Vacation at last!

Saturday, March 10, 2012

Now that we've picked up the Casita, checked it out (for the most part), and Duffy has caught up on his accounting work for Kurt's business (for the moment), we feel like we are on vacation at last.

For the last three nights (March 6-8) we stayed in the Pineywoods of east Texas in the Texas State Railroad (TSR) campground in Rusk.  Every morning TSR employees or retirees and train hobbyists gathered to run the engine of the old steam train up and down the track, blowing the whistle and connecting/disconnecting to the passenger and dining car.  On weekends, the old steam train carries passengers from Rusk to Palestine, a distance of about 25 miles, and back again.  This coming week is Spring Break for students in east Texas, so the train will be running then as well.  During our stay, we and the camp hosts were the only RVs in the park.  When not at the park, the library, and McDonalds for coffee and WiFi, were home to us.  So far, the parks that listed WiFi as an amenity have not delivered, until now.  (Hurray for KOA in Lafayette!)

Yesterday morning we left Rusk, following our GPS down Highways 69, 63, 69 again, 96 and I-10 into Louisiana, driving south in Texas then east to LA.  Duffy's plan was to head east out of Rusk to Louisiana, then drive south to Baton Rouge.  Miss Nuvi (or Miss Direction), our GPS, often has other ideas.  We opted for the fasted way, avoiding such things as traffic snarls.  The road across Lake Charles - huge! - up and over a very high bridge that looked like an alp, was reduced to one lane each way, with traffic reduced to a crawl in both directions.  Once across the lake in LA, we came upon several accidents that had us once again moving slowly on the interstate.

I took over at the wheel in Texas and made the drive to Lafayette, where we spent the night and from where I am writing this blog.  We had the air conditioner running all night, and now that it has cooled down and thunderstorms have moved in, the vent fan is trying to pull the moisture out of the trailer.  I, however, am snug as a bug at our table.

We, intrepid birders that we are, have had little time to observe wildlife.  Nonetheless, Duffy has been logging birds we have seen for the first time (either 'ever' or this year) since we left home.  In east Texas, we saw Black Vultures flying overhead.  Duffy only got interested when he realized after many days that they were not just Turkey Vultures.  Black Vultures were confirmed as we passed six or eight of them sitting along the roadside and got a better view of their black heads.  The other new bird that I was able to confirm was a Tufted Titmouse, a little crested gray bird with a very melodic call.  Check one for Pam!

The other new discovery in its own habitat was not a bird, but a Redbud Tree, blooming in the distinctive rich pink of the species.  Confirmed by the banners over the town of Bura in SE Texas reading Redbud Festival.  That clinched it.

Today, with excitement, we will arrive at the home of Lindsay and Jeremy, Louisianans who lived in Olympia while Jeremy was working at The Evergreen State College.  During that time Lindsay taught music in an elementary school in Tacoma and was the Youth Pastor at our church.  Living once again in LA, Jeremy is pursuing his PhD and Lindsay is teaching.  We are so looking forward to spending the weekend with them and perhaps even going to New Orleans with them tomorrow, weather depending.  We Washingtonians don't mind a little rain!

Until next time,
Pam