Barbara Winter and Mina Kirby are the winners of the “What kind of bird is in that huge nest with its chic.” Contest. They informed me the birds are bald eagles, also called American eagles. I did not know that eagles nest and breed in the Deep South and was seriously looking for an identification. Barbara and Mina straightened me out. Did I mention a prize. Memory fails.
Last night may have been the best—the All Star Inn in Bunkie. I arrived without a reservation in the middle of fierce wind and rain. I’d intended to go further, but had a dog accident and was very happy to find this place and to find it inexpensive and perfect.
This evening I am in Mamou, in the ancient Hotel Cazan. The rooms are upstairs and upgraded with indoor plumbing, a bath in every room. It’s quite charming.
Again, I had intended to go on, this time another twenty-five miles
to Oberlin. But wind is strong from the
northwest, and I thought the headwind would leave me camping in some farmer’s
field before getting there. Driving hard
into the wind is not pleasant when it continues hour after hour. This picture does not show you the wind, but
it comes hard from the right at about forty-five degrees to the road. In the open area where I took this picture,
there is nothing to block the wind, and I catch its full force. But ahead are trees who stand between me and
the wind, taking the brunt of it, standing in the gap for my protection. But today there are few trees. 
Wind and rain and whatnot whomping on you. You are truly a trooper. Carry on oh fearless one! You are right that it is hard to see the wind in that last pic. The trees up ahead look calm in the sky...they are not tilting and their branches seem undisturbed by air. How deceptive the sunny blue sky can be. Hope the only wind ahead is a warm whisper. And the sound of storm is quieted into the cheerful song of birds. I will think of you meanwhile and walk around my neighborhood tilting my head 45 degrees to the sidewalk.
ReplyDeleteOh Susan, you are so poetic and imaginative. I just blurt what happens; you turn it into music. Thanks for your good wishes, and please hold you head up. 45 degrees is not good.
DeleteHaha Susan makes me laugh she is so sweet and lovely and silly. And encouraging,,, not like Liz or I who would be saying "come home Sharon"... oh no, did I say that out loud? Well you know we love and admire your adventurous spirit... and I know it would be hard if not impossible to stop but... eeeek, brrrrrr, sigh. But that's me... I'll try tilting my head 45 degrees for more perspective... love you,
ReplyDeleteI am coming home! Nearly one-third there. btw, how is life without eeeek, brrrrrr, sigh?
DeleteSharon, I love the updates on hotels and had to laugh when I read " I reserved a non-smoking room, only to hear the owner say on my arrival that all the rooms are non-smoking if you don’t smoke in them." Tsk tsk. Naughty hotel owner should be written up on Yelp!
ReplyDeleteMay the trees be with you!! x
Lois
I feel that the trees are always with me, waiting, because they cannot go anywhere, for me to come to their leeward sides. "Come," they say, "I will take the wind for you."
Deletehang in there! they say that cliche there all the time: if you don't like the weather, just wait twenty minutes. and the other one: if you don't like the weather, don't worry, it's really good now.
ReplyDeleteI admire your perseverance. Try pointing or beam reaching. or be positive, become part of the wind, embrace it into your heart and let it flow around you, as though you are the eye of the hurricane. bye.
That's good advice, Dalton. I am all about beam reach, old square-sail galleon that I am. Oh, if only I could tack at 45-degrees into the wind, feel its billows in the main, tighten the jib and ride. Instead, I shall try to embrace its force, let it flow around me. There is little else I can do in my condition.
DeleteLife is full of eek brr sigh actually... we have plenty of it + in traveling there is often more....as you demonstrate. Well we want as much of life as possible. We'll be the first to celebrate your arrival whenever and however and admire all your exploits and tenacity. Love to you and all our friends aboard here along with Sharon, with their warmth, encouragement, advice, curiosity, wisdom, vision! We all inspire each other!
ReplyDeleteI was inspired to say "eeek" on a rest day here in DeRidder, LA, where there are no sidewalks and to get around, I had to tramp through lawns and gardens, over low walls and around the backsides of stores.
Delete