LAKE CHARLES

first i'll tell about the pictures..some of the after math of katrina along the highway down to grand isle, la--a typical cementry in la-and the one with water n it is a rice/crawfish farm..

the rice is grown in flooded fields and in the spring most of the farms also have crawfish--for some reason crawfish and rice like each other and a farmer can get 2 crops in one field...the rice is planted by airplane and the crawfish onl.y haveto be seeded once...when it gets hot the burrow down in the mud and when it starts to warm up in the spring they came alive and start growing big in the flooded fields...so it is not uncommon to be driving along the highway and see boats out in the fields harvesting the crawfish ..the prime season is about now so we have seen many boats out in fields..

we have spent a couple of night in abbeville, la and a campfround called betty's--nothing to brag about as far as the location but for the owner she is something ...we arrived about 4:15 one afternoon and was told that happy hour was at 4:30 so of course we hurried up to set up and pour a glass of wine to go to happy hour...what a hot it was...then it was discussed by several men who were also camping there asking about wood as they wanted to buy some for the hobbies...betty said she knew of a place and whoever wanted to go be ready by 10 the next morning...so of course we were ready (not many campground owners lead a field trip)...so of we went and we weren't sure where we were heading but out in the country..finally arrived and the man is a turner (one who makes bowls) had been a sugar cane farmere but retired from the to do his hobby of making bowls...he explained al aobut the cyrress wod and how he has to get it and then made a bowl in about 1/2 hr..mmost interesting...oh of course we bought some wood...then on to a rice mill and a tour --that's where we learned about the rice/crawfish fields...back to camp to a dish to pass dinner (again not many campgrounds have dish top pass by the owners)...today if we had stayed we could have gone on swamp tour but betty didn't hhve room for us for another night as our spot was being taken by someone else who had reservations...oh well it is marked in the book as someplace we would return too..

so today finds us still in lousiana at sam houston jones state park--where we plan on being for the next 3 days....sure don't want to travel too fast or far..too many things to see and do first..but in 3 days we ought to be in texas not sure where but texas..we've had sun for a couple of days but it still isn't above 60...but the grass is turning green as a matter offact we have seen some mowing their lawns..just think spring is just around the corner...