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August 20 Bayou Segnette State Park Trip Report Aug 8-11,2008Bayou Segnette State Park7777 Westbank Expressway,Westwego, LA 70094504-736-7140 or 888-677-2296 toll freeEmail: bayousegnette@crt.state.la.ushttp://www.crt.state.la.us/parks/ibyusegne.aspx
Date of trip: August 9-11, 2008 Camp Site: Number 81
Dino’s Score is 35 of 55 points for items important to us.
Pictures located at:
http://usmarinemama.spaces.live.com/photos/cns!87AB16D5179E5E4F!7629/
(Sorry, I hit my monthly quota again – I’ll post the rest in Sept)
August 8, 2008
When we first got “Dino” we got it home and looked at each other in near panic wondering how on earth we were ever going to figure out and remember EVERYTHING that was involved in our new toy! It was really mind boggling and truth to tell quite alarming! But in the nearly one year (crazy how time flies) that we’ve been the proud owners, we have handled everything quite effectively. Then just when you get over-confident…you realize that you were seconds away from pulling out with the electric power cord still connected to the house! Eeeesh!! Thank God (and I do mean that) Charlie went back to get his gloves for it was then that he realized we were still on “shore power”. I do believe that was the palest I have seen him in a long while!
Over the heart stopping moment we headed out only to discover fifteen minutes down the road that the fishing gear was still at home. There is a reason for everything – right?? We headed back home to pick up what was forgotten and at 4Pm we were “on the road again”. I know you remember me talking about how it is a well documented fact that if the Ferguson’s go somewhere, rain and stormy weather WILL be involved. The day we left town Houma received approximately 4” of rain! Strange thing was that although we traveled only an hour away, there was no rain at our destination. Thank you Lord!!
We checked in a 5PM and it was a breeze – very efficient and believe it or not, our reservation was right there where it was supposed to be – no MIA on this one – I do believe it was a first! We knew where the site was having driven through 2 weeks prior so we went straight there and began set up. We had ANOTHER hot water episode, but we learned another lesson of what not to do – I have to think we have covered all the bases now and should have “no” problems in the future???
We all, including Tar Baby, were anxious to check out the area so we headed out for the closest board-walk which by choice was right next to our site. We headed down the board-walk only to discover that we had picked the shortest one on the campground and it led – are you ready for this – directly to a vegetation filled marsh. Now, if you have never experienced mosquitoes in south Louisiana you may not know that they have a tendency to multiply into huge colonies of marauding bands of bird size (okay, so I exaggerate) blood suckers and their colonies are clustered in and around – marshes!! Hmmm, glad we brought the mosquito fighting gear.
Even with the trepidation I felt knowing that the swarms would envelope us in the evening I had to admit that the area was truly beautiful. From what I can tell the Cataouatche Canal feeds the area with enough water to sustain plant, aquatic, and sea bird life. Probably reptiles as well, but I just don’t care to think about the snakes – ostrich theory, if I don’t see them, they don’t see me. But truly, the sounds coming out of that area were amazing, the grunt of the herons, the bullfrogs croaks, the sweet song of birds, crickets – really really awesome!
We left the viewing platform to tour the rest of the campground. We chose the next boardwalk which was indeed quite long AND busy. My goodness, the birds, the plants, amazingingly interesting banana spiders. If you are arachnophobic do NOT look too closely at the plant-life in Bayou Segnette State Park. These spiders look like they would devour you for supper and spit out the tough parts, but they really are harmless; except that is for the person who has a heart attack over the experience! A bit further down the board-walk and Tar Baby obviously caught the scent of something. We spotted the short shortly in the form of baby raccoons passing under the board-walk. We have baby raccoons that visit our back yard however the mama never brings them until they are growing in size. These babies were tiny – unfortunately I didn’t react quick enough to snap a picture – you’ll just have to trust me on my word that they were absolutely adorable!
We soon headed back to camp for I wanted to have supper cooked before sundown; I had a couple of rib-eyes marinating and I wanted to cook them to perfection! I’ve burned a burger or two in my day, but I consider it sacrilegious to burn a steak! I cooked the steaks to a perfect medium rare, then settled in to wait for what I knew would be a spectacular sunset…and it was!! The only problem I had was trying to find an unobstructed view! I finally climbed the ladder up to the top of Dino and voila!!! There was the view I wanted!
