Island House RV Park

We've moved to a new location here on the island. It is a small rv park one half block off the main road. We are here for nine days. Hopefully, the boat will be ready monday and we can test out the fishing.

I took a very interesting photo the other day and will share it with you. I was on the long pier at the State Park when I took the shot. My thoughts were about the UV rays and was wondering if it was possible to see them. I was quite surprised when I saw the photo.  I know that digital cameras can see what the naked eye cannot and truly believe this is what happened here... the sun's harmful ultra violet rays...

I also took a picture of a marsh hare or swamp rabbit that was out eating grass near the road. There were a lot of rabbits in the park. It is interesting to note that the island has no snakes, coyotes or foxes. The rabbit's only threat is from birds, dogs, or feral cats...

Besides gulls and pelicans there are a lot of redwing blackbirds.

When arriving at the Island House I noticed that by the steps was an angel. I take that as a good sign. So we will see what the week has to offer here.

Across the main road and over the big sand dune is the town's beach. The beaches are well maintained and clean. One thing I've noted since the move is we are out of the helicopter flight path and it is much quieter. The constant hum is gone also. And best of all the wind isn't beating up the awning. The park doesn't have much to call grass but the well tended yards beside and around it sure helps with the looks.

Guess I shall close this and get to bed as it is late... May Angel Wings Surround You.... Nite....

Saturday At The Park

The park is full  and people are everywhere.  Lots of tent campers as well as RVS. This morning I went to the long pier only to find it pack with sight seers and fishermen. So I didn't go all the way out. Instead I watched the children on the beach playing in the waves.

The winds were perfect for flying kites and there were many of them in the air. This photo is of a little boy's first time to fly a kite. I wish I could have recorded his joy when he finally got the kite up into the air...

Farther down the beach there were men standing out in the surf near the jetties fishing. The beach was fast filling up as people were taking advantage of the perfect weather for a beach outing. 

While coming back to the camp site I passed a splash of pink. So I turned around to check it out. I found a beautiful wild flower...

This island has many hidden flowers. I have found pink, blue, and white morning glories as well as the flowers above. Oleanders of white and pink grow wild, especially over on the Elmer's Island area. And there are many more flowers growing wild.

Tomorrow we make the move into town and are booked there for nine days. That will make the necessary change in our scheduling to allow us to get off the weekend traveling. During the week there is less traveling and better sites are available.

Monday Phil will get his boat and he will be able to go out into the bay for fishing. They are catching speckled trout in the bays and lagoons but not around the banks.

We found the local shrimp dealer. It is the place where the boats unload their haul of shrimp. The name of the place is Blanchard Wholesale and Retail Shrimp and is at the end of Oak Street. We purchased 15 pounds of 16/20 Jumbo & Large mix shrimp for $4.oo a pound. Needless to say, I spent the rest of the day deheading, peeling and deveining shrimp... but it was worth it. I put shrimp in the freezer and fixed a large batch for supper. Phil managed to put away 32 of them before he had to call it quits . There isn't anything better then shrimp caught and served up fresh unless it is fresh lobster.

In our walks on the beach we have gathered a nice little collection of sea shells and sand dollars.  All of the sand dollars were collected by Phil...

There are usually shrimp boats in the gulf everyday. This is the Island Ace bringing their nets onboard. The gulls are festing on the fish falling from the nets.

I will close this, fix supper and get ready to move out in the morning.  Jim is supposed to get his fifthwheel trailer Monday.  He will park it in an rv park in LaPlace while he gets stuff moved in and set up. Then he will move on down the coast line to Leeville. Which is between Golden Meadow and Grand Isle. He is supposed to come down and go out fishing with Phil on the boat sometime next week.

Well... off I go... Angel Wings Around You

OMG...I'M A TOURIST

Yesterday we took a sight seeing tour of the island. At one end is the state park and at the other is another smaller park. But to get to it you have to take the Elmer's Island road. It is dog friendly beach so I let the girls run and play...

