We've done quite a bit of driving on 2 out of the past 3 days, but in between we had a wonderful visit with our friends Dean and Judy Fisher in Louisiana. The last time we saw them, in mid-June, they had just moved into their new house and were in the middle of a serious remodeling project. Even in the midst of the boxes and construction, it was easy to see that the house was going to be beautiful. We're happy to report that it's absolutely stunning! And I'm not happy to report that I didn't take a single picture of it. We were so busy enjoying Dean and Judy and the amazing house in the one full day we had there, that I totally spaced my responsibilities to for full disclosure of our adventure. Soooo.... We'll just have to go back for another visit soon!
Most of our visiting day we sat inside and talked and watched a spectacular thunderstorm outside. The first gust of wind that preceded the storm was sudden and impressive...it blew every potted plant over on its side and dropped every hanging plant to the ground. The torrents started pelting down immediately after that, so there was nothing to do but let the plants fend for themselves. Actually, they all did rather well under the circumstances. Here's the view of the storm from the back patio. It's hard to tell the amount of water pouring down from the photo, or the enormous noise it made.
Once the storm subsided (hours later) we went out for dinner at The Marina, a lovely restaurant overlooking the water in Natchitoches (a town with the unlikely pronunciation of "Nack-a-dish). When I looked out the window and saw the incredible sunset over the water, I realized that I had forgotten to take my iPad along for photos. I'm really slipping!! So the best we could do was try with a cell phone, which didn't capture the sunset at all, or the beauty of our dear friends... But the is the best I have for now.
This morning we said our last farewells and headed for Texas. We were so glad to cross the State line...we've been about 10,500 miles in the last 4 months, and it feels great to be back in the Lone Star State.
Not too far into the state we had to laugh...only in Texas do you get a 75-mile an hour speed limit on a winding two-lane road with virtually no shoulder!
And the beauties of Houston...
Tonight we're camped in a place we've always wanted to go: Brazos Bend State Park.
After we set up camp, we took an early evening bike ride around the park. It's so beautiful and peaceful. This park is known for its abundance of alligators and the birding opportunities (over 300 different species have been sighted here). We'd love to come back when we have more time to tramp through the woods with our binoculars.
But I have one new sighting to add to my birding "Life List" today...a spectacular sight. Five low-flying whooping cranes (an endangered species, only about 350 known to be alive) flew directly over our heads as we were riding our bikes. I've never seen them before, and it was so exciting! I know I'll see more of them this winter, because they winter at Aransas Wildlife Refuge right near Rockport. But I have the thrill of that first sighting to remember on our first day back in Texas.
This is a quick one-night stay for us. Tomorrow we go to Rockport to begin the hunt for a cottage to rent for 3 or 4 months this winter. It should be a fun few days. I'll keep you posted on our progress!
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