Thanksgiving Day began with the clearest sky we’ve had yet here at Panama City Beach. The humidity level dropped tremendously, making the horizon look razor sharp. The wind had also picked up, however, and was blowing quite strongly all day long. These conditions lasted throughout the day.
We began our day with a family walk on the beach, and like before, we stopped along the way to write whimsical messages in the sand. Hallie led the charge on this but soon we all participated. Being Thanksgiving, our messages took a decidedly holiday theme, with a turkey emerging as the main subject. Future walkers would find these messages along with turkey-like tracks dotting the white sandy beach.
After our walk we had just enough time to get dressed before we were due to gather in nearby Saint Andrews State Park for our official reunion. Soon we were dressed and had our food gathered for the short ride over.
There were three generations of Turners present, making for an impressive group. Our outdoor shelter became more of a wind tunnel though we managed to avoid any major spills, much to the dismay of the group of seagulls eyeing us from a short distance away. The food was blessed and then everyone got in line, filling up on ham, turkey, casseroles, and desserts. It was all good!
After dinner was over, a few folks wandered around the park, most walking over to a pavilion overlooking the jetties. We still hadn’t taken our group photo yet so I pitched to Dad that we take one in 20 minutes. We agreed on a place and spread the word, only finding out later that one of my aunts had arthritis and couldn’t make it to the sand dunes. We settled on a large deck closer to the parking lot and managed to take a fine picture.
The group then split up again, with some headed back to their hotels and others like us visiting the nearby “gator lake.” Twenty minutes of “gator calls” from the viewing platform failed to find any alligators, so we hopped down and walked the nature trail around the small lake. Only when we reached another overlook did we managed to spot any gators. Jeff and I spotted what looked like a floating log, which of course turned out to be an alligator. Fortunately for us he kept to himself in the middle of the lake!
We got back to the condo and again, didn’t have much time to do anything but get ready for our next appointment: a group picture on the beach. I returned with Dad out to the state park and together we scouted out a nice sand dune, the rest of my family joining us about 10 minutes later. The resulting shots were windy and they made everyone look stressed, but they were the best we could do.
From the beach we watched the sun set. I was sorry to see it go. Still there was more fun in store, as we joined my sister and brother’s family at my parents’ condo for some fun conversation and a little card-playing. It was a day I was sad to see end.