They had a blast running up the beach, in and out of the water chasing birds, fish, or waves. I enjoyed watching them play just like little kids. Once home I had to bath the salt and sand off so I let them stay outside to dry. Here they sat by the gate wanting to go again lol.

Some of the homes here on the island are amazing with as many styles as there are people. What I really find fasinating is the barge houses. Such as the one in the picture below...

There are actually two barges in the picture.  The tall one is the home and the smaller is their pool house. Most everything is built on stilt pilings or is a house boat style. The school and post office are even on pilings. This is a tourist community that really came together to rebuild the island after the hurricanes Katrina and Rita. People are very friendly.

This morning I was running late for my morning meditation out on the pier. I was happy to find that I was alone once again. The view was magnificent...

The muddy waters of the Mississippi River were not as noticeable. The blue waters of the Gulf of Mexico danced with the light playing on the waves. The feeling of oneness with creation was enhanced by the light passing on the waves under the end of the pier. An amazing experience...

On my way back to the campground I met the cutest little boy. He is island born and raised. He was showing his grandmother how to catch crabs...

Meet Joe Lee, the crab expert, I know because he told me he was. He was full of curiosity and when he figured out an artist is an art teacher he was a delight to listen to with his deep voice and cajun accent.  He asked if I took pictures of crabs. Finding I did he told me to wait and then turned around and caught one for me to take a picture of.  I didn't want to disappoint him so I took that picture. He beamed to his grandmother and said, "See, that's experting." He was all boy and full of life. All that and endearing too.  After the photo taking of a little boy teaching two old ladies the about the joys in life he said goodbye and took his grandmother back to the camp...

I will leave you with the view from the long pier looking back toward the shore...

May Angel Wings Surround You...

Grand Isle History

Today I found an arial picture of the Grand Isle. This started me looking into the history and I thought I would share with you what I found...

In looking at the above photo you can see Grand Isle is totally surrounded by water.  It is the first barrier island into the bay of Barataria. We are staying at the state park on the far end of the island.

The earliest history records the island as belonging to the Chitimacha Tribe, then the European Settlement begin in the 1780's when Louisiana was still under the Spanish rulers.  Pirates, such as Black Beard ruled the area around 1718 and then in 1808 Jean Lafitte extablished his rule. He named the community esblished by his people Barataria and called the people Baratarians. The neighboring island is where Fort Livingston was established and held the confederate soldiers during the Civil War. After that the island became know as a tourist attraction. There is an estimate of 12,000 tourist annually now and an estimate of 1,500 locals. The major source of income is from oil, seafood, and the tourist industry.

The island is rebounding after suffering through hurricanes, Katrina and Rita. And then the infamous BP oil spill. The waters of the Barataria Bay have not fully recovered from the oil spill. The results are still visible in the fish, shrimp, crabs, birds, animals, grass lands and marshes. But you can see life renewing, which is a good thing.

Yesterday, I noticed a handicap blue crab without it's claws. I watched it for some time to see how it was surviving. When another crab came around it would run to hide in the grass. When the danger passed it would venture out to suck in tiny bits of nurishment that would float by... Poor little thing.

I do not know if it was a survior or was born this way. Either is possible.  I had to admire it's wisdom of survival and it's will to live.

I'm going to close and get out outside to explore this beautiful island. Enjoy life while you still have it and May Angel Wings Carass You.... Peace

Back At Grand Isle, LA

We changed our destination and ended up back at the Grand Isle State Park. Yesterday was investigation of the park, trails, and beach. Phil went to the beach and I followed...

He climbed the sand dune to get to the beach. The dunes were recreated after Katrina wiped out the existing ones. It is interesting how they are done. Post are driven into the ground and snow fencing is placed between the post to hold back the sand. Between the fencing they plant the native grasses to hold the sand in place...

There was a group of school children cleaning up the trash that had washed ashore. Phil stopped and told them they were doing a great job. Then walked down the shoreline and watched the dolphins that were feeding and playing around the jettys...

