After the storm ...

Once again we've dodged a major storm that has flooded many areas of Louisiana! And we're really talking about the mother of all storms here, it broke several records all around!

We were so lucky to be where we are right now, and to have chosen this specific campground to stay at!

Shreveport to the west and Monroe to the east have major flooding going on, even the I-20 was closed for a while in both directions, but the couple of miles we're using to get to Ruston stayed open, and

both James job side and our campground stayed dry!

Unfortunately, our previous campground, Hidden Oaks, in Hammond, fared less well . They flooded completely, and we just learned that apparently they suffered enough damage to not be able to open again until around the first of May!

Which means that we have to find another place to stay for when we return to Hammond in a week or two!
Since we didn't have the opportunity to do much sight-seeing on the way up, we're going to do some on the way back down, and I've started to do some research on the places that sound interesting enough to pay a visit. 
I guess I'll have to add 'looking for a new campground' to the list ...

Fortunately, the rain has stopped (for now) and places are starting to dry up. The temperatures are high (in the high seventies!), and although the golf course was a little soggy, we played last Monday and were fine. We actually had the whole course to ourselves. Cool!

The warm weather has coached some trees and bushes into flowering, like this Southern Dewberry, that's growing wild along many country  roads.

At the campground I found some clumps of tiny Common Blue Violets:

And I really get a kick out of this Carolina Wren, who's singing his heart out every morning in the crepe myrtle in front of my window ...

It looks like he has his mind set on making a nest behind this little door on our neighbor's camper, that hides the connection for the electric cord.
I hope the guy isn't moving anytime soon!

   

Meanwhile, James' pet store is starting to look like a store! 
He's been working 2 weeks without a break now, but it's almost finished ...

 

The shelves are up and the first suppliers have dropped off their merchandise.




We'll probably be here for another week or so, and than it's back to the south.
Hopefully by that time they've dried out a little over there!