I’m Thankful for this Beautiful, Quirky Way of Life

We finally got our truck back, and with just one more stop at the dealer to tighten the bolts they missed (even though they kept it over the weekend, so they would not be rushed and miss anything) we were good to go. I had booked our site through Wednesday, and we left on Thanksgiving. We drove out of the lovely Ouachita Mountains around Hot Springs to the flatter land of northern Louisiana. We arrived at Jimmie Davis State Park to find nice concrete pads, good internet, a clear sky for the satellite TV antenna, walking paths and even a disc golf course. But alas, since this was a last minute booking I was able to get us only one night.

Friday we moved on to Lake Fausse Pointe State Park in southern Louisiana.

This was more typically what I have always thought of as Louisiana; jungly woods with saw palmettos and cabbage palms in the undergrowth,

and lots of water and cypress trees.

It had nice walking paths but too many trees for satellite TV and no cell service so no internet.

A fellow camper saw me walking around the campground with my phone trying to get a good enough signal to make a call, or at least send a text. “We can sometimes get a signal there between that post and the fire ring”, he said, “but if you can’t, walk out on the bridge at the entrance to the grey box.” So I did.

While I was wandering around the bridge taking photos and searching for a signal a teenage boy on a bike came by. “Trying to get a signal? I was trying this morning and the lady at the gate told me to go over onto the levee.”

So I walked out the entrance road…

and up on the levee where I got enough signal to call my mother and my brother.

I love being connected to friends and family and I appreciate it more when I have to work at it. I love being surrounded by nature, it feeds my soul. And I love the kindness of strangers which I encounter on a regular basis. I am privileged to have these, and I am grateful, very grateful.