Family, friends and other critters

Sulphur, LA

Our time here in SW Louisiana is quickly come to an end.  We leave on Friday to visit with Len's daughter D'Juana and her family in the Clear Lake section of Houston.

On Saturday some of Len's siblings got together for dinner at the home of his brother Royce and SIL Sue.

SIL Sue, sister Sissy and a great-niece

Len and three of his brothers.  Notice they all wear hats.  It's just that Len's is a little bigger.

We really appreciate that each time we are in town, one of his siblings plans a little reunion.

Yesterday we drove over to Iowa (a town in Louisiana, not the state) to visit Len's Godfather Claude and his gracious wife Vern.

Today we drove the Creole Trail.  This trail starts almost in front of the RV park and continues through the Sabine Wildlife refuge ending over 100 miles later in Lake Charles.

We've driven it a few times and walked some of the trails.

I really wanted to walk this trail again today.   After going only about 50 feet I headed back to the truck fast.   I was covered with mosquitoes.   These pests are really bad this year.  Even the locals say this is unusual.

On the way we drove through the town of Holly Beach that sits right on the Gulf.   It was completely destroyed with not one building remaining a few years ago when Hurricane Rita hit just days after the other side of the state was hit with Katrina.

We are amazed at the rebuilding.   There is an RV park there that I've always wanted to try out.  But not if the mosquitoes are like they are further inland.

Notice the new buildings on stilts.   Would they even remain with another blast like Rita.

Continuing on we cross the shipping channel via a free ferry.

Further up the trail is the

This is a 3 mile loop out in the marsh.  There is one boardwalk trail.  Again, the mosquitoes look daunting.  I'll pass this time.   People are cautioned to only get out of the car if walking the one raised trail.  This is why:

Lots and lots of this:

There were some milder creatures - ducks, geese, herons, various small birds and even pink flamingos.

And lots of these follows sunning themselves.

It's become quite humid here tonight.  Enough so that the A/C is on.

Let's see what tomorrow brings.

Can't think of a title!

Sulphur,  LA

We are now starting our 2nd week here in SW Louisiana visiting family and friends.  We've decided to stay here until March 9 then head over to Austin TX where we start a NOMADS project on the 12th.

Last weekend we spent a bit of time with our daughter Cassie and her four:

During the week I found some work for Leonard to do.   One project was thanks to Lauren and George from Owensontheroad.    George and Lauren also have a Montana Fifthwheel.  Upon examination George found the panel under the fridge hid an empty space.  He removed it, installed hinges and now they store pots and pans in that area.   I had Leonard do the same.  In it I store my cookie sheets and cake and muffin pans.  Ideal for those items as I sure don't use them much!

Our model fifthwheel has a computer station as you walk in the door.  That is one reason we chose it.  In the cabinet next to it I kept two plastic file boxes with the handle on the lids.  They were bulky and the lids kept falling off when lifted causing the contents to fall out.  I hated this set up.  So, we decided to get a file cabinet.   We shopped several stores - Lowes, WalMart, Home Depot, office supply stores.  All they had were metal cabinets.   We wanted wood.

Finally an office supply store directed us to a store about 30 miles away in Beaumont TX, called The Sawmill that sells unpainted furniture.  We took a drive and found the perfect cabinet.  It was more than we (I) wanted to pay but we are quite happy with it.  Len spent the next few days staining and then applying two coats of polyurethane.  It fits perfectly next to the sofa.

We will use the end table it replaced as a coffee table.  It looks nice there.

Last night we went to dinner with our friends Diana and Don (Teaux Teaux or ToTo) Johnson.  Diana is  a childhood friend of Len's whom he had not seen for many years.  They reconnected a few years back when we attended the church where they are members. Whenever in the area, we spend some good times with them.

Diana told us about a new restaurant they wanted to try in Lake Arthur, LA about 40 miles from their home.  We are camped only two miles from their house.   

The Regatta sits on piers right on the Lake.

