Join us as we travel North America in our Holiday Rambler Vacationer,
since August 2006
This weather is pretty close to perfect, cool at night for sleeping and warms up nicely during the day to about 26c (78f) lots of sunshine and no wind. Today is Halloween but in the resort it will be pretty quiet we had all the celebrations on saturday the children are all gone now. My morning walkabout shows a mysterious fog over one of the ponds almost an erie setting.
morning mist
This morning I was on a mission to find a long bottle type brush to clean our barbeque burner. A short drive to Mandeville area I checked Walmart , Lowes, Home Depot, and Ace hardware nobody had one, but I talked to a lot of friendly staff with their southern accents. I was told that barbeques are seasonal. I can see that in Canada but in the deep south with such moderate winters?
After returning home I cleaned our Weber, hoping it will work better, not as hot as it was. I sent an email to Weber asking for advice. Then set out to wash our coach today. Perfect weather for it and some of the softest water I have ever used, made washing our house fun and rewarding to see it shining once again.
our shiny house
I got those chores done today and now can relax in the shade with Suzie and our books for a while. Then soon time to fire up the barbie and grill a couple of chicken breasts, with a rice pilaf seafood stuffed artichoke florets and a tossed salad.
another tasty treat
Just another great day, enjoying the warm sunny southern days, thinking about our next adventure.
Visitor Number
Notice the controls for this New Map on the left side, you can zoom into different areas of the map and see where we are or have been.
Join us as we travel North America in our Holiday Rambler Vacationer,
since August 2006
This morning its once again a nice, sunny day then the usual coffee, computing and walkabout the resort. A few of the weekend people are packing up, and putting away their halloween decorations.
We have nothing planned for today, and that is just fine, we can just putter around enjoying the outdoors, fresh air and sunshine. While going over our coach I noticed a tailpipe hanger was broken so I got my tools and spare parts out and fabricated a new one, preventive maintenance.
Now before we know its afternoon and I am gonna wash our car, its been a couple of weeks, but the final week at the farm, muddy roads and towing it in the rain its ready for a bath, our coach maybe tomorrow if I have time. Don't want to get everything done in one day, I like to pace myself.
nice and shiny, very soft water here
Ok thats two things today, time start pacing myself, get the lawn chairs set up and dive into our books, sitting in the shade, a nice comfortable 76f (24c). Reading and chatting with a couple of neighbors, one from Texas and another from Quebec, always nice to meet new people.
Then time to fire up our Weber to grill a nice prime rib steak, baked potato, mushrooms/onions and a couple of seafood stuffed artichoke florets that we picked up at yesterdays market in Mandeville.
tasty supper
Supper is done and just relax with our books for a while then watch the Battle of the Blades on CBC, a figure skating show with professional hockey players pared with a professional figure skaters competing to raise money for charities.
Visitor Number
Notice the controls for this New Map on the left side, you can zoom into different areas of the map and see where we are or have been.
Join us as we travel North America in our Holiday Rambler Vacationer,
since August 2006
Well we had things to do today and you know I like taking pictures, and again I took over 100 so I sorted thru them, edited and just posted a few, but still way too many. Did you know that you can double click on any picture and bring it full size on your monitor then you can just scroll thru the pictures with your arrow keys.
A wonderful sunny morning and perfect for outside stuff. An early walkabout around one of the ponds and chatting with a few rvers gets us ready to head off to the Mandeville Trailhead Marketalways a nice outing.
nice view across the pond
This is called a Farmers Market but there was only one vendor with produce and another with pecans. Lots of food and crafts thou so was fun on a nice sunny saturday.
This market is located on the Tammany Trace Rail trailat the Mandeville Trail head just a couple of small blocks from the north shore of Lake Ponchatrain not too far from the causeway to New Orleans.
trailhead
We strolled the market taking in the sights and sounds, and tasting some of the different food samples. Some different crafts and just enjoyed the morning. Even ran into a couple there that we had met at Abita Springs campground over two years ago, they have bought a house just down the road from the market.
Contessa, a weiner mailbox!
