RECOVERING FROM MARDI GRAS

Ash Wednesday everybody hooked up and left the Lakefront Arena Park. After a really spectacular front moved through with drenching rains and winds that rocked the Airstreams. No damage and the rain had stopped by the time we started getting ready to leave.

I drove back to Irish Bayou. I had been worried about getting the Airstream back into my parking space at Vince's. There is only about 4 feet extra width between some poles and pilings that I have to fit into. I'm fairly competent when it comes to backing, as long as I can go slow and get out frequently to look and see where I'm going. But at the Bayou I'm blocking the highway while I back in. And those Cajuns can be impatient sometimes. About 30 minutes out Vince called on the cell and said Bill Stallworth would be meeting me there so he could leave his truck and utility trailer for a couple of weeks.

Another in-between; Bill directed me and backing in was a piece of cake. I'm sure I'm supposed to have figured it out by now and just stop worrying. But old paranoid habits are hard to break.

A week of rest and rehabilitation, then it was off to Mimosa Landing Campground for the weekend with Lesly; Lonnie and Vince (1959 Tradewind); Stanley and Joyce (2004 Bambi); and another Vince and his wife Bobbi (30'er that I think was a 1996). So we had four Airstreams ranging from 17' to 34' and 1959 to 2004.

OF COURSE the food was fantastic, every morning and every night. Friday we did some antique shopping and chilled. Saturday we took a tour of the Mississippi Armed Forces Museum at Camp Shelby. Vince was a helicopter pilot in Viet Nam. He and I spent some time outdoors looking at the Huey, Sky Crane, OH-6 and Cobra. Lots of interesting stuff inside, too. Starting with the War of 1812, exhibits covered all American conflicts through Desert Storm. We spent the better part of the afternoon there.

Sunday everybody except Lesly and I packed up and headed home. Lesly had President's Day off so we stayed another day. The morning rain ended about 1:00pm and we went for a 2 1/2 hour ride on the Honda. I didn't know Mississippi even had crooked hilly roads, but we found one ! HERE it is !

Monday we said, "Good By" and I headed toward Houston, with plans to look up some cousins in the Cajun country around Crowley, LA on the way.