GOING ON SAFARI

I can't say my first day out was uneventful, that's for sure.  I was up at 6:00 this morning and ready to hit the road by 9:30.  Put the key in the ignition and the battery was dead.  I was dumbfounded.  Had no idea why this was happening.  For the last few days I had the electrical cord plugged into an extension and into my house 110 in order to use the refrigerator.  I have done that many times before with no problems.

 

So I called my friendly neighborhood mechanic and he said he couldn't leave his shop at that time.  So I called another friend and he was not available.  Then I called Good Sam Road Assistance.  Felt kinda silly because I'm still parked in my freaking driveway.      They sent someone who arrived 30 minutes later. 

 

He jumped started the battery and checked it and said that the light inside the battery was shinning red which meant that it was no good.  If it was shinning green it would mean that it would keep its charge and be fine.  So I asked if he had a battery.  He did not but returned to his shop and brought back a new one. 

 

Removed the old one which kept the charge as we checked it a couple of times and it started right up.  But I thought, oh well, a new battery might be the best thing.  He installed the new one and closed the hood.  

 

Ooops... the hood would not close.  The new battery sat a couple of inches higher than the old one.  So out it came.  Before putting the old one back in he said I could drive to Auto Zone and they would put a new one in for me.  He then began to put the old one back in.  He looked into the little light hole and noted that the light was now green.  Oh really?  So of course I immediately thought that he just wanted to sell me a $45 battery and now he was busted.  He looked embarrassed.  I didn't say anything but knew at that moment that there was nothing wrong with my battery so I did not go to Auto Zone.  Haven't had any trouble with it yet.

 

So we finally left my driveway and went to get lunch.  After eating I departed Houma for Lake Charles around 1:00.  By now I had the beginning of a migraine.  Kept thinking it would go away but it didn't.  Stopped after driving a couple of hours and took some aspirin.  Still didn't go away.  Arrived in Lake Charles at Sam Houston Jones State Park around 5:00.  I don't usually drive over 55 miles per hour so it took longer than normal.  Four  hours of driving is not what I plan on doing in the future.  It's just too long a time for me to enjoy myself.

 

Parked in a nice spot.  I'm not exactly level but it will do just for tonight.  When I opened my door to go out to hook up I turned and caught my breath.  There, not 10 feet away from me was a deer.  I froze in my tracks.  I have never seen a deer before, in person that is.  I hurried to get my camera hoping it wouldn't run away and got some great shots.  Later when I was walking Xi Shi the same deer came out from the bushes with 4 of her babies.  Xi Shi was fascinated by them at first then started to bark and attempted to chase after them.  Well, of course they ran away. 

 

 

It's the damndest thing to hear her barking in these tall trees.  It echoed throughout the forest.  I kept telling her to stop because it was disturbing the quiet that was so noticeable all around.  You could hear everything so clearly it was so quiet.

 

This campground is really nice.  I'm a die hard beach person but I really like this place.  There is not one camping spot that is not in the shade of these tall pines.  Even the air is full of the scent of pine.  I'm parked next to a large pond, have a fire pit, picnic table, electric, water, and sewer.  The office was closing when I arrived so I was told to pick a spot and just come by in the morning to register and pay.  Good deal as I was exhausted and my head was killing me.

 

After a walk around the grounds and placing  a Peace Rock my headache went away and then we had supper.  Chinese food brought from home.  Tomorrow we'll drive another few hours to get to Livingston, Texas at our reserved campsite at Escapees RV Park.

 

All in all it wasn't a bad day.  Tonight I have my little doggie sleeping next to me on the sofa as I write this, the kitty cats are in the bedroom looking out the window at all the critters, and I'm having an ice cold beer.  Life's good.

 

Night all.