We enjoyed the fire, the sounds and a really nice north wind (highly unusual for Louisiana in August) while oohing and aahing over the star filled sky, the abundant fire-flies and the sparkling “eyes” in the tree-line. And I am not kidding about that – we obviously were not alone, I am just grateful that the ‘critters’ didn’t seem to mind sharing their home with us! We retired a bit early for we were both tired after our full day. A note to all you ladies out there who might be a bit forgetful like me. Should you ever discover that you’ve left the bottoms to your PJ’s at home…simply commandeer an extra pair of your husbands boxers, they are amazingly comfy to sleep in!
August 9, 2008
Never one to sleep late I woke up at 5:30AM. After dressing and “harnessing” Tar Baby, we headed out for our morning walk. Oh my goodness, I have concluded that God made this area with His spoiled daughter (me) in mind! I am amazed I didn’t end up with whiplash as much as my head was snapping this way and that! I saw more birds and animals in a one hour walk than I have seen in a whole day elsewhere – and that is NOT an exaggeration! Egrets, herons, hawks, yellow warblers, cardinals, mocking birds, blue jays, chickadee’s downy wood-peckers, rabbits, squirrels and on and on and on!! Truly Bayou Segenette is a nature lovers heaven!!
I cooked an awesome bacon and egg breakfast which we ate outside on the picnic table while sipping our coffee. It was just one of those blue sky days when you just KNOW everything is right in your world! I know I should do it all the time, but times like this absolutely compel me to take full stock and gratefully count all the blessings God has put in my life!
We decided that our bikes and the perfectly laid out roads were indeed crying out for our attention so we gladly answered. We rode down to the boat landing where we watched the boats coming in and out. I love to people watch, but it’s even better when those people are in boats in the water! Such an assortment to see at Bayou Segnette – quite impressive. I kept hearing Otis Redding crooning “Sitting on the dock of the bay, wasting time…” Trust me, there was NO waste involved – we devoured EVERY minute of the pleasure!!
As we left the boat launch to return to our site we opted to ride through the private pool area. There is a huge wave pool in the public portion of the park, however there is also a pool open only for over-night and group campers. Unfortunately there was apparently a large “party” that day for the pool was chock a block full – to the point where I completely changed my mind about swimming! It was a pretty little area however and I do look forward to being able to swim there one day in the future. I was quite perturbed however by the really rotten attitudes I encountered just a few moments later. As we rode on the trails leaving the pool area there was a group of six females headed towards the pool. The path was narrow but certainly wide enough for people AND a single bike to pass, provided of course, the six would NOT walk side by side monopolizing the entire width! It rankled my nerves a bit and though I certainly would not have attempted to hurt anyone I was also determined to wait until the last minute to give up my “rightful” portion of the road. At the last moment one of the women moved behind the group thus allowing us room to pass. I appreciate that she did move however it was just so wrong for them to act as though the road was 100 percent theirs. Other than the nasty taste left in my mouth for such rude behavior there were no lasting effects from this show of defiant better than thou attitude.
Back at the campsite, quite exhausted I might add, we settled into our recliners to catch our breaths AND rest our back-sides (I can vouch for the need for mine)! As we lay there watching the clouds and the sky we were blessed with a soaring performance by a falcon, WOW! The sun was bearing down on us and the humidity that had been chased away the day before by the cool front was now working its way back with a vengeance. We have to watch Charlie’s breathing, for his lungs just don’t cope well on high ozone days nor on days when the air is too still and heavy with humidity. He became uncomfortable so we decided to rest a bit in the AC; Charlie napped and I watched a PBS special on the worlds oceans. Quite interesting if I might say so.
Up for the nap and feeling ever so much better we decided to take another bike ride. This time we went up over the levee to the road where the campground cabins are located. Sadly the cabins have still not been put back into use following Hurricane Katrina. Katrina really devastated the state park, not only the wind but the water from the storm surge as well. Hopefully the cabins will be repaired and offered in the future for they are so nice with large screened porches and fishing piers sitting right on the water front. That loss was in a way our gain that day for with the road closed off to normal traffic we had the perfect bike riding area all to ourselves. There is some construction equipment back there but all was still when we were riding. There WAS one lone worker who nearly gave me a coronary as he popped up from behind the flood gate.