After he came back I took off on the trike to the observation tower with the long fishing pier. It is the same pier that I took the picture of Phil and Jim walking.

From that pier I was able to get a few good photos of the dolphins.

When one leaped close to the pier I was lucky enough to have the camera ready... the shot of a lifetime. I really think he was looking at me standing on the pier. What a trip!...

Once again I noticed that we have one of the best campsites. We are in the middle of the camp but on the door side we cannot see other campers as we have a natural plant area with trees and shrubs. Nice.

 We were told by the Park Ranger that no bicycles were allowed on the beach but then the Park Manager stopped by and told us that we could take the bike to the beach if we wanted to. So Phil tried a bit of surf fishing. Didn't catch anything to brag about. When we leave this area we will have to wash the salt and sand off the bike and most likely everything else.

I will close this now as it is dusk and time to put everything away for the night.

May Angel wings caress you,... Mickie



The Next Move

Today we will get ready for the next move. We will spend another week in this area but will move down the road to Golden Meadow which is closer to the beach. Phil is going to put the boat in a shop for repair. Jim knows some good fishing spots down that way and they plan on doing some salt water fishing. Golden Meadow is a nice little town on the road to Grand Isle. I hope to be able to go crabbing while we are there. Nothing is tastier then fresh blue crab unless it is fresh lobster lol. I checked the price of crabs thinking that they would be cheaper here but boy was I shocked. But as a child I would take a string, some meat, a net, and a bucket to catch crabs for my mom. Surely, I can do the same thing now.

It has been raining since last night but the weather reports that it will clear off this afternoon. So I am trying to get something on the blog before we start packing away everything... this includes my laptop.
There is a shipping canal that the boats use travel farther inland and to escape storms.

These three tugs parked on the banks several miles inland. The canal is loaded with with water hyacinth. This is a fast growing invasive plant that was imported into the US in 1884 and sold as a water garden ornamental known for it's beautiful flowers. It quickly got out of control and grows wild in ponds, lakes, rivers and etc. Problem with is that it takes all the oxygen out of the water when it is thick and nothing but it can live.  Boats help in the spread, as these plants become detached and float freely with the flow of the water.  They are fresh water plants and will not grow in salt water.  They can really choke up the waterways very quickly.

Well, it is that time... the rains have stopped and time to start packing up for the move in the morning.  I will not have to do a total pack up as it is but a few miles down the road. But breakable must be secured.

May Angel Wings Caress You

TGIF

Thank God it's friday lol... it has been a very difficult finding the time and subjects for the blog this past week.  Yesterday was a work day for wash and house cleaning while at the same time being hostess to Jim and Dorothy, along with the normal chores of cooking and tending pets. Super woman I am... NOT.

Phil has been hard at work getting the  damaged boat trailer fixed so we can travel and not lose the boat on these bumpy roads.

When I first sat down to write I was at a loss for words to write but then I looked out the window at my view. I realized how blessed I am.  I know the Angels are looking out for me. The view is important, I am a country gal through and through. I find cities depessing as I crave the wide open spaces and nature. But although I am staying in an RV Park next to a busy hiway my view is still of nature. Out side the window I am reminded of the the lowly weed... the primrose (or buttercup as some call it)...

Some people see this plant as a pestky weed and the seek to destroy it.  But there are those that see the beautiful flowers. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. There is beauty in everything if one would but stop and look.  Then there is the view behind our trailer....

Rather then having to look at a white washed wall as most are forced to see I have been giving this beautiful well tended back yard that looks like a park. There is a beautiful huge oak tree for shade.  It is a peaceful setting. We also have more grass and less rock on our site.

Taking all of this in to account I begin to realize how blessed I am and I know this shall be another wonderful day. I pray that you also are as blessed in life and that your day is a great one... Angel wings around you.

