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Borrego Springs, CA

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Tabasco anyone?

Before heading out to do some sightseeing this morning, I hung around long enough to see if I could get someone out here to fix my latest stone ding in the windshield.  On my way here, an eighteen wheeler passed me and kicked up a rock that took a nice circular divot out of the exact middle of the windshield.  I hate it when that happens, as it makes me jump in my seat!  Ugh.

 

Once that was taken care of I drove to the Konriko Rice Mill in New Iberia.  A construction delay and detour meant that I arrived just after a tour had started of America’s oldest rice mill.  It would be another 1 1/2 hours before the next tour, so after spending about 15 minutes in the company store, I decided to leave. 

61 On the way to Indiana5After driving another half hour or so, I was just in time for a tour of the Tabasco Pepper Sauce Factory on Avery Island.  I know that just about anyone who has found themselves in this neck of the woods has taken this tour, so I won’t go into details. 

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All tour participants received three little bottles of Tabasco sauce. 

 

I will mention that by the time I got there, I was not feeling very well.  What is it with Louisiana?  I went on the tour anyway, but was so cold that I literally had the shivers.  It was in the 70’s for Pete’s sake!  Since the car had been parked in the sun, I just sat inside it until I stopped shuddering. 

61 On the way to Indiana6

Once I warmed up, I drove the Jungle Gardens three mile driving tour.  There is an $8/person fee to drive the gardens.  If I were to do this drive again, I think I’d do it toward the end of March.  At that time the azaleas and camellias would be in bloom and be just gorgeous.  There are simply enormous live oak trees covered in Spanish Moss along the drive, and I even found some nice holly plants along the way. 

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My main reason for doing the drive was to view the Egret rookery.  Ned McIlhenny was instrumental back in the day with bringing egrets back from the brink of extinction as they were hunted for their feathers for lady’s hats. 

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Each year 20,000 nests are build by great and snowy egrets at this manmade rookery.  It sure is a noisy place right now.  The young have hatched, and parents are busy flying back and forth with food for the young.  I wish I could have gotten a little closer for better pictures.

 

Depending on how I feel tomorrow, I may make a trip to a more dog friendly location tomorrow.

 

Thanks for stopping by…. talk to you later,  Judy

18 comments:

  1. Will have to take that tour-love hot sauces.

    Hope you are feeling better!

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  2. Wowsa that's a lot of Egrets!! There is a Great Blue Heron rookery not far from us and I thought over 150 nests were a lot...it's a very noisey place as well.

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  3. Stay in the SUN and feel better. Hopefully Emma gets a chance to play with you tomorrow!

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  4. We've been there, done that, and had a lot of fun!

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  5. I hope you feel better tomorrow~~~~

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  6. We just had three stone chips fixed today from a nutty truck driver that passed us and then hit the gravel pulling back into the lane..argghhh

    Hope you warm up and start feeling better!

    ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
    Karen and Steve
    (Our Blog) RVing: Small House... BIG Backyard
     http://kareninthewoods-kareninthewoods.blogspot.com/

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  7. Hope you feel better tomorrow -- you still got some wonderful pics!

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  8. I'm bird watching a bit right now as well. Its spring and the Peregrin Falcons have young on the City Hall. I check on them from time to time on the computer! Falcon Cam!

    I'm also keeping track of a nest full of young bald eagles.

    OK, seeing them in person would be better, but this is all I can do for now.

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  9. Tabasco....I have never understood why supposedly sane people willingly try to set their mouths on fire!!

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  10. Did all that as a kid on one of our RVing trips. Love the green Tabasco, yum! To The Bayfield Bunch, I'm from Texas, just about raised on "hot stuff" of some kind but I don't know about being "supposedly sane," as I am a full-timer, after all! :) Judy - hope you are feeling totally better and shaking off the shakes!

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  11. Not a lover of Tabasco, but we DO use lots of Louisiana Hot Sauce..That and some buttermilk and fresh garlic make a great marinade for chicken on the grill...Add some rub and it's yummy! OOPS.hope I didn't make you "ralph" with my food description...Feel Better Soon!!

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  12. I bet when the egrets all take off it looks like someone had a pillow fight.

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  13. Take care of yourself, you deserve a little pampering.

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  14. You should have chugged down those three bottles of Tabasco, that would have "warmed" you up!

    Hope you don't over do it and feel better. Not fun to be sick, no matter where you are!

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  15. Hope you aren't getting sick...shivering in 70 degrees sound ominous!

    Love Tabasco...in SMALL SMALL doses!

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  16. What a great sight the egret rookery must have been! Your photos are great. I hope you're feeling better.

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