It was sad to say goodbye to mom but it was exciting to see how well she and stepdad Chick are managing to live independently. She is 92 and he is 94 and they manage three good meals each day, care for a kitty named Ginger, and get to grocery stores and doctors appointment as needed with some help from friends. Mom has the energy and memory of a young woman and keeps them going!
Our first stop after Mom's was at a state park called Ocklochlonee River where we hoped to see a rare small woodpecker called the Red Cockayed WP. Might have had a glimpse but no real identification. Did see Longleaf Pines where we saw the nesting holes. We did find two special things. Our friends Joan and Lucille are traveling as well as met up with us there for two nights, and we had a wonderful time together.
We also saw something new to me a White Squirrel...not albino but an actual subspecies. We saw many and captured a picture in our site.
After saying goodbye to our friends we headed to a spot we had visited before. During our first trip across Florida to Texas we had driven a very long day and decided we would stop at the next campground we saw. We were in southern Louisana and new to the area, but we saw a sign read Cajun Haven. We were hesitant but too tired to move on so we talked with the owner "Jeff " who couldn't have been nicer to us. Most of the campground was filled with trailers and men who worked on the oil rigs, and Jeff assured us of our safety. We slept well that night and left him a nice thank you note and said if we ever returned to the area, we would stop.
Well, we made sure on this trip that we would return to Cajun Haven. He gave us a great site and told us he had built a bar/restaurant right beside the campground and invited us to come over for the evening. We first met "Killer" who runs the office and maintains the grounds. He said we had to go to the bar cuz Jeff who now is known as Red Dog was cooking a free dinner for everyone. Needless to say, we weren't going to miss this.
When we walked into the bar, we felt like we were stepping into a movie set. Folks were playing pool. Others were playing Washer Board - tossing metal washers into holes on a slanted board, and others were sitting around the bar. Red Dog's friend Earl now to be known as Coonass, invited us to sit with him, and share a cold one from his bucket. Then started the education on Cajun food, culture, words and life in this part of our country. It was truly one of the most enjoyable nights we have had learning and sharing with wonderful caring, kind people. Pictured below is Killer, and Tone with Coonass and Red Dog.
And here is a picture of a crayfish trap...part of our Cajun education.
The following morning we left LA with a happy heart after a wonderful time with these great people. Listen carefully and you can hear Tone singing "those good ole boys...not meaning no harm..."
Back to I10 we went for a few hectic hours of traffic. After we reached the border of Texas and the city of Beaumont, we turned south along the coast to Galveston. Great road along the water and heading toward Goose Island state Park, just north of Corpus Christi. We hope to see the Whooping Cranes and worry we might be too late, but we are fortunate that on our first effort we spotted three. Many that winter here are gone but we are grateful to get a glimpse of these endangered birds.
HereHere you can see the state fl lower of Texas, the Bluebonnet .
We are feeling so privileged. We are seeing the diversity of the geography of this great country, while being blessed with the amazing diversity of people that all call it home.
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