New shoes? Eek!

I pretty much just collapsed from my three days of driving, and took yesterday off.  Billy Thibodeaux, the owner of Premiere RV, came inside to measure the two windows to order the MCD shades for me, and we discussed the other maintenance/repair items I had on my list.  Billy recently had quadruple heart bypass surgery, so is slowly returning to work.  It’s hard to keep a good man down I guess.  He and his wife, Helen, were off in their rig to visit friends in Dallas after my shade order was placed.  It generally takes about a week for those custom shades to arrive and be installed, so I knew I’d be here for a number of days.

The tires on my rig were manufactured in 2006, so it’s been seven years.  They may not look bad, but I knew it was time to replace them before I had the trauma of blow outs while driving.  Billy gave me the name of a reliable establishment to provide new tires for me, and told me who to ask for and to mention his name.  So that’s what I did first thing this morning.  The price of six new shoes for the rig is right around $4000!  That more than takes care of my tax refund for this year, but it’s a necessary expense and I’d rather be safe than sorry.  I’m sticking to the same Michelin tires that have served me so well on this rig.  I’ll be having them installed next week in between my appointments here.

After that little expected shock to my pocketbook, I decided Emma and I should go for a drive to revive our spirits.  So, we headed off to Kaplan, LA, to enjoy a delicious shrimp po-boy at Suire’s Grocery and Restaurant.

I’m thinking this is my third trip to this little out in the middle of nowhere place, and it was as tasty as ever.  I haven’t gotten the guts yet to try the Cajun Pickled Quail Eggs, but maybe next time. 

After lunch, we took another drive on the Creole Nature Trail National Scenic Byway.  I usually drive it each time I’m having work done on the rig, but today I saw more wildlife than I have in the past.  One huge oak tree had a nice  mixture of roseate spoonbills and egrets on its limbs.

It’s about a 200 mile loop drive that also includes a visit to the Cameron Prairie NWR.  Once again, Emma and I walked the Pintail boardwalk, and drove the wildlife loop.

After the cold front moved through last night, the temps were cool and the winds were really blowing.  That didn’t keep us from seeing lots of wildlife along the drive.

I had a couple of favorites though.  There were lots of white-faced ibis along the way, and this was the first time I’ve ever seen the white on their face.  It’s only there during breeding season. 

The last time I was here, I got great pictures of a green heron at this spot.  Today, a king rail made an appearance instead.  That was pretty exciting for me.

After we returned to the rig, I was hoping maybe the hot water check valve had been replaced, but it was not to be.  What’s a few more days without hot water?  I couldn’t take a shower for several weeks after surgery, and now two weeks without hot water since the check valve went out makes me think perhaps in my youth I could have made it in the armed forces.  I heat water in a pot each night to bathe in my bathroom sink.  It’s about the same size as a military helmet, so I guess it could be considered a marine shower?   I know, they are asked to do so much more…  The biggest challenge is washing my hair under the kitchen faucet with cold water.  Talk about a brain freeze!

                                                                                THE END!!

Thanks for stopping by… talk to you later,  Judy

700+ miles under my belt

I haven’t been posting since I left Okefenokee on Monday, because there just wasn’t much to say.  It was just a matter of driving and driving, and setting up for the night at a couple of not very memorable campgrounds.  I’m not a Walmart boondocker.  My choice is to find a campground (preferably Passport America) in the afternoon, minimally set up, and take Emma for a walk on something other than asphalt.  I stretched it for me at 260 miles on Monday, but at least I passed into the central time zone, so I gained an hour.  That amount of miles fairly wore me out, and I wanted to be off the road before my attention span and reaction speed was slowed down by drowsiness.

I spent Monday night in the panhandle of Florida, and last night outside of Biloxi, MS.  Memories flowed through my mind as I passed up the exit for Mississippi Sandhill Crane NWR.  This morning, I awoke with renewed vigor to be traveling through the Atchafalaya National Heritage Area in Louisiana.  I just wish those blotches in the sky were birds and not bug splatters on my windshield. 