Diana and ToTo split a combination seafood.  They selected asparagus and some type of regional corn dish as their sides.  In addition to what is on the plate, there was a bowl of crawfish gumbo.

Len had catfish topped with crawfish etouffee.  His sides were a mixed green salad and cornbread dressing.

I had crawfish etouffe with a green salad and sweet potato fries.

Although we were  filled to the brim, we could not resist their bread pudding with whiskey sauce.  Each couple split an order.  An order consisted of two large squares of the one of the most delicious bread pudding's I've ever had.

Today we will be going to Len's brother and sister-in-law Royce and Susie's for a "sibling" get together.  Royce is smoking ribs as I write.  Too bad the weather is so cool today.   Only in 50's and windy.  Time to head out to the grocery store.

We picked a winner

Sulphur, LA

Our last day of work in Moss Point, MS included work on this challenge:

This is Len helping Earl and Lynn McClelland installing a new electrical system.   Can you imagine all else that needs to be done!  The home owner greatly appreciates any help the volunteers provide.

We left Moss Point this morning at 8 after hugs from the entire team and a  "see you in September" at the annual NOMADS meeting in New York.    Lucky said Good Bye to his new friend Dogee.

After stops to take on fuel, empty the black tank and for lunch, we arrived at A+ Motel and RV Park in Sulphur, LA at 2:45 pm.  The total drive was 313 miles.

WHAT AN RV PARK!   I had checked it out on RV Park Reviews and saw all good comments.   The people at the desk were great, giving us lots of information.  The registration area is beautiful with coffee always available.

We have a great site.

The pond is stocked with several species of fish including catfish.  The guests are invited to fish and keep their catch, up to a daily limit.    Len just might try his luck.  It's been a while since he's fished but is now really tempted.

Too bad it's not swimming weather as there is also a pool and picnic area.

This park has it all.  Picnic table and grill at each site with a grassy area.  Also showers, laundry, free Wifi, cable, 50 amp, fishing pond, free coffee, meeting rooms.   Yup, we picked a winner.  We've reserved for two weeks at a weekly rate of $155.00.  

Now looking forward to seeing friends and family in the area.

Almost time to move on down the road

Moss Point,  MS

First welcome to Page our newest follower.   I tried to access her blog but like many it is by invitation only.

Yup, today is our last day of work here.  DONE!  We just got done.   Tomorrow we head to Louisiana for three weeks of rest and visiting family before starting another 3 week project in Austin, TX on March 12.

Lots of stuff happened in the last week:

That fabulous restaurant, The Shed, where we ate on Friday, burned down on Saturday.   What a loss.  They vow to rebuild.  In fact I saw on the news they will be serving BBQ from another building on the premises tomorrow.  I gotta wonder how well done that meat will be.

We visited with an old friend of Lens (now my friend too, ) Gay who spent 13 days hospitalized.  She was released on Tuesday.

This is Len's friend (Gay's hubby) Mack whom we were told had died and were surprised to find  very much ALIVE!

Mack and Len worked together at Ingalls Shipyard back in the 70's.

Yesterday when we arrived back to the Fiver after working, we noticed a car with two people sitting in it watching us.   As we were headed to the fiver, the couple got out and the man called me by name.  I had to admit, I had no clue as to who it was.   Imagine our delight to find out it was Allen and Jeanne Webster, also fulltimers.  We met this lovely couple three Thanksgiving's ago when we were visiting our son in Alabama and they were visiting their daughter.  We had seen each others blogs and agree to meet at the local Cracker House.

It seems that yesterday they had taken a look at our blog and were surprised to find that we were close by. They are volunteering at a church in a neighboring town.  They've been there since January 3 and will remain until around March 24.    They came over to surprise us and surprise us they did.  One more instance when we are so glad that we keep this blog!   Check out the Webster at:

http://aljewebster.blogspot.com    

This has been one of our hardest projects.  The work has been difficult.  But we are glad to have done it!