We stopped at one point to walk to the waters edge – always checking out fishing spots you know! It was really quite scenic so I set the camera up to take an auto pic of the two of us with the water in the background. Ya’ll all know my paranoia over alligators…imagine my surprise when as I later reviewed the pictures, right there behind us (safely in the water) was, yep you guessed it – an ALLIGATOR!! See!! I TOLD you they were out to get me!
As we were stopped a man and lady came by walking two enormous beautiful dogs. We spoke briefly as I complimented their beauty and inquired into their breed. Mutts was the reply – they had rescued the dogs, presumably after Katrina, as so many were. The new owners obviously cared for them for not only were they just beautiful, but VERY well behaved as well!
On to the nature walk – WOW WOW WOW – what else can I say. I do not know when this was put in, but it is truly an amazing walk. The path varies between gravel, boardwalk, dirt and just enough “mud” thrown in to keep it interesting. It is so very scenic as it winds along side the canal – just gorgeous! The first boardwalk rest area was where I actually SAW, live and in person, an alligator – it was a small one, but menacing none the less. Of course, after that I was “on guard” for I was convinced that the entire direct AND extended family was hidden in the bush just waiting for me because I AM after all THE number one target of all alligators! HA! Actually, I was nervous just for a bit, then I returned to the land of ooohs and aaaahs as we continued on our journey.
One down side, we did have to stop several times for Charlie to “catch his breath” and rest a bit. I made a mental note then which I DID follow up on when we returned home, to schedule him an appointment with his pulmonary specialists. I KNOW without a doubt that God takes care of us, but I also know that He uses doctors to do some of His earthly work!
As we neared the end of the nature trail we came across a large family “fishing” off the last boardwalk. Not wanting to just barge on through we stopped briefly and asked if they were catching anything. An adorable little boy about 4-5 years informed us proudly that they were catching crabs. He was a cutie! We asked the older young man if we could pass behind them and he kind of panicky nodded yes and shook no - simultaneously …okay then! That was when I realized that the little boy was probably the only English speaker in the group. I felt bad because I have been in their situation – just reversed languages when we were in Mexico.
We passed several more family members on our way to the end of the trail, which incidentally ended at the boat launch. As we stopped to rest the “State Federal Enforcement Agent” pulled up in their awesome boat. Excuse me, not a boat, Boston Whaler, fully equipped with two 250HP Mercury’s. Nice looking rig! They offered us a bit of entertainment as we watched their efforts. As the agent drove the boat onto the trailer, the power of the boat actually pushed that huge truck forward and up! The other agent quickly shifted the truck into four-wheel drive and this time they were successful. Until that is, they tried to move the truck forward, the wheels simply spun gaining no ground. Obviously equipped with a sense of humor the agent still in the boat hollered out – “Hey you need me to give you some help?” I guess you “hadda be there” to fully enjoy the story, but trust me, it was funny to watch!
We headed back to camp where I cooked burgers and hot dogs. We sat by the fire as long as we could but finally gave up when the mosquitoes were threatening to carry us bodily away! After a full day of walking and riding, that shower was a gift from Heaven and I do NOT exaggerate!
August 11, 2008
OMGosh! I slept later – ALL the way to 6:00AM!! That is quite a fete for me, just goes to show how tired I was form the previous day. Knowing now how to “get to the sunrise”, Tar Baby and I set out intended to go over the levee, through the flood gate and down to the canal. On the way we saw another inhabitant of Bayou Segnette, an armadillo digging in the earth. By now Tar Baby had seen so many rabbits, she didn’t even flinch over the “shelled football with a tail”! The sunrise was magnificent, all packaged up in ribbons of pink and blue clouds; hand delivered to me from my Lord, heaped up and overflowing with promises for a beautiful day! I accepted it with gratitude and grace as any Princess of a King would!!
On our return toward camp I spotted a yellow crowned night heron in on of the marshy canals. It blended in so perfectly that only a slight movement caught my eye and I was finally able to discern the creature before it took flight. Be sure to look at the picture I was able to snap – it certainly was a site!
