"Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime"-MARK TWAIN

Saturday, July 12, 2014

Road Trip and Pancakes

 

After recovering from all the July Fourth festivities, we found things returning back to normal by last Monday morning.  A visit to the dentist for a checkup was the high point of the day.  While sitting on the porch later that afternoon, I asked Wanda what was on the agenda for the rest of the week.  Her answer was “not much”.

I told her to grab some clothes and get the Casita ready for departure on Tuesday.  When she asked where we were going, I told her Mandeville, LA.  Fontainebleau State Park, to be exact.  Home of the Tammany Trace bike trail, and some wonderful seafood.  Mandeville is an old town that sits on the North shore of Lake Pontchartrain. It has a beautiful lakefront area with many old homes built by the aristocracy of old New Orleans.

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No Casita pictures, but this pretty much sums up what Sally did for the three days we were there.

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I did a couple of rides on the trail,  fifteen miles round trip one day, and about eighteen miles the next.  Plenty far enough for an old man.  A beautiful trail through many different landscapes.

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We called up some friends that live in the area, and along with them, we managed to enjoy fried fish, boiled shrimp, oysters on the half shell, chargrilled oysters, and my favorite, boiled crabs. Not all at once, thankfully, but over the three days.Smile

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Back home by noon Friday.

This morning the Exchange Club cooked pancakes for Camp Sunshine.  Camp Sunshine is an annual Summer Camp, held for the physically and mentally challenged of Southwest Mississippi.  Sponsored by our local Junior Auxiliary, the event is held every year in our  state park group camping area.  I’m not sure how long it’s been going on, but I know our two girls were counselors while in high school. Each camper is paired with a counselor for the five days of the camp.  They spend each day joined at the hip, so to speak, enjoying fishing, swimming, dancing, singing, and whatever else brings joy to the campers.  I borrowed this photo from our local newspaper.

Counselor Maria Price, on the left, and camper Ashlyn Jordan walk in front of the main pavilion of Camp Sunshine at Percy Quin State Park in McComb, MS on Wednesday, July 11, 2012.

The rest of these photo’s were taken by a friend this morning.  We cooked pancakes and sausage for around two hundred fifty campers, counselors, and staff.

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A fun time for all of us.

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Working on plans for next week……jc

6 comments:

  1. I have eaten very little crab in my time. Maybe three crab cakes in my whole life. When you boil them like that, do you just pull the meat out of the legs? Is there anything inside that big shell?

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  2. Looks like a great campground....we would love to go ride there. You did not mention the heat. Must have been bearable. Need to explore this part of the country.

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  3. Oh my! You've made my mouth water and my stomach growl. I bet those pancakes tasted great outdoors.

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  4. Love a bike trail and being so spontaneous... But best ever, the sweetness of giving time for the pancake breakfast. What a perfect week!!!

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  5. Great campground and some quality relaxing stuff going on...bike rides, pancakes, fish, crabs and oysters...AWESOME.....well I had a fish sandwich at Burger King this evening.. :) have a super week...Horst sends

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  6. The Bike trail looks great. I also like your screen tent. Going to look for one of those. Glad Sally is enjoying her self.

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Thanks for looking, and comments are welcome.