I’ve driven this 18 mile bridge along I-10 several times before, but the cypress have never been green on my previous trips.  Sorry to say, there are no areas to pull off for pictures along the bridge, so I just pointed my camera without looking in the view finder and clicked.

I’ve never tried to take pictures while driving before, so it’s a good thing I just kept clicking away without looking.  I’m not sure I’ll ever try that again…too distracting.  This is a different kind of swamp than Okefenokee, and it has intrigued me since the first time I drove across it.  I just may have to take a swamp tour while I’m in the area.

After only 205 miles today, I pulled into Billy Thibodeaux’s Premiere RV in Scott, LA.  Long time readers might remember that this is my favorite place to get maintenance, repairs, and upgrades on my rig.

After hugs and handshakes, it wasn’t long before I was ensconced in my full hook-up site in the gated yard.  My guess is that I’ll be here a week or ten days for everything on my list to be accomplished.  It will give me plenty of time to revisit some favorite places, explore some new things, and surely enjoy a shrimp po-boy or two!  I’ll keep you posted on how things progress.

Thanks for stopping by… talk to you later,  Judy

Farewell Okefenokee

Even though it has been raining most of the day, I’ve been busy finishing my pack up chores.  Basically, all I have left to do tomorrow is unhook the water and electric, pull in the slides, raise the levelers, hook up the toad, and head down the road.  My plan is to drive a little more than I like to a campground 259 miles away in the panhandle of Florida.  I hope to arrive in Scott, LA, on Wednesday, and that’s about 670 miles from here.

Since I don’t even have a chair to sit on outside under the awning this evening, I decided to look through my 900 saved pictures from my time at Okefenokee and reminisce.  I have so many wonderful memories that it was hard to choose.  I hope you’ll enjoy them as much as I did picking them out.

From the birds, to the alligators, to the Chesser Homestead, each day provided a new memory or learning experience.  And I certainly couldn’t forget Nurse Ratchet and my hip replacement surgery.  I’ve never had an adventure like that, and I was so lucky to have my brother by my side.

Then there were all of the friends, new and old, who added such excitement and fun to my days.  That little ditty from my Girl Scout days often played in my head:  “Make new friends, but keep the old; One is silver and the other’s gold.”

As unforgettable as the people and the wildlife are, it is the Okefenokee Swamp NWR that calls to one’s soul.  I can now so relate to the feelings of those early ‘swampers’ who loved this place and never wanted to leave.  It’s so hard to explain the draw of the swamp unless you’ve been out there in that wilderness.  It will remain one of my favorite places in this country.  I never thought this place would grab my heart so much.  Perhaps I’ll return again some time in the future…

                                                                               THE END!!

Thanks for stopping by… talk to you later,  Judy

You’re safe again, Paul Dahl!

It’s been a very busy several days here at Okefenokee NWR as I finished up my working commitments, and began preparations for pulling out on Monday morning.  I worked Thursday and Friday, and finally decided I needed two days to pack everything up and take care of final details.  No refuge work today meant I could begin all the myriad tasks after being here for close to six months. 

While I was out roving on Thursday, I came across a yellow-crowned night heron in one of the little ponds along Phernetton Freeway.  These birds usually sleep during the day, and hunt at night, but it was actively looking for something to eat.

                                                              “I spy a little fish down there!”

This is the first time I’ve seen anything of much interest on this little pond, so I was quite excited.  It stayed around at least two days, so all the other volunteers got to see it also after I reported it.  That was pretty neat.

It seems that every time I’m about to leave a refuge, some wildlife stops to visit me close to my rig.  I like to think that Mother Nature is saying goodbye, and thanks for caring.  Friday was no exception.  I have been wanting to see more than the tail end of a departing endangered gopher tortoise since I got here, and thought it just wasn’t going to happen.

