Today’s slow roll began at 8:15 a.m., fifteen minutes ahead of schedule.
We arrived at the Cape May Ferry an hour and 15 minutes before our 10:30 reservation. We were unaware we had a problem.
Imagine our surprise when the nice lady working the ticket booth responded to Ron’s query, “Are we too early for the 10:30?
Her response: “You’re not too early for the 10:30, but you’re tickets not for here. Ticket is for Cape May side, and this ferry is full. Ain’t no way you’re getting on it, not with that rig.”
Yes, I’m the one who made the reservation. Obviously to hastily and without checking the details. Ron was with me when I bought the ticket. About four weeks ago we became aware we needed to book the ferry ticket in advance. So I did, just the wrong one.
Thankfully, my husband responded with grace. Not getting upset that his driving day just tripled, he simply said, “Ok. I guess we’re driving.”
We did a U-turn and began the three-and-a-half-hour drive north.
Neither of us has experienced a ferry ride the size of the Cape May Ferry. Both of us were excited and nervous about the trip. My anxiety was about the dogs, Ron’s the RV on the boat. I wasn’t sure how well Sophia and Rocco would behave with the other passengers on the hour and 20-minute ride. Once again, my anxiety was for something that never happened. Someday, maybe I’ll realize, worrying is wasted energy:-). We had to manage our disappointment. An adventure for another day.
Driving through the countryside of New Jersey is beautiful. At one point, Ron exclaimed, “Who knew there were cows in New Jersey?”
Ron truly is a good sport. Our unexpected delay didn’t phase him at all. About halfway through our trip, he said:
“The thing is, we didn’t know we needed to make a reservation; this is exactly what would have happened if we hadn’t made a reservation and just showed up at the ferry.”
To which I responded, “We weren’t meant to be on the boat.”
We have 2 years to use the ticket. Future trips are already being planned:-). Ironically, our ETA is about the same either way.
Thanks to our unexpected detour, we drove by Christiana Mall, which brought back a long-forgotten memory.
For a short while during my tenure at Nautica, I handled the Children’s Account for Hecht’s (now Macy’s). A couple of the shops in the Tidewater area closed. Nautica made their own fixtures. When a shop closed in a department store, the store kept them if we didn’t reclaim the furniture.
To re-allocate fixtures, I rented a U-haul truck. First, I drove around Tidewater, picking them up. Then I headed north to Delaware. I completely forgot about that particular trip until I saw the signs for the mall.
After I dropped off the tables, I returned the U-haul. After calling a taxi, I caught the train in Wilmington and trained it back to Virginia. All-in days work for Nautica.
Just about the time, we were tired of driving; we arrived at Sun Outdoors Cape May. The gate attendant was a mixture of annoyed patience. Obviously, he heard the same thing all day long, and his standard reply is, “What’s the site number?”
Every question Ron asked, he said the same thing. Finally, we told him we didn’t know. To which he replied, “Doesn’t matter, they’ll have it at the office.” Then gave us directions to the office.
By 1:16, we pulled through site 25 and leveled out the Crusader for a couple of days’ stay. Once set up, I strolled around the campground while catching up with Laura. I was surprised at the number of permanent sites in the resort—fantastic campground for kids: pool, lake, beach. If you can’t wear the kids out here, you can’t do it anywhere.
After strolling, I settled in to meet with the Women of Ruth, my study group, this summer. We finished the halfway mark of Kelly Minter‘s “Ruth: loss, legacy & love.
One night, at home, I saw a friend’s post on FB. Not knowing her well, I sent her a message and said, “I’d love to do a Bible study with you.” She responded quickly, “Yes, and can I ask two friends?” Now, I’m in an international Bible study with ladies from Australia and Scotland, both married to military men. Our discussions are life-giving for all of us.
“God carves our paths, authors each stroke, and weaves our courses into others’ lives.” Kelly Minter
Because of summer vacations, today’s meeting was via zoom. Humility was the major portion of our conversation. My personal favorites from today’s chat:
“Open honesty in the form of humility is a beautiful quality-even in a culture that exalts the image of having it all together.”
The point wasn’t lost on me that yesterday’s message was also on humility. HCWR: Humility, Cast your Cares, Watch and Pray, Resist. Obviously, God is talking to me about living humbly.
Another noteworthy conversation happened around the truth in these twelve words:
“We all have something to give even if we’re broke or broken.”
Next on the agenda was Cape May Par Three. Who doesn’t love a golf course that lists its dress code as “beachwear.” I loved golfing in shorts and a tee. We only played nine. Ron was 8 over par; I was 13. Excellent place to practice your short game. I’m hoping to play again before we leave.
On the way to get the golf clubs from the car, I noticed a middle-aged man coming off the putting green with”Slippery Rock University” scrolled across the black t-shirt on his chest. Without thinking, I yelled, “Slippery Rock University, I went there.”
“Really! I go there now,” was the response I received from the young man with him. Rare to see someone with an SRU t-shirt in Virginia. When I first read his shirt, I did a double-take. Passing by, I replied, “Great school! Great school!”
We started on hole 10.
“Tincup” is definitely how we would define the feel of the club. No real rules; do what you want.
Because someone was teeing off on one, we decided to play the back nine. When we saw the sign asking us not to start on ten, we turned around. About that time, the pro stuck his head out the door and yelled, “You can start on 10 since there are people on 1.” We pointed at the sign; he just shrugged his shoulders and went back inside.
When I asked Ron his favorite quote from TinCup, his first response was:
“Grip and rip it” But as he thought about it longer, he decided it was Roy McAvoy’s words when teaching the golf swing:
“Pulled into position not by the hands, but by the body which turns away from the target shifting weight to the right side without shifting balance. Tempo is everything; perfection unobtainable as the body coils down at the top of the swing. There’s a slight hesitation. A little nod to the gods.”
Sophia and Rocco made new friends. Dressed in the black t-shirt, the young man said:
“I’m riding around the campground looking for dogs I can pet.”
Ours were happy to oblige. A little while later, he rode by again and yelled these words:
Kim’s Convenience by the fire. 
Prior trip, favorite picture.
“Just a daily reminder, you got cute dogs.”
A quiet evening to an unexpected day, watching Kim’s Convenience by the fire. Now and then, blue lights roll through the darkness as kids ride by on their bikes. From a neighboring campfire, we can hear the hum of low conversation. Periodically stray fireworks will send a rumble through the sky.
All’s well that ends well—night, everyone.