One of our campground neighbors informed me that the day prior he had spotted the largest red –headed woodpecker he had ever seen in the same area. I need to remember next time we go to watch that area carefully! As we walked down the boardwalk it seemed the entire world was hushed then suddenly an explosive sound! Tar Baby and I both jumped and I am sure her little heart was beating just as hard as mine was slamming within my chest. What was it? Civilization invading nature – that’s what it was! A VERY loud air-horn was the culprit, I guess it was just so sudden and compared with the stillness, quite jarring!
Back at the camp site we relaxed in our easy chairs – do you notice a pattern yet? We watched fascinated as always at the little wren who took a dust bath by our board-walk. The wrens do the same thing at home, but there they bath in the charcoal dust which I dump from the barbeque pit. As we lazed around watching nature and enjoying the coolness of the early morning a man rode by on his bike. He pointed to our little Tar Baby and said “Fat boy needs a walk – eh?” How cruel!! Poor Tar Baby has been suffering from low self esteem since! Just kidding – she is quite proud of her girth! But seriously, she really is not that over-weight. As a pug she is naturally wide in the back. And no, I’m not just making excuses!
Being so excited about the gem we found in Bayou Segnette we decided to make a survey of the camp sites for our NEXT visit. We loved our location except we decided next time we wanted to be a bit removed from the marsh (due to the mosquitoes) AND we wanted a site with more shade. In 081 we had very young trees that will one day become towering shelters but for now they just barely support the birds. On our survey trip we located the last board-walk of the park. It was by far the longest within the park, though it by no means compared to the segmented board-walks of the nature trail. It was very nice and scenic, but apparently more narrow, for both Charlie and I had a bit of trouble keeping our balance. We toured the park taking pictures of our site choices and have made reservations since our return.
We decided that one more ride to the boat launch was in order so after completing our “survey” we headed over to that area. As we were “sitting on the dock of the bayou” a young woman and her two sons walked up with their fishing gear. We said good morning and I enquired as to whether they fish there often. She laughed and said, “we don’t have any idea what we are doing”. She got lots of points for her delightful laugh and her total honesty! She carried an awesome back-pack chair that opened up into a chair complete with a roof – be sure to look at the pictures. I loved the way she had such a visible close relationship with her boys and they VERY obviously respected her.
Check out time at Bayou Segnette is 1PM so at 12 we reluctantly left the launch to go back and start breaking camp. Just as we neared the end of the launch drive I saw several “cat-sized” black creatures crossing the road some distance ahead. I pedaled hard to get within eyesight and was able to discern that it was a mama nutria rat and several babies. They raced across the road and headed up the levee. When they reached the flood wall the mama and two babies scrambled across but one little one was having difficulty. Finally the mama reached down and grabbing it by the nape of the neck gave it some assistance across. Now, I am not a fan of nutria rats, they are an invasive species and truthfully, just the name is a put-off, but…the universal display of motherly love surely brought a tear to my eye and even Charlie was mesmerized watching them.
We decided to ride through the “Groupie” Area (Group Camping, for those of you not familiar with our term). It was on that road that I was AGAIN “haunted” by the resident red-tailed hawk! The first day we toured Bayou Segnette that hawk swooped down as we passed and has continued to do so each time. I have though, as of yet (yet being the operative word) not managed to get its picture, but as Arnold would say “I’ll be back”!
Today was Sunday, nearly two full days since we’d arrived and the FIRST time we saw a snake (Thank you Lord!). It was on the side of the road by the bush and just visible enough to make its presence known. If I HAD to see one, I’m glad it was just as we would be leaving!
We started breaking camp at 12:15 and at 1:15 we pulled away from the dump site having completed everything. WOW, we are getting faster and faster, which is great because now we know how much longer we can delay that “always sad” departure!
