We are currently camped at Clear Springs Recreation Area, outside Meadsville, MS, which is just east of Natchez. This is a Forest Service campground on two levels situated around a small spring fed lake ( assuming a spring based on name.) If you have ever stayed in a forest service campground, they are usually pretty basic, with central water and no electricity. This one has site water and 50 amp service, several bathrooms with showers and flush toilets, and paved aprons at most sites. It is not a Corp park for you familiar with their usual amenities, but we are happy, especially for $13/night. They are only $20 if you pay full price, so still a deal.
Getting here hasn't been as wonderful though. We left Jacksonville to run into a big storm front passing eastward in Crestview. Hazel was really upset and spent most of the night in neurotic shaking frenzy. If that wasn't enough, our killer fat kitty, Samantha had stopped eating. Since she has always been picky, we didn't pick up on it before leaving home and with a day of travel where she never eats, it wasn't until late Thursday we became concerned. One thing I was unaware of is that cats need to eat,unlike dogs and humans. If they go more than 48 hours they can develop something called fatty liver, which is usually fatal. We took her to vet Friday and after several tests and plenty of money, could draw no real conclusions, except she did not appear to have pancreatic problems or fatty liver. They sent us home with pills to increase her appetite and a recommendation to try Metamucil in case she was stopped up. She wasn't happy with either alternative, continued to refuse food, not just not eat. By Monday we had moved on to Pensacola and decided another vet visit was in order. This vet was more decisive and said looking at the pictures of the xrays I had snapped previously, whatever was wrong would most probably result in surgery. She was 15 and both Bruce and I were unwilling to put her through abdominal type surgery and the pain of recovery, if she could survive or recover, so we had her put to sleep. She is resting now not far from where she was born, at the house of our dear friends in Pensacola. Wolfy has been looking for her, but is adapting.
We left Pensacola yesterday and spent a delightful 5 hours driving the backroads to get here. We used US 84 across MS and were one of the only vehicles going west. Spent today in Natchez walking around and had lunch dowtown. City is full of history. Did you know this area used to be considered West Florida in the 1700's? Decided to drive back to campground a different way and ended up "exploring" several backroads and as a result retraced our original route in once we located a familiar road. We are now back at camp, Hazel and Wolfy are ready for dinner and I am trying to get this finished first, find the elusive data/telephone connection that floats with the wind and post. Later.....
Seeing as how I am posting today it is probably apparent I never could connect last night long enough at the bottom of the hill. We are now out and ready for a ride on the Natchez Trace so will have an opportunity to post this morning instead. BTW, Verizon coverage everywhere is hooey.
