ARRIVING TEXAS

yesterday weather report was not the best where we were...we were hearing to be prepared for severe t/storm high winds etc oh the possibilty of a tornado... luck would have it that we did have high winds and in the middle of the night a t/storm that really didn't last long but it sure sounded like it was rainig very hard out...this happened a couple of times... this morning when we got up the temps sure were cooler than we have had the last few days...hit the road around 9am and our goal was to get somewhere near houston..we did it ..but at the welcome center we called to see it there was room for us at tthe campground we picked out and was told we could have the last site so we said ok ..then he told us a different way to get there which would cut off at least an hr...so we took his advice which paid off..good roads and not much traffic and we probally did save some time...arrived at campground and we were told by the owner that there is alot of construction going on in the area so if anyone is looking for a job this is the area to come...houston unemployment is the lowest in the country less that 3%...so if you know of anyone looking for a job in the construction trade send them this way... so today we went from rice/crawfish fields to oil country...sure is quite a difference in the landscape...so now we are in texas and have about a week and half beforre we have to get up and go to work hahahha...we guess it is time for a change of pace and thinking we can help make a difference in someone else life then that's good.... all's well with us

EUNICE. LA

today finds us going off in a different directions but to a national park...this one is the crop growing part of lousianna...we saw many fields of rice and crawfish...some of you might know that they flod the rice fields to helpt the rice grow --so they also grow crawfish in the smae fields....the season for crawfish is right now and we saw several of the fields getting harvested for the crawfish..what a smart idea is to be able to get 2 diffferent crops from one field..we aren't sure how they plant the crawfish if they just throw in lots of adults and let them have fun or do they throw in bsabies lie the fish back home..maybe it is a bunch of eggs --we don't know but i think we could goggle it to really find out...something to do later... then we arrived at the national park and we were the only ones in there and had a good chat with the ranger on duty NO we did not work on a junior ranger badge as it would have been the same one we got yesterday...then a walk around town and it appeared to be anice town...we were told about the old fashioned mardi gras where they come into town on horses all dressed up and the party begins one of theseays we would like to be where they held this fat tues is the day..cause at midnight everyone goes home because it is the beginning of lent...put bhtye catch chickens and get all kinds of food and make a really big pot of gumbo for the whole town to eat--sounds like fun....

MONDAY

today finds us giong into lafayette, la to go visit a national park..but first we needed to stop at wal-mart to get some fuel as most wal-mart it is the cheapest place to fill up..3.69 gas the lawest we have seen is 3.09.. so big fella belly full we went on to the national park told on-star where wanted to go and she of course took us there..when we got there we both looked at each other yes..we have been here before laughed..and decided to go in anyway cause there is always something new to see and learn...which of course we did...this park is about the acadian peolpe settling in lousianna.. we also worked on a junior ranger badge..yep when we got back to the rig and checked all the ones we've gotten so far and there it was..so we have gotten 2 oh well must all be senior moments.. then we went by a airport and 2 helicopters were landing and we assume that they had been out to an oil rig in the gulf..as the airport had a couple of dozen of the helicopters parked at it

then to lunch at a local place..i had a shrimp po-boy and lar had crawfish augratin..both very good so.. all in all we had a good day

MOVING ON

sunday found us on the move again heading toward texas..we left at 9am and we were heading to fish camp in breaux bridge , la...we have been here before and know it is a good park and near Lafayette, la where we wanted to go and visit.. it was a good day for a drive the highways weren't too busy till we got going around baton rouge then things picked up a tad but after we got thru there the roads were clearer.. so now we are at fish camp for 3 days settled in and enjoying---cajun country

GULF SHORES

we have been here at guld shores state park before and it is one of the state parks we really like..one of the big things is that there is about 15 miles of bike trails to do and we can leave right from our camp site which makes it good... at the entrance of every section there is a different wodden creature li

ours is a bear another one is an alligator (which we haven't seen an alive one yet)..most of them have had some mardi gras beads-mask-stufff on them but ours so i took upon myslef to give the bear some beads...funny thingis that his head is way to big for the beads to go over it..so they are just on his nose but that's ok anything goes during mardi gras... yesterday we met up with friends..jim is a retired minister and alos was NY cop so he is always full of good stories...our to lunch and then a ride around the country..they are wintering down here staying in a condo so they have had time to check things out we didn't know...there a good train museuum in foley which we are not going to have time to visit maybe next time...time is winding down here now it is time to make breakfast and go on a bike ride... enjoy you day we will..

GULF SHORES, AL

we arrived here at gulf shores state park on sunday..and then can you bleieve that the sun was out and we were able to sit outside and enjoy a mid afternoon wee bit of refreshment..nice to be able to be out.. we have spent our time ding some relaxing and bike riding..some shopping but for anything exciting just groceries.. we had not had time nor the weather to wash to truck and the rig so that was yeaterday job..lar even washed the roof..then it was the rig must say we sure got aot of dirt off of it..you would think with all the rian we have been in it wouldn't be so dirty..so now we have a cleaned (outside rig) and must say it looks it.. today off to do some errands...life is good and so is the weather...

