LOUISIANA !

 WE LEFT TEXAS AND CROSSED INTO LOUISIANA! WE STOPPED AT THE

 LOUISIANA WELCOME CENTER AND TOOK MAGGIE AND MARLEE FOR A

 SHORT WALK.

WE NOTICED THIS  BOARDWALK THAT LED OUT OVER  THIS LAKE.

WHEN I SAW THE MOSS IN THE TREES I FELT LIKE I'D COME HOME!

MOST OF THE BOARDWALK WAS OVER A SWAMP. I WAS WALKING MARLEE AND TAKING A PICTURE, SHE JUST ABOUT KNOCKED MY I PHONE OUT OF MY HAND, INTO THE SWAMP!!

 

 WALKING BACK WE COUNTED FOUR SNAKES, AND THIS LITTLE GREEN FROG!

DRIVING ALONG THE HIGHWAY, WE  NOTICED THE FLOODED FIELDS, AND DARRELL AND I TRIED TO GUESS WHAT THEY MIGHT BE. WE KNEW WE WERE IN CRAWFISH COUNTRY, SO WE GUESSED MAYBE THEY WERE RAISING CRAWFISH OR GROWING RICE. 

TURNS OUT, WE WERE RIGHT. THEY ARE RAISING CRAWFISH NOW, AND WHEN THEY ARE DONE, THEY WILL PLANT  RICE.  VERY  SMART FARMERS!
 WE GOT THAT INFORMATION FROM THE TWO LADIES WHO WERE WORKING IN THE OFFICE AT THE CAMPGROUND WE STAYED IN. THIS ONE WASN'T A PASSPORT AMERICA, BUT  IT WAS A CUTE PARK, CALLED FROG CITY RV, BUT WE NEVER SAW A FROG!!

 THE WEATHERMAN WAS RIGHT!

IT RAINED MOST OF THE NIGHT AND IT WAS STILL  RAINING WHEN I GOT UP. IT RAINED MOST OF THE DAY. THERE WERE FLOOD WARNINGS OUT!!

WE TOOK A DRIVE DOWN THE ROAD AND CAME UPON THIS CEMETARY....THEY BURY THEIR DEAD ABOVE  GROUND, BECAUSE THE WATER TABLE IS SO HIGH!!!

 

WATER STANDING EVERYWHERE!

 WE WENT OUT TO EAT AND I WASN'T EVEN THE LEAST BIT TEMPTED TO TRY THEIR CRAWFISH....EVEN IF THEY WERE IN SEASON!!!
ON MONDAY MORNING WE  DUG OUT OUR  RAINCOATS AND GOT READY TO GO TO NEW ORLEANS. IT WAS ABOUT A THREE HOUR DRIVE.

ON THE ROAD AGAIN!

WE WERE ON THE ROAD BY 9:30, HEADED TO BENSON, ARIZONA FOR A  ONE NIGHT'S STAY AT BUTTERFIELD RV RESORT,  A PASSPORT AMERICA PARK .  WE STAYED HERE LAST FALL WHEN WE WERE HEADED TO CALIFORNIA TO SELL  PUMPKINS AND TREES. WE HAD FORGOTTEN ABOUT THE TRAIN NOISE!!

 THE NEXT MORNING WE WERE ON OUR WAY  TO  LAS CRUCES, NEW MEXICO TO STAY AT HACIENDA RV PARK, A VERY NICE PARK,  BUT NOT A PASSPORT AMERICA PARK.

IT WAS MONSOON SEASON WHEN WE CAME THROUGH HERE IN THE FALL....POURING DOWN RAIN THEN.  THE WEATHER WAS  NICE THIS TIME.

THE NEXT NIGHT WE WERE IN VAN HORN, TEXAS, VISITING MY FRIEND, MARY, WE MET AT ADVENTURELAND THE SUMMER OF 2012 AND WE HAVE STAYED  IN TOUCH.

WE "RESERVED" THE CASITA AND TALKED NON-STOP THE REST OF THE DAY. IT WAS KIND OF SAD WHEN WE SAID OUR GOODBYES, DON'T KNOW WHEN WE WILL BE THROUGH HERE AGAIN. 

NEXT STOP, KERRVILLE, TEXAS AT ANOTHER   REALLY NICE PASSPORT

AMERICA PARK IN A PECAN GROVE.

AFTER SPENDING THE WINTER IN ARIZONA,  IT WAS WONDERFUL TO SEE GREEN GRASS AND TREES. MAGGIE AND MARLEE GRAZED ON THE GRASS, THE FIRST GRASS THEY'VE HAD IN QUITE A WHILE.

