July 18, 2019

One of those, “Is that odd or is that God?” moments happened yesterday, and it filled my whole being with real joy. So much so, even thinking about it now makes me smile.

I had just gotten to the gatehouse to start my shift and was in the process of collecting everything I needed for my job when I noticed a gray jeep pulling into the lane designated for unregistered vehicles.

We keep track of the license plate number of every single vehicle that enters the campground, and since the Jeep wasn’t displaying a campground car tag, I figured the passengers were just out driving around like so many of our visitors do. We get a lot of people who just want to scope out the campground, whether they camp or not. I quickly gathered my pen and clipboard and approached the Jeep.

I walked up to the driver’s door and greeted the two occupants, asking them the standard questions: how were they doing and how could I be of service? Just as the driver started to answer, the passenger sat up in her seat and exclaimed excitedly as she leaned forward, “You stayed with us!”

I looked at her closely and suddenly remembered. Indeed we had! This was Hugh and MJ from Tylertown, Mississippi. Four months ago in March, on our way from Texas to Kentucky, we stayed at their little slice of heaven for a couple of nights. It was quiet and peaceful and relaxing, and Hugh and MJ were amazing hosts, so kind and hospitable.

A membership to Boondockers ($30 annually) links traveling RVers with hosts who have enough room on their property to accommodate a camper/trailer/RV. Most hosts are campers themselves. No money exchanges hands; it’s simply a way of connecting people who share a common interest, like travel or camping. We joined, thinking it might lead to interesting experiences. Running into Hugh and MJ again proved it already did!

The three of us just looked at each other, almost dumbfounded. After all, what are the chances that we’d meet up again 499 miles away?

Of all the campgrounds in LBL they could have gone to, what made them decide to check out Hillman Ferry Campground? And the timing! I literally had just signed in at the gatehouse after being off for a couple of days when they pulled in.

What was funny was that I had just been thinking about them a couple of days earlier because of Tropical Storm Barry and all the rain that it had brought to Mississippi. I even looked for their number in my phone, thinking I’d text to see how they were doing, but I didn’t have it.

I pulled up chairs for the three of us, and considered texting Dave to let him know they were here, but then as if on cue—or was it another coincidence?—he rode up on his scooter. He enjoys riding around the campground every day for an hour or so, picking up litter at the different campsites and alongside the road. His timing was perfect. The four of us had a great reunion and visited for a little while, and this time we exchanged contact information before they had to leave.

Incidents such as this remind me that this really is a small world, and that unexpected surprises like this really is the ‘spice of life.’ It certainly was the highlight of my day, and something I think I’ll remember for a long, long time. 🥰

All in all, it’s been a good summer. We’ve survived a couple of jam-packed holidays, several power outages, torrential rains, flooded lake conditions, and falling trees, not to mention having gotten to the it-doesn’t-phase-me-anymore stage with critters like chiggers, ticks, ants, and mice. I have finally gotten used to living in the woods.

It’s hard to believe, but we’re only about 100 days away from leaving again and heading south. There’s nothing like a milestone like that to kickstart all those projects that have been put on the back burner. Time goes by much too quickly, so enjoy it while you can!☺️ Until next time…