FORT PICKENS

saturday finds us going to fort pickens in gulf breeze, fl..another civil war fort so of course another stamp.. the fort was one that wasn't used very much as a matter of fact one time there was a fight and over 600 cannons were shot from both sides and nothing hit anything..most of them were too short... it is out on a island that really isn't an island but a sand bar with some of the most beautiful white sand you can imagine just like fresh fallen snow..the park has to have plows to push the sand off the road at times it blows across ..one other place we've been in white sands testing grounds where the sand was so white... the park is by way of penscola beach across a very long bridge not nearly as bad as the macinaw bridge thou..it is low and not so high in the air..now i will also say i would not want to cross the bridge in the middle of a hurricane nor would i want to be on the island...you can see water on both sides as you drive to the park..it appears they an get some horrible weather during one of these storms... we took a ride around the campground and saw several nesting great blue herons (gbh) as you can see..the campground looked ok but it probally is an older one as we both thought with some of today's rigs it would be mighty difficult getting into your spot..trees were also low and with ours we think the trees would be way to low for us to even get into... on to gulf shores soon...

INTERSTATE 10

yesterday we took the day to go pick up our mail from our mail seervice in crestview, f;...\ we needed to go on a field trip so off we went and also decided to go out to lunch for fish..picked up our mail then found a great little place for lunch and they had FRESH fish so it was delicious... on our way back we were talking to my sister chris when we see this truck pass us with which appeared to have 2 teenagers sitting in lawn chairs sitting in the back...crazy --they looked bundled up but also looked cold....i got the shivers just looking at them.. today we went to fort pickens which is a national park of course got a stamp and also another junior ranger badge... i have been havingtrouble adding pictures to our blog due to weak wi-fi so this is a bonus.. tomorrow we head down to gulf shores state park... all's well god bless to all

HATTIESBURG, MS

off to hattiesburg, ms where we read in the rails to trails magazine that there is a wonderful bike trail that runs for 40 miles..(not that we wather to do all 40) so we looked at the map and thoguht we can go that way and bike the trail...little did we know that the skies were going to open up for the next 4 days...oh we had rain in birmingham but not like the last 4 days... we got out the bikes and rushed to go take a ride on the trail and yes it is a great trail that part that we did only 8 miles as it was starting to rain and rain it did for thenext few days...not only did it rain but it poured and poured for the next 4 days..we did not get to ride as much as we wanted to ... now we are again in alabama and soon will be going down to gulf shores state park for a week where we have reservations (good thing)..after which we will really start heading to texas... just taking out time.. and enjoying evry minute or almost all of it... i just noticed that this one wasn't posted so off it goes...

RAINY DAY

ok so what do we do on a rainy day..find a museuum to go to...we took a drive into pensacola, fl and went to the florida state museuum...it was mostly all one mans collection...i can't believe that one person could collect soooooooo much stuff...coke-baseball-stuff...all interesting some of the coke stuff was stuff we had seen before but there ws so much that we sure didn't realise that there was so much coke collectible stuff..... we are now in alabama on sunday we move on the gulf shores state park where we hope to get some biking in...the weather sounds lkie it might be ok..in the 60's but cold nights... sure is a crazy winter for weather..our friends wbo returned to dade city are enjoying temps in the 80's.... i tried tp postsome pictures but we haver low wi-fi so after about a half hr i will send it on without pictures for now...

TIME TO BLOG

IT HAS BEEN AWHILE SINCE I HAVE PUT ANYTHING ON THE BLOG BUT WE HAVE NOT HAD ANY REALIABLE WI-FI AND OUR MI-FI HASN'T WSORKED CAUSE WE HAVE NOT HAD ANY SPRINT COVERAGE...oops..guess we have been out in the country;; we habe=ve been to birmirgham, al and caught up with tammi shapre who is working at a civil rights museuum helping them out...most fun meeting up with her...a gtreat tour guide even if she has only been ther since november...toured the museuum--walked the street where all the civil rights marches took place--the church which was bombed and 4 girls were killed--went to valcan museuum and saw what birmingham is famous for steel..also went to the oldest baseball stadium in the usa..there might be a major league field in another place but this one the minors played.. of course we ate out...b-b-q--pub--mexician--pub..great fun visiting..

FIRST STAMP

we are ow in chattanooga, tn...the main reason stopping here was sto gett a national parl stamp which ended uo being 8 of them...i also had to buy a new book as some of the reginons have been all used up... so we spent the day touring a battlefield interesting but we have been to a good number of them and i sure can see how they are all interconnected...glad we didn't live in that time..the battle here was one of the bloodiest in the civil war.... lar looked at lots of guns and even more guns.. the weather day time temps around 55 night down into the 30's but no snow.. so all's going well just not in a hurry .....

ON THE ROAD

finally yesterday sat we got out of town...got on the road about 8:30 and headed south...roads were dry snow still on the ground all the way..we even saw some sun and it sure was good to see it...

we met up with some habitat friends  from alfred, ny who we have built with for several yrs..they are on their way to dade city to do another build but we of course are on our way to texas...nice seeing them and catcing up on what's been going on with all of us...it is just a small world....hope the raods are dry like yesterday and the sun may some out again today...

right now we aren't sure where we will put our heads on the pillow tonight but it will be south ...checking out maps and distances...we do know that we won't drive any 8--10 hrs way tooo much for us ahhaahhaah...

life is still good and god bless you all

WALK TO THE CREEK

yesterday lar felt that he ought to take a walk down to the bottom of the hill and take  his gun for a walk ...his last chance to do any hunting before we get out of town...he also needed some quiet time away from the phone..so off he went..after he was gone about an hr i heard 3 shots that i knew came from the creek area...sure enough when he came home he had 3 birds..1 goose and 2 mallards..so he is a happy man which makes me happy..

right now we plan on getting out of town on sat..seems that there are too many things to get caught up on and he needs to have another blood test before we leave..i'm kinda on hold as the rest of the stuff i need to put in the rig will freeze and get ruined so i'll wait till tomorrow then take care of all the food...