From My Dad's Front Porch

I went next door to my dad's house and visited for a little bit. I just happened to have my camera with me and I tried to play with some of the settings. Here is what I got!

Peach Blossoms

The hens

Gypsy

King of the Farmyard

I just thought this was an interesting shot.

When ya live so close to the water, you must watch out for gators!

A close up of the beautiful sunset tonight.

Another sunset shot.

The night photos are kind of challenging. I think I need to take a photo class or something to learn more about this type of photo settings.

Alligator Viewing

At noon today, my dad (who lives next door to me) called and asked if I'd been out in the back yard. See, our back yards lead down into a bit of a pond or bay off the Tickfaw River. The following pictures will show you what my dad was concerned about. As we were indoors enjoying our lovely air conditioning, there was a critter making himself at home just out our back doors.

As you will see in the following pics, our new neighbor is a young alligator. He or she isn't the typical green that one normally sees. This one is more of a mud color with stripes on its back. That tells us that it's only about a year or so old.

Can you see it in this picture?

How about now?
Nope, that's not a log!

He seems to be enjoying his swim!

A little closer view.

Well, that's our excitement for today. The girls got a big kick out of seeing our backyard critter.

Clark Creek & Port Hudson

A few weeks ago, my little ones stayed at a friends house for some swimming fun. Therefore, DH and I (along with DQ and The Teen) decided to get out and enjoy some nature like we used to do a long time ago. We chose to visit the Clark Creek area just over the Louisiana/Mississippi border northeast of St. Francisville. This is a beautiful little area that I advise you hike in when the weather gets a little cooler.

It's more than 2000 acres of natural beauty that boasts nearly 40 waterfalls that range from 10 feet to 25 feet in height! If you stay on the established trails you'll only get to see 6 - 8 of these waterfalls. All along the trails you will see a mixed hardwood and pine forest with beech and magnolia trees throughout. As you stroll, hike, or huff/puff along you might also see birds, snakes (some poisonous!), a snail or two, and maybe, just MAYBE a black bear since this area provide excellent habitat for it.

If you plan to hike this area, go at your own risk. It's a pretty strenuous workout. It's also located in a remote area so any medical assistance is quite a distance away. However, across the street from the parking lot there is a home on a bluff where a man has a 6 wheel ATV for emergency recoveries.

There is no drinking or potable water avialable at Clark Creek so be sure to pack a cooler full of iced water. Take a few bottles down into the trail with you.

As you approach the parking area you will prob'ly see the greeting crew as shown in the photo below.

Stop in the pond store to pick up a trail map. Be sure to take a peek at the original cash register that the store aquire in 1903. The owner has the original box it was delivered in sitting up on a top shelf behind her. Ask her to point it out to you. Also, peek at the doll house in the store.

Once you get on the trail, there is a bluff where most vistors carve their names as my hubby is doing here.

Here is the first waterfall of the Clark Creek area. Isn't it pretty?
DQ and The Teen slowly approach an ambush! DH is such a kid!

They have no idea what they're about to walk into.

The 2nd waterfall. You can actually hike right down the stream from waterfall #1 to this one. Just don't go OVER it!

Time for the long climb out of here!

And the MANY stairs!

On the way back out past the old store, you will see these 2 little cabins on your right. They can be rented on a nightly basis. For more info, talk to the lady in the store.

Leaving the Clark Creek area and heading south we found a historical marker in front of someone's house. Seems that Oliver Pollock was an Irish merchant in Spanish N.O. he also served in that city as a Commercial Agent for the Continental Congress & helped finance the American Revolution with his fortune. He died at Pinckneyville, MS in 1832 and is buried here.

Continuing our southerly trek, we decided to stop at Port Hudson for a visit and lunch. The Teen looks real excited huh!?

I wondered what the inside of a cannon looked like and since I couldn't see all the way down into it, I just stuck my camera in the end of it and turned the flash on. Looks like a cannon.

Aaaannnnd, this concludes our Field Trip to Clark Creek and Port Hudson. Next time I'm taking geocache coordinates to hunt for a different kind of treasure! There's a bunch of them at Clark Creek and 2 at Port Hudson. I WILL find them!!!

Wetland Watchers

The following is taken from the sign above the traveling shrimp boots currently on display at the Louisiana Art and Science Museum in Baton Rouge, LA.

"These artistic shrimp boots were created especially for LASM by the Hurst Middle School Wetland Watchers of Destrehan, LA. The traveling shrimp boot project began as an outreach program to students in the New Orleans area who had been affected by Hurricane Katrina; during this difficult time, they were given the opportunity to share the positive things they love and appreciate about their state.

The Wetland Watchers are a group of articulate, intelligent Louisiana students who are truly making a difference in their community. During the past ten years, they have provided over 60,000 hours of volunteer service, planted more than 2900 trees, collected over 2000 bags of trash, and participated in outreach to over 185,000 people. They have been awarded the prestigious National Youth Leadership State Farm Service Learning Award for their commitment to excellence. The Wetland Watchers have also appeared on a CNN special, People Count: Hot on the Trail and were featured by Diane Sawyer on the ABC Children First Special, Protecting Our Planet. Barry Guillot, the energetic leader of this industrious group, was also honored with a Blue Cross Angel Award in 2007. He could be described as a cross between the Crocodile Hunter and Bill Nye the Science Guy with a New Orleans accent, of course! His passion for education and the environment is contagious and most evident as he proudly describes the accomplishments of his young students. Their concern for the wetland and its inhabitants can be summed up in a quote by a seventh grader, "If the animals and plants could talk, I think they would say we are their heroes, because that is the way I feel when we do our work in the wetlands.""