We always depart campgrounds with so much regret for having to leave these sites of natural beauty created ‘just for us’ as a gift by God. But we always find consolation that another day, another time, another place, our great adventure is…
To be continued~
Bayou Segnette State Park - Aug 9-11, 2008Dino’s Campground Score-Board
Bayou Segnette State Park7777 Westbank Expressway,Westwego, LA 70094504-736-7140 or 888-677-2296 toll freeEmail: bayousegnette@crt.state.la.ushttp://www.crt.state.la.us/parks/ibyusegne.aspx
Date of trip: August 9-11, 2008 Camp Site: Number 81
A Activities Accessibility ATV Area Attractions Ativities – oh yeah! Swimming, fishing, bike riding, hiking, bird & critter watching! Accessibility – the easiest one yet! Close to home, easy off the highway, awesome sites Area Attractions – all kinds close by – see http://www.crt.state.la.us/parks/ibyusegne.aspx B Bath House Bike Riding Beach Bath House – Immaculate, spacious, well equipped Bike Riding – fantastic – you can ride for MILES without problems C Cleanliness Cable Check In Cabins Church Cleanliness – very well maintained, both as far as trash and vegetation Cable – Awesome reception by satellite Check In – Smooth, quick and easy D Decoration Dock Dock – boat launch with a floating dock E Environment Environment – very natural, accommodates humans while protecting nature F Food Fires Food – concessions in the public park area – soft drinks only within the campground Fires – allowed – each site equipped with fire ring G Game Room Golf Carts Golf Carts – Allowed, but I didn’t see any other than the park workers H Horses Hook-Ups Holiday Events Hook-Ups – 30/50amp, water – very clean set up I Internet Internet - WIFI J Jam Outs (Live Music) K Kids Programs Age 3-9 L Laundry Lighting Laundry – very large clean laundry areas – no charge for use Lighting – roads are dark at night (good thing in my opinion) – buildings well lit M Military Honor Museum Membership Discounts Membership – Golden Age / Access Passports N Nature Noise Level(Low) Nature – abundant! More than we have seen anywhere Noise Level – Very quiet for the most part. O Owners (On Site) Owners – It is a State Park so no owners, but host does live there P Playground Patriotic Propane Pets Pool Playgrounds – several on campground, clean & good repair – many more in public area Patriotic – flags Pets – allowed on leash Pool – Private pool for overnight guest / Wave pool open to public Q Quality Overall Quality – Extremely High R Roads Restaurants Roads – all paved in very good condition S Souveniers Site Set-up Stores Supplies(RV) Site Set Up – all back in sites – well set up and very spacious T Tent Area Trails Themes Tents – intermingled with RV’s Trails – several trails, boardwalk, paved, gravel, earthen U Utilities Utilities – water supply is very clean, pressure is good; power voltage is 120 strong V Views (Scenic) Views – awesome! Marsh viewing platform, trails, nature trail, levee W Wildlife Waterways Wildlife – abundant; squirrels, raccoons, possums, nutria rat, alligator, bobcat, coyote, armadillo, amazing variety of birds both song and sea X X-tra’s (Anything not previously mentioned) X-tra’s – I am so VERY impressed at the parks recovery from Katrina – REALLY good job Y Youth Programs (Ages 10-15) Z Zoo’s (Petting or Nearby) Zoo – Audubon is right across the river
Dino’s Score is 35 of 55 points for items important to us. SOAP 08-20-2008 Once Saved Always Saved? NOT! Try Whining!Ezekiel 18:23-25 23 "Do you think that I like to see wicked people die? says the Sovereign LORD. Of course not! I want them to turn from their wicked ways and live.24 However, if righteous people turn from their righteous behavior and start doing sinful things and act like other sinners, should they be allowed to live? No, of course not! All their righteous acts will be forgotten, and they will die for their sins.25 "Yet you say, 'The Lord isn't doing what's right!' Listen to me, O people of Israel. Am I the one not doing what's right, or is it you?
Oh isn’t this passage just ripe for discussion!!!
First off – I would have to say that Ezekiel’s message pretty much does away with the popular “Once Saved – Always Saved” theory. That was such an easy theory to live by – yep, make a declaration one time, then do as you please cuz you have been saved!! NOT! Entering Heaven is not based upon words spoken once, or a baptism undergone. Admittance into the presence of God is based upon belief in Jesus Christ AND following the way of life He laid down.
Secondly – as children we whined if our siblings received any type of favoritism. I do believe I am correct in saying that we do the same thing with Father God! “But God, look at what THAT sinner did – how can you forgive them?” “But God, look at what I did, I did so much good for others – I didn’t really hurt anyone with that sin no one knew about – did I?” “How come my sin outweighs the good I did” It’s not right Lord!!
And God says – is it me or is it you not doing right?
