LOCKED OUT OF THE CAMPER

The day started out as usual with little wet doggie kisses on my face.  Made my coffee and returned to bed to read.

There is a clock on the wall over the bed that just fascinates little Cha Bu.  She sits and stares at it for long periods of time and has tried to climb the wall to get to it.  It has a very loud tick, tick, tick and she wants to get to that ticking clock.

Make it stop Momi.

This is my Illinois neighbor Ken's beautiful Pleasure Way.

This is my Georgia neighbor in their awesome Road Trek.

Took the dogs for a walk on the beach this morning and was stopped by a maintenance supervisor who advised me that the dogs were not allowed on the beach.  I did not reply.  I did not tell him that the worker who checked me in said that there would be no one to bother me about taking my dogs on the beach this week.  I let him talk.  He went on to say that there was no manager or ranger at this time but that I should understand the rule of no dogs on beach.  I asked him to explain why the rule was put in place when for years we could take dogs on the beach.

He told me a story I had not heard before.  He explained that a woman in a motorhome reserved a 2 week stay at the park 2 years ago and she had 6 dogs that she let run loose on the beach which caused a problem that resulted in many complaints.  So they told her not to take her dogs to the beach.  She took offense and left the park, returned to her home and left the dogs, then returned to the campground for the rest of her 2 week stay and took photos of people walking their dogs on the beach.  Now she has a law suit against the park.  So it is this worker's opinion that I am adding fuel to the fire.  OK.  I understand.  I'll only take the dogs in their cart to the far end of the park and not on the state park.  No problem.

I'm really getting tired of this.  It puts a damper on my stay and I thought of leaving for home after this encounter.  It just isn't worth the hassle.

Later this afternoon I packed the dogs in the cart and took off for the town beach.  Enjoyed the afternoon and returned to the campsite to meet my friend Pat who was to pick me up to take me into town for some boiled crabs.

The fishing pier is closed.  It won't be long before the end of the pier is over the beach and not the Gulf.  This area of the park is building up really fast from wave action as well as the jetties.

Got to the camper and unlocked the door.  Put the dogs inside along with my phone, keys, and coat and slammed the door shut.  Rode my bike a little longer around the campground and then returned to the camper to wait for Pat.  Pulled on the door handle and it wouldn't budge.  Tried again and again and again and it would not open.  I'm standing there with no coat on and no phone and can't get inside my camper.  I walked around the camper to check if there were any windows unlocked and sure enough the one by the head of my bed was unlocked.  I opened it and stood on a chair but could not get in.  So I sat at the picnic table and waited for Pat.

He showed up about 15 minutes later and parked his truck so I could climb up on the back of it and then it was easy to climb into the camper.  He took the locking mechanism on the door apart but could not get it to work so I will have to bring in into a shop for repair.  Meanwhile, I have to use the driver's side door to go in and out of the camper.  Not very convenient.

We then left to go into town to get seafood at Camardelle's Seafood Market and grocery store in the little village of Cheniere Caminada - just over the bridge from Grand Isle.  While there I asked the manager if she would be interested in selling my latest book written about life in the area in the late 1800s.  She was and I sold her 5 books.  She asked for my business card and perhaps she will be calling for more books in the future if there is an interest.  So the money I made from that sale paid for my seafood.  Good deal.

Taking them out of the boiling pot after a good long soak to saturate the meat with the wonderful seasonings.

Laying them out to separate the males from the females and pack them up for waiting customers.

Returned to the camper and enjoyed my supper with an ice cold beer.  The female crabs were full of eggs just the way I like them.  They were delicious.

Giving some serious thought to going home early.  I'm paid till Tuesday but might go home Sunday.  Just bummed out about the door and the reprimand.