The first Saturday in Pensacola, I drove four hours east and southeast to Mayo, Florida, where my paternal grandmother has lived since 1991. I had never been there, but what better opportunities was I going to have to visit if not this one?
This side of Florida has so many bridges! There must be a lot of resident structural engineers then. I drove over dozens of bridges on this trip, and the first couple dozen were in and around Pensacola. Here I'm driving over Escambia Bay as the sky is greying around noon.
After getting away from the water, it was just interminable trees for almost 200 miles, predominantly oak and some sort of longleaf pine. It reminds me of Virginia - just trees and swamp everywhere.
When I arrived in Mayo, I wasn't sure how I'd feel. I haven't seen these people since I was six years old. There hadn't been that strong family connection. What better way to rekindle that than to start the barbecue and cook their steaks for dinner?
We looked through some photo albums and old family history documents, and we spent a while chronicling remembrances and family facts & statistics. There's so much to know.
Here is a picture of Grandma Geraldine's father, Alyre (top left), and ten children. Not pictured: Helene, his wife (the occasion was her funeral in 1973).
I went again the next weekend for Grandma Geraldine's 82nd (or 28th - I can't remember) birthday party. This time Denise and her family came, in addition to some of Geraldine's friends and neighbors.I brought nothing except an appetite. It was all good food, especially the venison sausage.
Then I went on a tour of the backwoods, Manuel's cows, and the land round about. That was a good, relaxing jaunt.
Group photo
(Denise, Kelson, Manuel, Caroline, Debbie, Geraldine, Allie)
Meaningful trip. Good folks. It's been a long time, and we've all grown up.
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