Ouch! August 19 Dog FunniesIt was the end of the day when I parked my police van in front of the station. As I gathered my equipment, my K-9 partner, Jake, was barking, and I saw a little boy staring in at me. 'Is that a dog you got back there?' he asked.
'It sure is,' I replied. Puzzled, the boy looked at me and then towards the back of the van. Finally he said, 'What'd he do?' ============================================================================================
I have no idea how they do this: TYPE IN a command and see what happens... Sit, roll over, down, stand, sing, dance, shake, fetch, play dead etc. And.......it's also very cute if you type in a command that's not recognized...!! Make sure you type in 'Kiss' too, but do it last. Click here: I Do Dog Tricks
SOAP - Idle Thoughts that become IdolsEzekiel 14: 7 I, the LORD, will answer all those, both Israelites and foreigners, who reject me and set up idols in their hearts and so fall into sin, and who then come to a prophet asking for my advice.
Set up idols in their hearts and SO fall into sin – hmmm…As a man thinks, so he is?? LONG before we actually sin, we ponder the thought in our hearts. We toss it around and consider it, play out scenarios, tempting ourselves with the thought. In doing so, the thought of the sin becomes and idol and in turn takes the Lords rightful number 1 spot in our hearts. Then, just to make matters worse, we try to justify the thought and action by discussing it with our “advisors”, someone we HOPE will apply that “white-wash” we discussed yesterday. Catch those thoughts before they become idols and before the idol becomes the sin. August 18 SOAP 08-18-2008 Whitewash, Mortar and Poor constructionEzekiel 13:10-12 "This will happen because these evil prophets deceive my people by saying, 'All is peaceful' when there is no peace at all! It's as if the people have built a flimsy wall, and these prophets are trying to reinforce it by covering it with whitewash!11 Tell these whitewashers that their wall will soon fall down. A heavy rainstorm will undermine it; great hailstones and mighty winds will knock it down.12 And when the wall falls, the people will cry out, 'What happened to your whitewash?'
The above translation is from the New Living Translation and uses the term “whitewash”. The King James Version uses the term “untempered mortar”. .
Whether you use the term whitewash or un-tempered mortar, both are based upon building your life upon a false foundation. The “whitewash” is used to cover up a flimsy wall much the same way todays “evil prophets” try to “whitewash” their beliefs many of which are NOT based upon the teachings of God nor Christ. All is well in the world they say, God has changed, He will not send to Hell someone that He has created. All religions are good, anyone can get into Heaven. Don’t worry, if you don’t “follow the rules” now, you’ll have time – no need to take away from your fun life (read sinful life) now. Do these words sound like something you have been told? The lies are covered in whitewash and the wall will fall and people will be shocked for they are trusting those “in charge”. Redemption and salvation are a one man construction site, not a group tour. Be sure that the building materials of your life and faith are not un-tempered nor whitewashed.
New Orleans Saints 27 Houston 31
Houston 31 New Orleans 27 1 and 1 on the season! Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal proclaims "Day of Pray Over Students"
August 15 SOAP 08-15-2008 Think before you SpeakEzekiel 3:10-11 Then he added, "Son of man, let all my words sink deep into your own heart first. Listen to them carefully for yourself.11 Then go to your people in exile and say to them, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says!' Do this whether they listen to you or not."
I must admit that I have at times found myself rushed for time and on those days I must fight the tendency to jump in with empty words on my daily entry. It is so easy to get side-tracked with the voice of the world and my own thoughts rather than listening for the thoughts of the Holy Spirit. I am glad that today I was reminded to let all His words sink deep into my own heart before I share with others, before I go to those that have been “exiled”. What a powerful thing words can be - they can cure or they can kill, they can build up or they can tear down, they can teach or block. Learn as I go! What an awesome God I serve that He places His Spirit within me always teaching me and those that read this, whether they listen or not! Have a great week-end! MSOAG pipeline students wrap up seven-month courseStory and Photos by Lance Cpl. Richard Blumensteinhttp://www.marsoc.usmc.mil/news/AdFX.htm (to see pic's)
August 14 THANGS I LARNED WILE LIVIN IN LUSIANAIntended to be read "all in fun"!! I really DO love my life in Louisiana!! THANGS I LARNED WILE LIVIN IN LUSIANA |
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