. 


Hunting Island is a unique protected tropical oasis on the east coast. I seriously doubt if there is anywhere like it anywhere up or down the east or west coast. I could be dead wrong, but this island has been allowed to grow wild.  Mother nature has simply laid out a garden of Eden here. 


I am lucky to arrive here alive. I think I drove through a time warp. I left Colleton State Park around 1pm to drive 75 miles to Hunting Island.  I made one stop for groceries, buying only 12 items, then a stop for gas. Three and a half hours later, I made it to my campsite. I did get lost a few times, made a few wrong turns. Not sure how that happens to me. I think I seriously need new glasses. 


However, I was involved in a minor collision, a hit and run!  But that didn't take long. It did however, shake up me and the dog something awful. 


We were going down a skinny 2 lane highway when the car in front of us about three or four hundred feet away, apparently lost his fender.  It flew down the road then up, crashing into my windshield!  The horrendous noise it made slamming into us startled the dog and I in a very bad way.  It came to rest across the windshield on top of my rain wipers as I rapidly came to a stop. There was no shoulder to pull over onto, so I had to turn on my emergency flashers, stopping in the road itself.  


There was a big 18 wheeler behind me, I prayed he saw me stop, and the flashers going.  There was a brief moment when I wondered "Is this it?  Is life over?"


Incredibly, the car never stopped, just flew on down the road, minus his fender. The big truck behind us, was able to pull around without mowing us down flat. I got out and removed the fender from my windshield. 


Amazing!


If this were the Caribbean, I could understand car parts randomly flying off.  I have seen that often, due to the really bad roads and indifferent mechanics. People duct tape their car parts back on, so having one fly off, is nothing new. But in America?  I thought fenders were firmly attached here!  I guess I am dead wrong, but alive to talk about it. 


My windshield must be made of bullet proof glass. I know I closed my eyes when it hit us!  I tensed up really badly, as I am so sore like I've been beaten from head to toe. 


There are thieves in paradise. Beware of the robbers! They watch you from the bushes.  Soon as you aren't looking, they come over and STEAL from you. Even the park rangers warned me when I checked in, beware of the thieves!  They are out of control. 


They don't want your money. They don't want your electronics. You can keep your jewelry too. They want your food and water. They are opportunistic raccoons. Last time I stayed at Hunting Island, I forgot to clear the ketchup bottle off the outside dining table. A friend had drove down to the island. We dined al fresco. Somebody left the ketchup bottle out all night. The raccoons stole it.  The entire bottle!


Then at the next campsite, the campers were too lazy to haul their garbage to the park's dumpster. So they tossed it in the back of their pickup truck. Two raccoons climbed aboard the truck, ripped open the garbage bags, then got into a major fight over the garbage.  At 3am...  What a ruckus that was!


For two days we've had drenching rains and gale force winds. It's made for very messy dog walking. We come back both drenched, in spite of the doggy wearing his rain coat and me carrying an umbrella. 


More later, the sun has finally made a cameo appearance, so puppy and I are going out to walk. 

I wish I could live here forever. 

No concrete or asphalt slabs here. I hate both. I like the good old earth under my wheel estate and under my feet. I wiggled my motorhome around my camping site several times until I got it just perfect and level too, without having to use any leveling boards. 



Then I set up my rug and canopy, then the outdoor furniture. It poured down rain for hours, as soon as I was done, but I didn't care one bit. I am in paradise. For five whole days. 


Inside in the rain, for some silly reason, I went on the internet (it was working then it shut down for two days) anyhow, I was looking to see if anyone had cancelled a reservation. Fat chance I thought. 


My jaw fell open, somebody had cancelled and they had cancelled the reservation after mine in my exact spot!  So I was able to run in the rain, well speed walk, since I can't run, but I made fast time to the office, dripping wet,  to see if I was hallucinating or not. 


The ranger said the cancellation had just come in. So I snatched up the six nights they forfeited. In the same spot. Absolutely incredible!  


Angels!  


They just keep watching over this silly fool. I am oh so lucky. So I am here until the morning of the 20th.  I still am in shock!  Did I die and go to heaven or is this for real? 



NOTE:  I am still fighting with blogger editor, it formats my stuff funny, making me edit and edit over and over and over again. Extremely frustrating and a huge time waster... So sorry, if this is a mess, I shall TRY to fix again, so this may have several edits by the time you finally read it. 

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