HOME FROM THE BEACH AND BLOGGER WOES

Left Grand Isle around 11:30 and arrived home around 1:00 this afternoon.  When we left the campground we went to the Bridgeside Marina parking area with beach access. 

I'm standing on the levee where you can see the bay on the left and the Gulf on the right.  A very narrow part of the island.

I parked the motorhome and took the dogs for a walk on the beach.  They had not pottied since last night and boy did they have to go.  Each one pooped twice and peed many times during their playtime.

We're actually walking on a buried tube which was a little scary for me.

Once we got to where the waves cornered us the little doggies wanted to turn around and go back. 

This part of the island is narrow and you can stand on the levee and see the bay on the left and the gulf on the right.  The long tubes are to help with the buildup of land which was eroding at this end of the island.  There were some families enjoying the beach as well as some men surf fishing.  

Xi Shi ran and dove into the waves.

 Xi climbing back onto the tube.

 That's one wet little Shih Tzu.

  

We walked as far as the dogs would go on the end of the beach and then walked up the beach a good ways.  Xi Shi ran and dove into the water several times but Cha Bu is still a little cautious of those waves.   We met another dog who wanted to play.  She was on leash and very friendly.

Went back to the motorhome and left the island.  I won't be back until the end of next month.

Crossing over the bridge leaving Grand Isle.  Ahead is the little village of Cheniere Caminada which is also a little island.

The tip end of Cheniere.

My little babies slept all the way home.  They were tired out from their play time on the beach.

Cha Bu Khan - my heart.

  

Once I pulled into our driveway in Houma, the dogs and cats were ready to run for the front door.  I didn't have to coax anyone out of the camper this time.

A SHORT NOTE ABOUT GOOGLE+

A couple of weeks ago I linked my blog to my Google+ profile causing Google+ comments to appear on my blog.  I was not aware that it would require anyone who wanted to leave a comment to have a Google+ profile.  I have since tried to reverse this process and return to the default commenting system on Blogger but am not able to.  There doesn't seem to be a way to reverse the process.

I can understand some folks not wanting to open another account or just don't want to divulge more personal information.  However, when I opened my Google+ I did not give my birthday.  It is not necessary to do so.  One piece of info they give is to not put accurate info when applying - for instance a false date of birth - if you so desire. 

I am seeing a big difference in my comments section of my blog as folks who usually comment have not been doing so.  So sorry about that.

If anyone knows how to reverse this process, and return to the default commenting system on Blogger, please let me know.

I miss your comments.

ISLAND HOUSE RV PARK - DAY 7

I thought the sun would come out today but  as  hard as it tried, it didn't make it.  We went to the beach anyway - for a couple of hours this afternoon.

Not having the electric bike to carry the dogs in, I decided I'd try to use the beach cart.  I put the small doggie bed at the bottom and placed both dogs inside the netting.  Put the ice chest and towel in the top baggage compartment and off we went.

Rolling down the highway in the bike lane was easy.  Turned onto the beach access crossover and trying to roll in sand was not.  I leashed up the dogs and had them walk across the levee while I dragged the cart behind me on the large wheels.  Did the same thing coming back.

They were so glad to be on the beach and not have to worry about getting their little feet stuck with burrs.

Cha Bu is still not sure she likes the waves coming at her.

Xi Shi wants her to go into the water with her.  "Come on... it'll be fun!"

"The water is nice and cold."

"Come on in Cha Bu."

This is what Cha Bu really likes to do.  She loves to climb onto the dunes and smell.  Smell, smell, smell.

Now she wants her big sister to climb with her but Xi Shi is not that interested.

I was enjoying this short visit to the beach and knew that it would be my last for a month or so.  I wish I had carried one of my folding chairs but didn't think it would fit into the beach cart with the dogs.  I sure hope I can get the electric bike fixed before our trip back here next month. 

The RV Park owners invited me to a campfire along with some of the other campers.  It was very nice and there were no mosquitoes.  The picture quality is very poor as my iphone does not take good photos at night.

Placed a Peace Rock.  We're leaving in the morning.

 

ISLAND HOUSE RV PARK - DAY 6

Was cloudy all day so I stayed in the camper except for walking the dogs twice around the gravel parking lot. 

Spent the afternoon sharing information on the island's history with the owner of the park Michelle.  Showed her some of the books I have written and she purchased 3 of them.  A friend of her's came by and also purchased 3 books.  It was a very enjoyable afternoon. 

This is a photo of Michelle and her husband Lanny who are from Illinois and purchased the RV Park 5 years ago.

Hoping the sun comes out tomorrow.  I'd like to spend one more afternoon on the beach.  I'm leaving for home on Saturday.

ISLAND HOUSE RV PARK - DAY 5

It rained most of the day today so there was no going to the beach.  Yesterday evening I picked up all of the patio stuff and closed my awning in preparation for the thunderstorms that I knew were coming.  Had some trouble with the awning and my friend Pat came by to help out.  He also lifted the bike into the basement which I was glad he did.

I walked the dogs early this morning and they have been inside all day long wondering why they can't go outside.  It took me forever to get all of the burrs out of their hair once we returned from our walk.  I'm hoping that they will continue to use the puppy pads inside the coach as I won't be walking them again in the grass.  If we do go to the beach tomorrow we'll have no motorized transportation to get there.  However, it will be worth it to not have to pick burrs out of their hair for an hour.  Walking on the sand is so much nicer.