One thing we sampled was a seafood stuffed artichoke and it was so tasty we had to buy one to take home.
Seafood stuffed Artichoke
A happy Witch
Now all these interesting smells and its almost noon anyway we had to have a bite to eat, Suzie opted for the chicken quesadilla and I just had to have a gator dog, both very filling and tasty.
my gator dog
After the market we drove along the shore of lake Ponchartrain for a few blocks checking out some of the houses that have been rebuilt, refinished and raised high in the air after Hurricane Katrina. Some very nice looking homes here now.
New Orleans is across this lake
Now on our way back home we found a book exchange,"The Book Rack" where we could exchange a few books we have read for some good used books to add to our bookcase.
we found it
Suzie with her book list
After here a stop at Fabrics and more to get more cord for our blinds, but they don't have the right size, I will find another place. Then a quick stop to check out Rouses, Louisiana Owned grocery store to and pick up a frozen pizza for me to customize up at supper time.
Now with all this fun its time to get back home and relax with our books in the sun for a while before the kids come Trick or Treating. They were escorted around the resort with the managers Renea and Lamar, about 80 children in all.
decorated golf cart
Once they were done about 6:30 pm our pizza was hot and ready for us to enjoy.
yummy
Ok now we have had a busy day but still more to do, a free dance at the clubhouse, with a live two piece band, and lots of people dress up, contests and dancing.
So now after a great busy fun filled day and a couple of hours at the dance, think we will call it a night. Just love Louisiana.
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Notice the controls for this New Map on the left side, you can zoom into different areas of the map and see where we are or have been.
Join us as we travel North America in our Holiday Rambler Vacationer,
since August 2006
our resort
We love traveling around the countryside, moving from place to place and we keep going back to the various places that we enjoy. We have a membership resort here at Abita Springs (population 2000) and have been here at least for one visit every winter since 2006. We are on the north shore of lake Pontchartrain about 1 hour from New Orleans and the French Quarter.
Louisiana does not have counties here they call them parishes, and is mostly a swamp, with alligators, hurricanes, tornadoes, strange looking ducks, warm humid weather, southern mansions, cajun food, Po' Boys, Muffulettas, cajun music, all kinds of fresh seafood including crawfish, small towns, friendly, helpful people and just love their southern accents.
Well today are up early as usual a nice view over the pond, and the usual coffees, computing and a walkabout. Saw this Canada Goose standing here on one leg, just watching me, I was not sure if he was hiding the other leg or not.
one legged goose
I checked out some of the sites that were decorated for halloween. We had Halloween last saturday at Lazy Lakes Resort in New York, now again here at Abita Springs, we saved some candy for the kids.
After this I took a drive to Winn Dixie for some groceries and while I was gone got a call from Suzie, saying the resort has a sewer sight for us to move to. So back home from the store we packed up a bit and changed sites, a smaller one, the view not quite the same but still nice none-the-less same price, free. We are here for 12 days.
our new site
Once here we chatted with our new neighbors from Quebec for a while, then another walkabout to clubhouse where they had a "cajun oven" roasting a bunch of chickens for supper in the clubhouse tonight. They looked and smelled so delicious, to be served with Jambalaya, vegetable, bread, desert and tea for only $8.00 per person. We had already planned supper and are trying to cut down on eating out for a while so we to passed on this opportunity. The previous weekend he had roasted a whole pig the same way, too bad we missed it!
Cajun Oven
turn them chickens around
I was on my way to the office to purchase a wash permit for $5.00 and enjoyed the nice little gardens along the way. A lot of campgrounds do not allow washing of vehicles so I take advantage of it while I can.
Who Dat?
The phrase "Who Dat" originated in New Orleans over a century ago you can read about it here.
Now before we know it I can fire up our Weber for a delicious supper (love cooking, eating too). Tonight is grilled porkchops, sweet potatoes with apples and cinnamon in foil and broccoli with cheese.
soo tasty
Our first day in Louisiana and it was great! Make sure y'all drop by tomorrow!
Notice the controls for this New Map on the left side, you can zoom into different areas of the map and see where we are or have been. We are currently at "B"
