Hello from the bayside! And welcome to our blog. This is Mrs. 78squarefeet, reporting in from Florida's panhandle. My husband and I travel full-time, taking our home with us and living close to nature and far from the daily grind. I'll be checking in from time to time, sharing pictures and accounts of our life together and discussing various topics pertinent to our specific existence.

Wow. This is a lovely, lovely spot for vagabonds! Of course it helps if you're the type of vagabond who loves sunshine, moderate temperatures, and the sound of waves on the shore. (Admittedly, we had a couple chilly nights soon after we arrived - this is Florida, but it's the panhandle in December!)

Our campsite is found in Florida's Escribano Point Wildlife Management Area, on the Blackwater Bay east of Pensacola. At low tide, we've enjoyed walking the shoreline - the sand is whitish grey and comfortably firm under our feet. The water is cool to my fingers; the average for this time of year is 65degF. The waves are small and extremely pleasant to see and hear. At times they are very calm, as in the above photo. The water is darkened with tannins the Blackwater River picks up on its journey from southern Alabama to the Gulf.

Our campground is five feet above sea level! The fish cakes, eggs, and potatoes taste good at any altitude, but I think the view does a little something for our enjoyment of breakfast.

My husband cooks some incredible meals. I'll feature some of his recipes in future posts; I'm afraid I can't be held responsible for the inevitable mouth-watering reflexes. The local wildlife (that's a tongue-in-cheek description) appreciates his skills as well.

This fellow was unanimously voted Mayor of Escribano Point Bayside Campground by the current inhabitants of Site #2 (us!). He's one of two campground cats; besides a few squirrels these are the only mammals (besides fellow campers) we've sighted. This is black bear country according to the warning signs and the bear-proof trash cans but we've not encountered any yet. Birds are plentiful - doves make their rounds a few times a day and we were treated to the lovely, lonely loon's call several days in a row. Other land and shore birds make appearances, too. We aren't birders so we don't attempt very specific identification.

Life on the road is amazing and challenging and adventurous and humdrum, but thankfully not all at once! Mr. 78squarefeet works very hard to keep us going, both in mental exertion (planning our travels, watching the weather, et cetera) and in physical labor (firewood doesn't cut itself). We are thankful to enjoy a frugal but a blessed existence. There are trade-offs to every lifestyle; for us at this time, the trade-offs are well worth the experience.

Hello, world! I hope you enjoy riding along.