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.