Phyllis painting trim up on the porch roof:

Leonard completing a set of steps he built:

Hanging sheetrock in a bedroom ceiling:

A member of Caswell Springs United Methodist Church is in the Guinness Book of World Records.  She is the longest continuous church organist having played here for more than 69 years.  In all those years she has missed less than 5 Sunday's.  And she is still going strong.

On Tuesday night a group of us had dinner at Mexican Restaurant about 15 miles away.  It was wonderful.  Tonight, we are returning.

In the meantime, I will be hitting the shower, packing up and just maybe taking a moment to catch my breath.

Once we get settled at our next destination, I will be catching up on some blogs.   The last three weeks have been hectic with little downtime.    We pray everyone is well and had a loving Valentines Day.

Birds, beaches and BBQ

Moss Point,  MS

BIRDS

On Friday our group of 8 NOMADS got up bright and early on a non-work day!!!

 We had the real treat of meeting Judy from Travels with Emma one of  the RVing  Worlds favorite bloggers.   This is me on the left, Judy on the right.

Judy is volunteering for three months at

When I found out we would be working on a project only about 15 miles from the refuge where she is volunteering, I suggested we meet.  She graciously invited us all for a tour.  We arrived right at eight am to meet Judy waiting with a van that seats about 10.     

Judy told us that back in the 70's there were only about 35 of the Mississippi Sand Hill cranes left in the world.   Due to their protection as an endangered species there are now about 120.     For a while it looked like we would not be privileged to see any cranes on this day.  Then - there they were - two cranes off in a field and one of them doing their mating dance!   The cranes mate for life and follow a ritual of the male doing a dance to impress his mate.  (I know this trick works - Leonard and I met while out Country dancing almost 24 years ago).     

Unfortunately my camera is such that when I took pictures, all I got was a field. 

But I did get this picture of others in the group taking pictures.

 I really need to get a camera with better capabilities.   To check out the cranes, go to Judy's blog.   www.travels-with-emma.blogspot.com

I found very interesting their methods of catching a crane for the purpose of banding.  One method is by use of the "coffin".

The biologist goes out at night, quietly lays in this box and while closing the lid, places corn on top.  When he hears the walking of the crane on top, he puts his arm through a small hole in the side and grabs the bird!   

After the excitement of seeing the crane doing his dance, we hoped to see more.  And see more we did.  A total of 33!  Judy tells us this is a record for one of her tours.  We were privileged indeed.  We were not so lucky when it came to seeing the two young Bald Eagles nesting in this nest.  Guess it was nap time.

BEACHES

After hugs and thanks, we headed back to our campsites.  Leonard and I decided to make a day of it.  We first drove over to Pascagoula and checked out Ingalls Shipyard where Leonard worked for 8 years in the 70's.   

He keeps remarking how things have changed in the area in 40 years!  Well, yea.    He wondered if the Longfellow House was still sitting there along the gulf.    It was.

This house was built in 1850 for  slave trader Daniel Smith Graham.  It has since been a girls school, a club for Ingalls Shipyard and a private residence.   Legend is that Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote the poem The Building of the Ship while visiting this house but there is no real evidence that this is true.

We then took a drive to Biloxi.  Biloxi was hit hard by Hurricane Katrina.   These once were casinos that sat along the beach.

And here are what appear to be new or rebuilt casinos - sitting along the beach.  

And the beaches?   The sand was white as snow.

BBQ

That evening our group took Judy's advice.   While on the tour she drove by The Shed BBQ and recommended it.

It sure was a shed.   

But what great BBQ.   I choose the brisket with potato salad and beans.  

Len selected their mixed dinner.  It had brisket, BBQ chicken, ribs, pulled pork, pulled chicken and sausage.  He also had sweet potatoes, cole slaw and collards.  We have enough meat left  from his dinner for today's lunch.

Yesterday was one of those perfect days that we are so blessed to enjoy with each other and our new friends.