|
        |
We breakfasted outdoors, overlooking the bay. We were facing a bird estuary and so there were all kinds of birds, including snowy white egrets, great blue herons and flamingos. The storm that was threatening had moved north east to devastate the eastern seaboard and we were left with a beautifully calm morning.
We all needed some exercise, and the gulf was waiting, so off we went for a walk. Below are some highlights. Shell gathering was big. We all marveled at how different the sea coast in the Gulf was from the pacific -- different shells, different sand, different smells. The most notable thing was how many shells and animals there were compared to our relatively bereft shore at home.
Doug and Jody got some time in together (although it was obviously captured by Joya).
The beach was littered with dozens of these cabbage head jellyfish. This one was about 1 foot across. They are relatively harmless with just a little sting in their lower frilly edge.
Jordan burning off some of the energy that got pent up while we crossed west Texas. The girls were so happy to be near the ocean again. The water was in the mid-sixties and felt good, although we were the only ones on the beach in bare feet and playing in the water. We later checked with a park ranger to make sure that the water quality was ok. He said it was good, just too cool for the locals just yet.
After our walk, we quickly showered and pulled out, headed finally for Louisiana. We drove South on TX 82, which turned into LA 82 when we crossed over. Highway 82 goes along the very southern edge of Louisiana, through the swamp land, filled with canals and bayous.
During the drive, we rode 2 ferries and crossed 4 drawbridges and 2 huge bridges. Below is "the rig" sitting (barely) on a ferry while crossing.
The rural road we took was beautiful. Once we were really in Louisiana, there was water everywhere. Almost immediately, we began spotting alligators in the canals and bayous along the roadway. After Joya spotted 6, she got rather blas� about them. Nonetheless, it was unusual to encounter wild creatures just off the roadway who would just as soon eat you as look at you. At dusk, we also saw water animals of some kind (muskrats?) paddling around in the swamps. We saw huge quantities of giant snowy egrets. There was also Spanish moss in the trees, everything but people with corncob pipes on their porches. The houses are up on stilts or cement pillars to keep the houses from flooding during the rainy season. We also saw lots of dead nutria along the roadway. Nutria are RUS (rodents of unusual size) that were introduced from South America and are now taking over Louisiana. They are the size of beavers, with rat tails and long, orange front teeth. They are vegetarian (thank God!) and their only natural enemies are alligators. Louisiana is trying to cultivate them as a "specialty" meat. But it was a beautiful drive.
March 5 - Lafayette and Vermillionville
|
