here's why I love the South

I just called Kim to confirm that I'm coming over to Mobile (yes, Alabama) on Sunday, and she asked, "You plannin on stayin the whole time?"

"Excuse me?"

"Your whole spring break?"

Now THAT is some hospitality. When I said I was just coming for the day, she said, "Well at least you could stay the night!"

Kim and I met volunteering through Habitat when I first got here, and we bonded over circular saws. She was here for her vacation from nursing school, helping "her man" Norwood (they've been together forever, having even grandchildren together) with his sweat equity hours for Habitat.

They're good people. I'm not sure that Kim was expecting me to agree to visit when she told me months ago that she was moving into a bigger place - but that just shows she doesn't know me. And that she's a trained chef - that sure doesn't hurt (her first question: what would you like to eat?)

Hospitality rocks the South.

Now I just have to figure out which bird watching adventure to go on tomorrow - to the south in Lafitte (which I've heard is really lovely, and it's on my way to the migratory bird festival in a few weeks) or to the north outside Madisonville (which would make me cross the 28-mile causeway [oh, my heart rate just radically accelerated thinking of that horror] AND I could swing by nearby Covington to get me some of those awesome Ariat Fatbaby boots).

Life is pretty damn grand when the worst dilemmas of my weekend are which direction to drive to enjoy nature and what I want to eat when visiting a friend two states over in the hospitable South. I already got six errands done on a fine start to a productive spring break (amazing the energy I have after Popeye's chicken strips).

It ain't Africa, but it'll do.