October 25, 2013-Tracy/tourist

One of the reasons it is taking us a month to get the boat ready to sail is because we are having fun with visitors from home.  Tracy Perdue's family was busy during the middle of the day, so Tracy offered to help on our boat.  I did have a couple errands to run, so we took off about 11:30 am.  Our first stop was the B&B Pecan Company.  This is a local pecan "farm" where we often buy pecans as gifts (and for ourselves).  As usual, Tracy strikes up a conversation with a stranger.  It happen to be the owner of the company.  He was proudly showing off his pictures of his family.  When we made our purchases, he left the building.  When we reached the car, we heard him call to us to come join him for some fish.  We thought "why not, it will be an experience".  His home is next to the retail store.  Every Friday, he fries fish for his employees that he has caught during the week.  They were just finishing and there were plenty of leftovers, so he invited us to join them for lunch.  He told us all about how he started this business 57 years ago with 5 acres of pecan trees and now he has 100 acres.  We met his wife of 56 years.  We were shown true southern hospitality.

We then went to the Grand Hotel at Point Clear just south of Fairhope, Alabama where our boat is located.  This is a gated Mariott resort property.  I have heard that this is where Jimmy Buffett stays when he is in the area.  It is a beautiful, old facility on Mobile Bay.  We sat on the veranda in cushioned wicker chairs and enjoyed a mint julep in the sunshine.  It doesn't get any better than this.

When we were sailing with the Perdues in the British Virgin Islands years ago, Tracy and I would go to shore occasionally to go shopping.  Well, after spending some time shopping, we would stop in a fun open air bar for a drink.  And of course, that is always where Richard and Dave would find us.  So from then on, they would always tease us about our "shopping".

So it was fun to go "shopping" with my good friend, Tracy, again.