GOOD TIMES IN GULF SHORES AND FOLEY, ALABAMA

Having a Friday reservation at an Escapees park, Rainbow Plantation and we take our time getting there.  Of course we have forgotten a that it is really, really dark once the sun goes down and being unfamiliar with the park, site fourteen just might be a wee bit hard to find.  

After a relaxing dinner at Cracker Barrel, we head for the "Plantation" to find that the street signage is hard to find.  We drive around the entire park once and finally find our street.  It is the first street after we turn off the main road.  What a couple of goofs.

Saturday, we head down the road to Gulf Shores for a nice time at the beach.  I scout for sea glass.  Not finding any, I switch to shell hunting.  I try to find the smallest possible shells. I want to make shell covered initials of the first names of the grands.  

Monday, we do some grocery shopping and drive around the area finding places that I enjoyed as a youngster.  

Tuesday, we travel to Fairhope, AL to visit Tom Jones, a potter, in his studio.  

He is busy making Mardi Gras pottery as it is selling faster than he can produce it.  

Tom has two four footed helpers at his studio.  Only one problem, the Greyhound is one sleepy pooch.  

He is a rescue, direct from the track in Mobile.  He ran thirty races, placed in twenty and the last ten,  he kept seeing squirrels and chased them instead! lol.  





Tom's studio is in an old brick factory where they used clay from the grounds around the site.


Now, some of the clay Tom uses is from right there on the grounds.   

This flower pot mold was left behind and Tom is keeping it in the studio.

The mold that is on the machine is for a ten inch pot.  The molds are as small as two inches. 

What a treasure!                                                                                               

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        This is where the clay was stirred and kneaded.


Do you see the clay rattlesnake at the foot of the mixing vat?  

Here are the blades with dried lumps of old clay that was left behind.  

Here are some of his displays.  Can you guess what we purchased?  

                                                    

                           

The quirky signs displayed throughout his studio give you  an idea as to Tom's personality. 

We almost purchased something from this display.  But we found something we liked better. 

I bet you cannot find what we purchased.   

Something to think about!
















OH! Mardi Gras beads!








How about a Christmas Tree?  

A bit too heavy for our coach.  Had to pass on this one.  

 Loved this Iris pattern.  Did I get this?  




Or maybe something from this display?  

It is a difficult choice when purchasing pottery.  In our case, we need to purchased for function, colors to accent our decor and be mindful of the weight.  

Emerson (Emi) is now one month old! Megan took these photos.                                             This little one has her Nana's lips.  I can prove she is mine!  













I think she is singing Happy Birthday to me, Happy Birthday to me...............

As for the rest of the week, we shopped, walked and walked, cleaned the motorhome and rested.  

After reading some negative reviews of I - 10, we took U.S. 90 from Foley/Gulf Shores to our location here in Gulfport Mississippi.  

Thanks so much for joining us on this trip.  Warmer days ahead are promised.  

God bless you all.