Gulf of Mexico

Yesterday we drove down to Grand Isle and looked out over the Gulf of Mexico.
The area reminded me very much of Matagorda Texas. The State Park is on the outer barrier island which is just a narrow strip of land that acts as a barrier for the marsh lands. I took a few pictures and will share them with you. The picture below is of the Gulf of Mexico as viewed from the tower on the fishing pier at the Grand Isle State Park, Louisiana. The people on the walkway are Phil and Jim.

The State Park does not have sewer hook ups but other then that it is a very nice park. The sand dune blocks the beach view and there are paths over the dunes to the beach.  There are jettys out into the surf and they look like bird rookeries.

Just to the other side of this jetty was the entry to the ship channel and ships were coming and going.

And to the other side was the camping sites.  I was standing was the third tier of the observation tower at the pier in the first picture....

It was a rainy and windy day so I didn't take a lot of pictures. I did try to see the marsh area to check for the oil spill damage. There was only one area that I saw and it was closer to the New Orleans area. I did see boats in places where they shouldn't be as a result of either Katrina or Rita. Such as this shrimp boat that has been abandoned. What doesn't show in this photo is that the boat's bow is on land.

I found an old picture of Phil and Jim taken when Phil was 27 and Jim was 25.

Here is a picture taken yesterday of them. It is good to see them together again after all these years. Speaking of them, Jim took Phil around the area to check out the boat trailer dealers. In that trip they went over near Westwego where the Bayou Segnette State Park is and the couldn't find it. We know it does exist but even following a map and very good instructions it remains hidden from us.

Well, the day has been a long one and I still have chores to finish so will sign off until next time.

We made it to LaPlace

Our trip down the state was a wild and bumpy ride. The roads were really in need of improvement. Phil's boat trailer has to have some improvements made on it. A couple of times Phil had to adjust the boat back into place on the trailer. The rubber roller is totally gone and has to be replace and that was a brand new roller. The boat needs some fiber glass work on it now.

Once again we didn't end up at the park where we had planned on staying at. We spent over four hours looking for it. Finally decided to go back up to LaPlace and leave the New Orleans area behind us. We did not like the heavy negative energy there anyway. Later we found out that trailers are known to be broken into at that park (not good). So once again angels were watching out for us. We can not afford to replace all our stuff inside the trailer and we would have to leave it unattended for long periods in order to visit with Jim. Our night was spent sleeping in the truck at a truck stop in LaPlace. That wasn't all that bad except for no pillows, trucks running and reveing up the engines, staying curled up in a ball, and waking up every forty minutes or so. But we survived lol.

Jim helped find us a decent RV park to spend the week here in LaPlace. By the way, it is pronounced as La Plaz. Really a nice town. Much bigger then I imagined. After we got our trailer set up, a bath, and the dogs taken care of we met up with Jim again.  He treated us to the local cuisine of boiled crawfish and shrimp at a place called "The Crab Trap".  We dined on the patio overlooking the beach...nice. It was great to  reminisce old times and catch up with the new. His lady friend (Dorothy) and I hit it off right off immediately. Due to glaucoma she lost her eyesight but not her mind and personality. She is a great match for Jim. The love between them shows and that is a good thing. Jim has made a good life for himself here and he is well liked by those that know him.

We found the local walmart last night and restocked the pantry and supplies, plus an outside rug and small couch pillows for sleeping in the truck. Don't want to make that mistake again. But hey, we are learning fast lol.

I will take pictures to post for your viewing starting today. I'm sorry but I was just too tired yesterday. Phil is setting up the outside, dog fence, awning, and etc. I am still working at trying to get the inside set up. We are expecting this to be a rainy day later. So off  I go to get the chores out of the way for the day even if I am going in circles...

Our Last Day

Hello.  

Here it is that time again to put a few words on paper... oops sorry, no paper... guess I mean put a few words on the computer screen. I have no idea what happens to the words I type once I hit "enter" lol.

Yesterday,  Phil tried his hand at flyfishing the grass flats...

