From Tybee Light to the Marshes of Glynn

The old mister and I joined three other couples for a golf outing weekend on the Georgia coast. That is, the guys went golfing and the gals went…out. The gals got a jump on the weekend by heading to Tybee and The Breeze Inn on Wednesday. It was the first time we’d had friends down to the “finished” house, and even though it was only an overnight stay, they loved the house and we had a blast. As always, we went to dinner at our favorite restaurant, the Sundae Cafe. The weather Thursday morning was gorgeous, so we went for a bike ride around Tybee. And we rode. And rode. Four hours! Talk about saddle-sore! As we tooled around the island, I gave them the Jane Coslick tour, that is, showing them the many adorable houses Janie has transformed through her amazing talent. As we were riding down Chatham Avenue, the home of Amazing Grace, which I consider Janie’s (and owner Erica Wilson’s) masterpiece, I spied….wicker! On the curb! A woman was just putting a mint-green wicker rocker at the curb for garbage pickup. The posse members–Jinx, Shay and Mona–(she’s our St. Augustine member), circled the rocker to protect it from any other would-be curb cruisers. I called my friend Ron on my cellphone, and quick as a minute, he and Leuveda came to the rescue with their van. Now the rocker’s at the Breeze, awaiting some minor repairs. I’ve got plans for that sucker. After our bike ride, we headed down to Jekyll Island to meet the men-folk, who, even though they arrived there around 5pm, managed to get in an “emergency” 9 holes of golf before dark. On Friday, the guys headed out for their tee-time, while we headed out to poke around Jekyll and nearby St. Simon’s Island. Imagine our glee to discover signs for an antique sale in Brunswick–and for one of the bi-monthly antique fairs that would be held on Saturday on the village green on St. Simon’s. We even managed to stop by to see my friends at G.J. Ford Booksellers. It’s always fun to see owner Mary Jean and check out what books she’s recommending. We got back from our exploratory mission in time for lunch with the guys, and a long bike ride around the island. Jekyll Island is so beautiful this time of year. The live oaks are amazing, and the manicured grounds of the millionaire’s village are so green and tranquil. Hard to believe all of this belongs to the state of Georgia. Hopefully, the developers and politicians won’t find a way to screw up all this beauty. The guys went back out for another “crucial” nine holes. Saturday morning, the posse saddled up for the Brunswick antique sale, which turned out to have several items salvaged from The Cloister, before it’s total re-do a few years ago. Since posse member Susie (absent due to storm damage to her garden) honeymooned at The Cloister, we felt it imperative to bring her back a consolation prize. And of course, I managed to nab a couple things for myself, including a great 1950s-era bamboo bar that will be perfect for The Breeze Inn. Then it was on to St. Simon’s Island, and the antique fair. Prices were really reasonable, and I made several scores, which will hopefully make it to my antique booth at Seaside Sisters. Back at the ranch, in late afternoon, we took a ride over to a remote spot on the island, where a friend from home had told us we could spot some rare birds. After a short hike, we came upon a group of bird-watchers who pointed us to a rookery full of nesting wood storks and roseate spoonbills. The birds were so beautiful, it was hard to tear ourselves away. But we made the sacrifice, because that night it was our turn to man the kitchen. Mr. Mary Kay made his famous crab-cakes, which we served on a bed of sweet Florida corn from the St. Simon’s farmer’s market, topped with a tomato-avocado salsa. Jack and Shay made oven-roasted asparagus with parmesan, and a caprese salad, and we topped the meal off with my key lime pie. Mmm. Aunt Bee! Of course, the guys had to cram in just 18 more holes Sunday morning before lunch–raw oysters and boiled shrimp at Latitudes on the pier in the Jekyll village. Junk, good food, good friends, good times. Who can ask for more?