Me and Pat waiting for our food.

Great sandwich.

Pat picked me up for a lunch date and we went to the Bridgeside Marina for a roast beef po-boy.  It was delicious.  While in the cafe we heard the weather bulletin on the TV that there was a tornado warning for the Houma area.  I was hoping that the worst of the weather would not hit Grand Isle... and it didn't.

The view from our table overlooking Caminada Bay... right before the rain.

We also stopped by the Grand Isle Tourist Center so I could register for the Island Wide Garage Sale next month.  We were greeted by Wayne Keller, the executive director of Grand Isle Port Commission.

The Butterfly Dome is right next to the Tourist office.

I enjoyed the rain today and took a long nap when I returned from lunch.  Remained indoors the rest of the day. 

The view out of  my bedroom window.

Little Bunny Kitty thinks this rainy weather is perfect for napping. 

ISLAND HOUSE RV PARK - DAY 4

The day started out great.  Took the dogs to the beach early and we stayed for a couple of hours.  I rode the bike up the beach looking for a better crossover.  The one near the RV park is hard to cross due to the deep sand.  I found two that are paved but still have soft sand on either side of the crossover.

This one is near Sarah's Diner.

Looking back towards the beach.

Looks like part of a deck.

This one is near the Tropical Motel.

Looking back towards the beach.

I rode back to the park on the designated bike path along the highway.  Later this afternoon I returned to the beach alone to enjoy sitting in the sun and to read my magazine.  After a couple of hours I returned to the park.  

I walked the bike over the beach to the crossover and when I reached the crossover the sand had piled up higher during the day and I got stuck.  I tried to use the throttle to give it a boost but the motor died.  So I pushed as hard as I could to get out of the soft sand and up the incline which was extremely difficult.  I finally got over the crossover and headed back to the park on a dead electric bike.  It was very hard to pedal and I was exhausted when I got to the RV.

The battery lights showed that it was charged but no throttle action at all.  I'm thinking that means I burned up my motor.  Will call the seller tomorrow to see if the warranty will cover the damage.  

I'm so bummed out.  Just when I was having fun and exploring the island - this has to happen.  

ISLAND HOUSE RV PARK - DAY 3

Took the dogs out to the beach early this morning so they wouldn't have to walk on the grass here at the park.  It is full of burrs.  It takes me at least 30 minutes to remove them from their hair after each walk.  It's really awful.  They have been using the puppy pads in the coach but beg to go outside.  I walk them on the gravel in the park but they want to potty on the grass.  What a pain in the...

They played and had a good time as usual.

Rode the bike further today towards town.  Came across these boulders.  Makes for a nice spot to stop and relax for a while.

Later this afternoon, I returned to the beach alone to read my Coastal Living Magazine.  Got lots of sun and now my cheeks are rosy.

It was cool and windy and beautiful.  I brought along some snacks and had a picnic with the seagulls.

Getting a tan on my winter white legs.

My happy beach face.

I was snacking on some triscuit crackers when the gulls came begging.  So I tossed a few out to them and enjoyed watching them swoop down to pick them up.

Really pretty to watch them hover.

Went back to the camper around 5:00 and met some incoming campers from north Louisiana who were just driving in.

Have been really enjoying my electric bike.  It rides well on wet sand but I do have to walk it through soft sand and there is a lot of it on the town beach.  It's good exercise and I'm feeling sore muscles today.  

My injured hand continues to hurt as I push it to the limit.  I can't understand why it's taking so long for those ligaments to heal.  It's over 6 weeks since the injury and I only feel a small improvement.  It's really aggravating.

I'm trying not to let it get me down and continue to have a good time during my stay at the beach.

ISLAND HOUSE RV PARK - DAY 2

Our day started out as usual with me having a cup of coffee in bed while doing a little reading and enjoying time with my pets.  It is sunny and cool out and I spent a great deal of time outdoors today.

After breakfast I packed the doggies into their little red wagon and off we went to the beach.  The crossover was a little hard to cross dragging 30 pounds of dog but it was worth it once we got onto the beach.

The wooden walk way is covered in sand and not very helpful for rolling wheels.

This is the street entrance to the crossover.

The girls went crazy once on the beach.  They were very hard to handle and tried pulling me where they wanted to go.  Little Cha Bu was so hyper and would not listen to any commands I was giving.  I let it slide as she was so happy and wanted to run and sniff everything on the beach.

Playing in the Gulf.

The town beach is just as clean as the State Park.

Cha Bu enjoys rubbing her face in the sand... not sure why.

Xi Shi Quan loves to play in the waves. 

Our setup.   We rode up and down the beach before I let them out on leash. 

Later this afternoon we rode down some of the streets all the way to the bay behind the island.

Notice the pirate.

The fleet is in.

Back up the street to the highway I saw this house which has over 20 palm trees in their front yard.  Behind the house is the levee and the Gulf.

Back to our site at the park and we all took a nap.  The weather is just perfect.  I fell asleep in a chair outside under my awning while the dogs and cats slept inside.

Pat came over this evening to check on me and helped with the awning brace knob.  He thinks it has been threaded incorrectly.  It's a project for another day but he did tighten it and now the awning is stretched just right.

Had a great day.  Looking forward to another sunny day on the beach tomorrow.