We were still tired from our 350 mile repositioning to the Florida panhandle yesterday, and the weather forecast for today and tomorrow called for thunderstorms with a high probability of heavy rain, so we did not plan on doing any site-seeing. I worked at my computer, editing photos for two gallery posts, and then turned my attention to editing photos from our Suncoast Designers visit and putting the finishing touches on my article for Bus Conversion Magazine about our a RV window repair experience.
Our site at Live Oak Landing near Freeport, FL; an RVC Outdoor Destination.
We needed groceries and Linda located a Publix on US-98 in South Walton about 10 miles from the RV park. We decided to take a short drive east on US-98 and then down to the coast. We drove past Grayton Beach State Park as far as the resort community of Watercolor. We could not figure out if Watercolor is a condo development, a timeshare resort, or just a regular old resort. It’s an “architectural” place, very attractive and interesting, but planned and intentionally designed. A bike trail runs along the south side of US-98 and there were lots of cyclists, runners, joggers, and walkers using it.
Live Oak Landing Outdoor Destination borders one of the branches of the Choctawhatchee River on the north side just before it empties into the east end of Choctawhatchee Bay. This is a very large bay that connects to the Gulf of Mexico on the west end. The Choctawhatchee River was already above flood stage at Ebro, east of our location, when we arrived on Sunday at 4:00 PM CDT. We were watching the weather while we were in Hudson, Florida and heavy rains had pushed through this area and up into SE Alabama and southern Georgia early last week. All of that water eventually flows to the Gulf of Mexico through the Florida panhandle. From the time we got here my cell phone Weather Channel app issued a steady stream of watches/warnings for strong/severe storms, river flooding, and flash flooding for most of the panhandle, including Freeport.
Another view of Live Oak Landing. Our coach is towards the end on the left.
What better time for a thanksgiving dinner? We bought a Tofurkey brand roast, two yams, and fresh green beans on our trip to Publix and Linda cooked all of that for dinner. We finished off our box of red wine and had a few dark chocolate covered almonds for dessert.
A strong cold front approaching from the WNW provided the lifting mechanism for a massive fetch of Gulf moisture, resulting in powerful, sustained thunderstorms training northeast over much of the western Florida panhandle, southeast Alabama and southwest Georgia. Over the course of the day and into the evening the cold front pushed steadily eastward across the region and the rain finally reached us around 9:00 PM accompanied by a spectacular lightning display and booming thunder.
The Choctawhatchee River from Live Oak Landing RV park.
I had finished my article for Bus Conversion Magazine an hour earlier, had Linda proof-read it, and had made final corrections. I was uploading the article and photos to my Dropbox, and e-mailing the publisher and editor to let them know, when the storms arrived. I finished those tasks, shut down my computer and unplugged the power supply. I also turned off the NAS and unplugged both the power and data cables. I left the WiFi Ranger and the Amped|Wireless router on. It would be inconvenient to lose them it a lightning strike, but the loss of programs and data would be catastrophic.
We went to bed and tried to sleep but it was pointless. The coach was a bit stuffy with all the vents and windows closed and the lightning, thunder, and rain were non-stop. The most intense rain fell at the rate of 3 – 4 inches per hour accompanied by the kind of lightning and thunder that signals the end of the world. Warm, moist air from the Gulf of Mexico is the fuel that makes serious weather in this part of the country. Life in an RV puts you in intimate contact with nature.