Lo and behold, while all of the volunteers were at their rigs for lunch this fellow/gal marched into the village and didn’t run away!  It walked down our little circular drive and stopped for lunch in my front yard.  Cool beans, for sure!  After eating, it left several calling cards for me to remember it by.    Believe it or not, it’s leavings were the same size as Emma dumps.  I quickly cleaned them up before Emma decided they were a delectable hors-devour. 

Paul and Marti Dahl are fellow fulltime RV bloggers, for those that don’t know them, and several years ago I commented on his blog about how he keeps his rig so clean and shiny on the outside.  He responded by saying he would be more than happy to wash and wax my rig any time our paths crossed.  Well, our paths have crossed several times, with no washing or waxing of my rig happening.  There always seems to be some excuse, like bad weather or one of us moving on in the morning.  Hmm… The latest reason seems to be that he is waiting for eye surgery with the VA for not visiting.  I ask you, doesn’t that seem a little flimsy??

Not to worry, Paul, I found a willing and able young biology intern, Connor, on the refuge, happy (before the job) to wash and wax the rig for me.  He did admit that he didn’t think it would take the eight hours I predicted it would.  I’m thinking he’ll sleep well tonight, but he has the satisfaction of helping out a little old lady and making more money in a day than he gets paid on the refuge in a week.   I suppose I should say that I don’t mind hiring these interns one bit, just don’t tell Paul…

                                                                              THE END!!

Thanks for stopping by… talk to you later,  Judy

Another great adventure

Yesterday, I picked up Pam and Stan, a refuge vehicle, and got some help hitching up a boat behind the truck.  We were off for a 25 mile drive to Kingfisher Landing to do some canoe trail maintenance.

       It was a gorgeous sunny day, and we put in about 28 miles on the water accomplishing our chores.

Jackie, a local volunteer, was our boat captain, and I must admit that he did most of the work installing the signs we had with us.  We were pretty much just along to enjoy the ride.  And enjoy it we did!

There were scattered cypress trees, wet prairies, and Jackie took us to see many of the small lakes located in this area of the swamp.  In the picture above, you can see a peat blowup in the lower center.  That’s not mud, it’s peat.  Some say the buried peat in the swamp is 15-20 feet deep.  Gases form in the decaying matter, and small ‘blowups’ occur.  If there are enough of them, they become a battery, and grasses and eventually trees begin to grow on this ‘trembling earth’.

Jackie was a very interesting guide for us, and shared his vast knowledge about the swamp.  His family has lived in or near the swamp for eight generations.  He is also one of those unsung heroes of the Vietnam War, in my opinion.  He was drafted into the marines, served in Vietnam, and suffered great physical harm after stepping on a land mine.  It’s amazing that he even lived through that experience!  He is presently the President of the Okefenokee Wildlife League (friend’s group of the refuge), and makes his living wrestling and capturing problem alligators for private individuals, golf courses, and such.  Like I said, a very interesting man.

Of course, Flat Joey accompanied us on this adventure.  Fellow volunteer, Barb, helped me fashion an official Okefenokee life vest for him which he wore all day.  First graders need to understand the importance of wearing a Mae West if they are on the water.  Since I was the photographer, FJ sat on his great aunt Pam’s lap while we traveled through the swamp.

After traveling the red trail, we headed back to the green trail to install more mile marker signs.  There is a shelter on the green trail at Bluff Lake.  That’s where we headed for lunch and a much needed porta-potty break.

FJ chowed down on some peanuts, while the rest of us enjoyed our sandwiches.  He’s a light eater don’t cha know. 

This was the view from our picnic area.  I do have to report that I made this trip without my cane, and was able to (almost) hop out of the boat first to tie us up to the dock!  Yahoo!  What a good feeling that was.  Maybe some time in the future I will be able to return to Okefenokee and reserve one of these shelters for an overnight trip.  I’d love to experience the sounds and sky show from this wilderness one night.

