Bill's Blog

Good morning!  It’s 6:56 am in Miramar Beach, FL.  You haven’t heard much from me lately, because I’ve had nothing new to report until now.  As of this morning, we had some tarballs wash ashore.  (See the photos below taken from Sheree’s cell phone.)

I wanted to drop in with a very quick blog to let you know that I’ll be out of pocket for the next several days.  The boys and I are driving back to Arkansas today.  We’re leaving the heat of Florida–relieved by a dip in the ocean–for the heat of Calico Rock, Arkansas–relieved by . . . coming back to the ocean.  Heat or no heat, we’re terribly excited for the trip!

If you followed the infamous “Spleen Blogs,” you know that my closest friends are those I met in my Jr. High years.  One of the guys, Jason, served a few years in Afghanistan [if you click on the "Soldiers" tab of the blog, you can see Jason before he left].  While there, he made it clear to all of the guys that he wanted a “Guy’s Trip” to the woods of Calico Rock–just Dads and their boys.  It’s been far too long!  Back in our college years, we used to camp and backpack much more often.  So we’re off for hiking, spelunking, rappelling, shooting guns, drinking from a fresh spring, cooking over a fire, telling stories, and sleeping under the stars.  Normal guy stuff.

Sheree and Bella are thrilled to stay here in Florida.  Some folks are just weird–she doesn’t relish the idea of sleeping in a tent when it’s 90 degrees, 173% humidity.   She doesn’t like the idea of swimming [with a bar of soap] in a creek.  Odd, I know, but I nonetheless love her.

SO–if you’re wondering about beach conditions, or anything Beyond Photography-related, she’ll still be manning the fort.  You can check the beach updates on her Facebook page (search for Sheree Baker Ramsey if you’re not already friends or become a fan of Beyond Photography, Inc.).  Otherwise, feel free to email with anything else:  beyondphotography1@gmail.com.  If you call, and it takes a few days to reply, forgive me–it’s because I have the phone, and I’m [radically] out of service area.  I’ll get back to you, though.

Thanks again for tuning in!  I’m sure you’ll see the ugly record from the camping expedition when I return.  I’ll probably also retell some of the stories from past camping experiences.  We’ll post them under the “cautionary tales” section.