 IT WAS CLOUDY AND SPITTING RAIN THE TWO DAYS WE WERE THERE. I WAS FINALLY ABLE TO GET MY WALK IN.....TEXAS HILL COUNTRY  IS BEAUTIFUL!

WE COULD HEAR THE TURKEYS FROM THE RV PARK.

AND OF COURSE THE LONG HORNS!

EVERYWHERE YOU LOOKED..... TEXAS BLUEBONNETS  IN BLOOM!

FIELDS OF THEM!

 ON FRIDAY MORNING WE LEFT FOR HOUSTON, TEXAS, OUR LAST NIGHT IN TEXAS FOR A WHILE. WE HAD RESERVATIONS  AT  ANOTHER PASSPORT AMERICA PARK. WE ARRIVED IN A RAIN STORM AND GOT LOST.

TRAFFIC WAS STOPPED FOR QUITE A WHILE, DUE TO AN ACCIDENT......

 IT TOOK US A WHILE TO FIND OUR RV PARK, BUT BOY IS  IT A NICE ONE!

EASTLAKE RV PARK.....WE WERE ALMOST TOO TIRED TO GET IN THE POOL AND HOT TUB, BUT WE DID, IT WAS WONDERFUL.....SOAKED AWAY THE DAY'S  TENSIONS!

THE NEXT MORNING WE WERE ON OUR WAY TO  DUSON, LOUISIANA FOR THE WEEKEND. WE HAD  RESERVATIONS AT FROG CITY RV PARK, THE WEATHER FORECAST SAID RAIN ALL WEEKEND!

MORE OF YUMA

OUR FRIENDS, BONNIE AND JOHN , FROM SOUTH DAKOTA JUST HAPPENED TO BE IN YUMA WHILE WE WERE THERE. THEY CAME OUT TO THE RV PARK AND VISITED AND THEN WE HAD LUNCH AT CRACKER BARREL ALONG WITH BONNIE'S BROTHER, STAN. WE ENJOYED OUR VISIT, IT WAS GREAT TO SEE SOME OLD FRIENDS.

WE WENT TO THE YUMA TERRITORIAL PRISON ONE DAY.

THE PRISONERS CALLED IT "HELL", I CAN SEE WHY, THIS TINY SPACE HELD SIX PRISONERS. SUMMER TIME TEMPERATURES  REACHED 120 DEGREES. THIS IN ITSELF SHOULD HAVE BEEN A DETERRANT TO CRIME. IT WAS A VERY INTERESTING TOUR.

OUR MONTH WAS WINDING DOWN, WE HAD TO START GETTING THE TRUCK AND RV READY FOR OUR TRIP EAST. I NEEDED SOME NEW CLOTHES, SO WE DID SOME SHOPPING. I WANTED TO GET MY TEETH CLEANED BEFORE WE LEFT. WHILE WE WERE AT PICACHO PEAK RV SOME FOLKS THERE TOLD US ABOUT A DENTIST OVER IN MEXICO.  I CALLED AND GOT AN APPOINTMENT. I WAS VERY IMPRESSED WITH THE DENTAL OFFICE AND THE YOUNG MEN WHO CLEANED MY TEETH DID AN EXCELLENT JOB  FOR $30.00

THE WHOLE TOWN OF ALGODONES  LOOKED CLEANER AND MORE PROSPEROUS THAN PROGRESSO, MEXICO,  IN THE RIO GRANDE VALLEY.

THE TOURISTS WEREN'T JUST SHOPPING ON THE MAIN STREET,  THEY WERE DEEP INTO THE TOWN. THAT SURPRISED US, IN PROGRESSO IT IS ONLY SAFE TO STAY ON THE MAIN STREET AND ONLY ABOUT THREE BLOCKS INTO THE TOWN. EVERY OTHER BUSINESS IS A DENTIST,  EYE DOCTOR OR  PRESCRIPTION MEDICINE. NOT SO MANY RESTAURANTS OR SHOPS. MOST OF THE GOODS THEY SELL ARE OFFERED ON THE STREET.
THE LAST WEEK WE WERE IN YUMA IT TURNED HOT, IN THE HIGH 90'S. WE WERE SWIMMING AND SUN BATHING EVERY DAY.

AND STILL ENJOYING THE BEAUTIFUL SUNRISES AND SUNSETS.

WE GOT THE TRUCK WASHED AND WAXED AND SCRUBBED THE RV DOWN.

WE CELEBRATED EASTER A DAY EARLY WITH A TURKEY DINNER AND A COCONUT CAKE.

WE LEFT YUMA EASTER SUNDAY MORNING HEADED TO BENSON, ARIZONA FOR THE NIGHT.