It's that time of the year again, birds are singing everywhere, and somehow they're real loud over here! 
It probably helps that this part of Louisiana is very woodsy but I start to think the main reason they sing so loud is because they have to over-ride the horn of the train that blasts through the neighborhood at all hours of the day (and night!). Man, that thing is loud!
Why is it, that somehow there's always a train passing by any good campground worth it's salt?



Any-who, we'll survive ... The weather is mostly very mild, as in 'not hot yet', at the moment and I'm not complaining! For some reason we're below average for this time of the year. Yahoo!
I love the mornings best and especially my walks through the neighborhood.

Most of the days I walk over to the golf course and than walk around each 'loop' of 4 and 5 holes ... it's so pretty over there ...

   

Twice a week I actually golf 6 of the holes and most of the time I'm all by myself. I love a private golf course!

Trees are all leaving now and more and more flowers are starting to emerge:

This is a 'Horrible Thistle'. Seriously, that's it's real name!

The flower below is common but I don't know the name. I do know that's a giant bumblebee on it though!

It's been so pleasant that I even have been spinning outside for a couple of times!

But, it can't be wonderful all the time off course, and boy ... it sure does rain here on occasion! 
I'd hoped we got away from these downpours and, god forbid, the dreaded flooding, but what do you know ... I swear it followed us all the way up here!



I don't think I've ever experienced a thunderstorm that lasted this long. It 'thundered and lightened' all day long, from 11 o'clock in the morning until 11 at night! Unbelievable!



Somewhere in the afternoon 'a river started running through it', through our site, that is, leaving mud and debris all over the mat ...
Fortunately, most of the water rushed right past us and into the lake, which started to overfill, but no flooding, thank god!

Which was not the case at the store where James is working at ...  it sure did flood!

They 'only' got about 2 to 3 inches, but lost a day pumping the water out, mopping everything up, and raising materials like drywall and boards up against the wall so they could dry out (I even got recruited). Fortunately, other than a few battery chargers that died, most of his other tools survived.

The little bridge over the drainage canal next to the store had to be closed of for a while since it was impassable.

And the porta-potty James had rented for duration of the job and had placed in front of the store, must have floated away and has completely disappeared, and this dumpster appeared from somewhere ... ?

Art. The power of water ...

All in all we were lucky though, since close-by Alexandria had a tornado touch down, Anacocco, just down the road, had some severe flooding and the Tangipahoa River at Hidden Oaks in Hammond rose once again to over 16,5'! 

Needless to say, I've been getting a little more serious in planning our way 'out of here' (just kidding)!

But I've started to look into which areas we want to explore in and around Wisconsin and Michigan, and the best campgrounds to stay at and golf courses to play ...

We've started to eat a little different lately, mainly because I really need to loose some inches of my 'over-forty' belly-pouch, so we're pretty much sticking to only 2 meals a day and I've completely sworn off sugar. 
It's not too bad so far, I'm not getting too hungry and so far I've lost 5 pounds so ... it's working!

I'm still using my Instant Pot a lot and made this delicious Corned Beef for Saint Patrick's day

Once a week we break down though and we head over to 'Lucky Donuts', where we indulge in one of their delicious fresh-baked creations (James favors the apple fritters and I just love their simple glazed ones):

Oh man, do they taste heavenly after a week of 'no sugar'!