Decided to change the name of my blog!!

Betty's RV Park, Abbeville, Louisiana

On Monday I packed up and went to get my heater fixed.  Thank goodness I had bought an Extended Warranty from The Good Sam Club!!

Then drove to Betty's RV Park in Abbeville, LA. where I'll be till sometime next week.  Betty's is a very unusual RV Park. There are only about 17 sites all around her yard, grass and gravel, with hookups, no showers, no pool, no laundry facility, no putt-putt, but without a doubt the BEST place you could ever stay!  Check out the testimonials on her website: www.bettysrvpark.com.

The first day I arrived Betty had invited a very talented musician (Judy Bailey) to entertain us.  She has recorded in Nashville, and with Moe Bandy, and was nominated in the Top 5 New Female Vocalists in 1981.

Judy Bailey, so very talented!

Our Canadian friends with Betty and Judy.

Betty's house and very large covered patio where we gather each afternoon to share snacks and plans for sight seeing and going out to EAT!!  Gonna gain lots of weight if I don't get out of here soon!!

Who needs fancy?

They stay even though all the full hook-up sites are taken.  And then move when someone leaves, which is just about never.  It's mighty hard to escape from "Betty's Web"!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Just about everyday there is something to go see and do around Cajun Country, and Betty knows about all that's happening.  She takes folks out on field trips within about a 50 mile area, and out to eat at the most wonderful little "hole-in-the-wall" diners.  Then she herself is always cooking up some fabulous Cajun food for us.    I'm caught in the web!!

WIN friends in Breaux Bridge, LA

While in New Orleans I had arranged to meet up with a new group of single RVers called the WINS (Wandering Individuals Network) who were staying at another campground north of Lake Pontchartrain.  They had been highly recommended to me by Robert and Tiziana Ruff.  Found out about a large group who will be traveling together in their individual rigs for 3-4 months this summer traveling through Colorado and Utah. Lots of research goes into planning one of these caravans, including an extensive itinerary of the historical and interesting sights we'll see along the route, RV parking reservations are made in advance, no real long drives, campfires, most all have kayaks (guess I see one in my future soon!!), lots of bicycles too, potluck dinners, fun, laughs, and plenty of company.  I do hope to join them if possible!!!

After Claudia left, my new WIN friends invited me to join them bright and early Saturday morning (7:00am) in Breaux Bridge, LA at the Cafe des Amis for a Zydeco omelet and Zydeco music!!  This is a very old eatery I had never even heard of, and I was raised here! 

Max, Judy, Nancy, Tom

Judy and Max doing a little Cajun 2-step!!!!  And VERY good at it!!

 I invited the group to a Cajun boucherie (pig butchering and cooking) being held that afternoon in the Cajun Palms RV Park where I was staying.  Had lots of fun, plus food was delicious and free!!

Pork was cooked all day long, tender and very tasty!

Making cracklings!  In french they're called "Gratons"!!

Listening to the great band, waiting to line up to eat!

Could this be the largest "Graton" in history?  Quick, call Guinness!!

A fun time was had by all.

 

Post #6

What's really great about being retired and truly mobile is the ability to change my mind about which direction to travel.  In early February I had originally planned on hooking up with a new group (RVing Women) in Casa Grande, AZ but instead decided to head back to Deming, NM to be with my friends at the LoW's Ranch. So glad I did that.  SuperBowl Sunday was also my 60th birthday and I had fun.  Birthday cake, hugs, and well wishes flowed freely.  Got a great massage the next day!

There is a family of roadrunners who live at the Lo-Hi RV Park.  My good friend Judy D. has been hand feeding them raw ground meat for quite a while now.  It's amazing to watch as each one runs in one at a time to grab a snack right out of her hand!  Was afraid to scare them away if I got too close since I had Rocky on a leash.  Wish I had a zoom on my iPhone... Next time I'm in Deming feeding the roadrunners will be high on my priority list!!

After Deming I headed towards Conroe, TX to Action RV Repair because there was something wrong with my heater.  They didn't have the parts to fix it, and knowing I was gonna eventually be back home in a couple of weeks I called ahead to a place in Lafayette and gave them the part number.

 Left Conroe---wow, lot's of memories there.  And headed to Kingwood, TX to pick up my wonderful friend Claudia Foley.  She had been needing a break from stress and was able to take 10 days off work from Continental.  We traveled to Lafayette, stopped and visited with my mother, then headed on to New Orleans for Mardi Gras.  My son Ben joined us on Friday afternoon and we headed to the French Quarter.  Had a wonderful meal, watched a couple of little walking-by (no floats) type parades, caught some beads, watched a magician on the street, popped in and out of little interesting shops and headed back to the bus.  And that was all the "Mardi Grasing" we did!!!  The weather wasn't so great, lots of rain, and we just mostly hung around the Bus cooking fabulous meals, taking naps, and generally loafing around.  Did a LOT of laughing too!!!  It was wonderful having my best friend with me.

On Canal Street waiting for the trolley.

 

 

My son, Ben, the dental student "chaperoned" us gals!!!

Mississippi River Paddlewheeler

Since this was the Friday BEFORE "Fat Tuesday" the crowds were minimal.

Beads and trinkets were thrown from festively decorated apartments throughout the French Quarter.

Ben's wife Shawna and kids came to join us in New Orleans where we all spent a rainy day together in the bus.  Watching movies and of course cooking up a pot of delicious chicken & sausage gumbo!  The kids, Noah and Audrey, spent the night with Claudia and me on the bus giving Ben and Shawna some "quiet" time together on his sailboat. 

Rocky and Audrey, both precious!!

And this is pretty much ALL we did for the next few days in New Orleans!!  Claudia fell in love with Rocky, and he with her!!

  We left New Orleans and headed back to Cajun Palms RV Resort near Lafayette and I drove her to the Lafayette airport for her flight back to Houston.  I REALLY hated to see her go.