On our way back to the landing, Jackie was able to show us the blooming pitcher plants.  In this section of the swamp, the pitcher plants are an amazingly large size.  Even the stalks with the blooms are 2-3 feet tall.  The blooming is just beginning, and soon this area will literally be covered with a blanket of yellow.

Once back on land, we visited Jackie’s nearby home.  He had been out Tuesday night capturing a problem alligator from a private land owner.  It was a good ten footer.  He was trussed up with tape keeping his jaws closed.  It was kind of sad to see.  Jackie was keeping him on a rope in his pond until he could be transported.  That means this alligator is not long for this world.  That alligator rolled and rolled fighting against being pulled up from the bottom of the pond.  I suppose removing it is necessary, but I wish there was a place it could be moved to so it could live out its life naturally. 

Jackie is a hunter, and the inside of his house is festooned with evidence of his prowess, including this black bear.  He is not a sport trophy hunter, but uses the meat to supplement his larder.  It’s not something I would do, but I respect his right to do so.

By the time we hauled the boat back to the east entrance, parked it, and unloaded everything, the three of us were pooped.  It was a great day on the water, and I think Pam and Stan truly enjoyed being volunteers for eight hours.  Another one of those days for the memory banks.

Thanks for stopping by… talk to you later,  Judy

How do you brush?

My three days off this week have been more than busy with my sister Pam and her husband Stanley visiting.  I’ve already posted about taking them on a tour of the refuge on Monday.  Then on Tuesday, we took the boat tour of the swamp run by the concessionaires at the east entrance.

We were hoping to get the front seats in the tour boat for the best views, but it was not to be.  As we headed out down the Suwannee Canal, the tour guide, Nile, asked for someone to sit on the front of the boat to even out the weight load.  As you might guess, I was all over that!  So there I sat for the whole tour with no heads or bodies or boat trappings in the way for pictures.  Sweet!  We went on this tour so that Pam and Stan could get a taste of what the Okefenokee swamp is all about.

Along the way, we passed a red-shouldered hawk nest with recently hatched young.  One of the adults was standing guard a short distance away.

This is the fourth time I’ve taken this boat tour since I’ve been here, and every time I learn something new and see something different.  I can go for free as a volunteer, but I certainly think it is worth the $18.50 for the 90 minute ride through the historic Suwannee Canal and one of the wet prairies.  The Okefenokee Swamp is unlike any other place I’ve been in my travels.

On the return trip back to the Visitors Center, I was thrilled to have my spot on the front of the boat to see this barred owl.  It perched in front of us for some time, and didn’t leave until we had moved on down the canal.  “Who, who, who, who!  Who cooks for you-all?”

            We had once again scheduled a wiener roast in the evening in honor of Pam and Stan’s visit.

Everybody brought a dish to pass to go along with the ‘dogs’.  As usual, no one went away hungry.  We always invite the young interns to these gatherings.  They just come to eat and socialize.  We’ve told them we’re not interested in them contributing anything since the only thing they have said they could bring to the food bank is Spaghetti-O’s. 

Of course, Flat Joey came along to learn how to cook hotdogs over the open fire.  Great uncle (not so flat,) Stanley helped him out.

That was yesterday.  Today, we headed out on another grand adventure that I’ll write about tomorrow.  After returning late this afternoon, we found ourselves rather tired and wind/sun burned.  We sure wished some pizza place was willing to deliver out here in the middle of nowhere! 

Pam and Stan and I were chatting about how they are having a water leak problem in their rig, and I have no hot water due to the broken check valve.  Somehow the conversation turned to brushing teeth.  I had mentioned that I was getting used to brushing with cold water.  They both thought that was peculiar.  They have always brushed their teeth with cold water.  I thought that was odd.  Hmm… So, let me hear.  How many of you readers use warm water to brush your teeth, and how many use cold?  I have to say though, that if you use cold water, I’m going to think you’re a bit odd.  Certainly, I couldn’t be the odd or peculiar one could I?

Thanks for stopping by… talk to you later,  Judy