He was catching brim as fast as he could cast out.  I think he was using a small popper fly to catch them. It looks very simular to a flying bug (for those like myself that don't know much about fishing). He caught 14 for supper. Here is a picture of the first he caught. He had one huge one that made his hand look small but atlas, I didn't think of capturing it on film...

As it turned out he didn't get to eat any of them. Billie from across the road brought over some bbq pork roast for our supper. In turn, I gave her some catfish that another camper across the road had given us. He had a freezer full of fish but loved to fish. Billie and Bob (her husband) didn't fish so she was very pleased. Leo (from Canada) stood out with me when I was taking pictures of Phil fishing. He commented that they loved to go to the market and get fresh fish. I found out he didn't fish either so I asked if he would like a few of the fish. He was elated. Being he had never eatten catfish I gave him enough filets for his wife and himself for supper. I  gave him the cornmeal to go with it and explain how to cook them up. When Phil came back from cleaning the brim we decided to pass them on to the couple from Canada. Maybe, it helped make a good memory of their time in the United States. I took them over and he was so please he had to share his fresh asperagus with us. I cooked the up as he suggested... salt and pepper them, grill in a tiny bit of oil. When they start to look tender add a table spoon of butter and keep them rolling in the pan until they start to turn color. With that I added left over mac and cheese along with the bbq roast from Billie. The man that gave us the catfish didn't have his wife with him so I fixed a plate up for him and Phil and they sat over in his campsite for supper. Seems we all got together and had a supper swap last night lol... we love it, this is the greatest lifestyle! We haven't had television since we came here and haven't missed it at all.

The eagles were flying today near the point.  One came pretty close and I got a pretty good picture of it.  Such a beautiful bird...

This has been such a beautiful place to visit and the people that work at the park are fantastic.  They have become friends and I will miss them. Tomorrow we leave and start our journey to New Orleans area.  We will stay at the Bayou Segnette State Park.

So in closing this for the night I leave you with this sunset over the adventure of staying in North Toledo Bend State Park, Louisiana....

Thursday Morning

Yesterday we decided to check out the town of Many, Louisiana. It is a nice size little town and has a Walmart, plus a Family Dollar, and a Dollar General. Several places to eat at. We settled on the southern fried chicken. That bird will bite you back... has peppers in the seasoning. On the trip back I  was left wondering as it was 11 miles to get to Many but only 10 to get back... what happened to the mile that was lost?

Discovered that the park has holly and southern magnolia trees. Phil showed the park ranger the spot that I found to view the eagle nest and the ranger said it was the best spot found yet. He liked it also because you have a great view without disturbing the eagles. If two many people come around they will abandon the nesting location and build elsewhere next time. The young eagle is getting better at his test flights so within a short time he will be strong enough to follow the adults off into the wild blue yonder. He is also loosing his baby fat with all that exercise. He is as big as the adults now.

The long leaf pinecones are huge...

There are a lot of birdhouses in the park. Here is a picture of a bluebird checking one of them out. I figure she could rent it cheep...

Lots of the campsites where there were children here for the Easter holidays have chalk drawings, names, and hopscotch games. It will take a good rain to wash the pavement clean again. I decided to check out what was drawn by one of the children.  Was surprised to see she had drawn a sun with rays beaming down upon an angel. Above that angel is another angel but it is hard to see in the photo. What a pleasant surprise. Unlike the other children you didn't find her name but she did draw the hopscotch game.

This stop sign is a bit confusing, don't you think? Do you stop for traffic or is it a warning to stop chopping the trees..lol

I think I have finally found the answer to the age old question "if a tree falls in the forest and there is no one in the forest does it make a sound?" A couple of days after arriving here I heard what sounded like a gunshot. I mentioned it to Phil. Yesterday I found the reason for the sound.  All the rains had loosen the root system of this big ole tree and it fell.  So, yes it makes a sound...

Found a real honest hobbit house.  Never did see the hobbits that live there. Guess they either saw me or heard me riding up and hid out...

Well, time to start lunch so will close for the day and share more tomorrow.

                                                                                        Mickie