Texas Smoker

 Day 31-- Sunday, August 29, 2021

Today is our third and final day at Navarro Mills Lake, a Corps of Engineers RV Park, located between Waco and Gun Barrell City in Texas.  We are returning from an awesome vacation in New Mexico, where the highlight of the trip was a visit with friends, Cathy and Skipper.

With not much time left to explore the area, today we would like to find the boat launch for the kayaks that we see paddling in the stream bordering the park.  More fishermen arrive and relax in lawn chairs on the pier while they try their luck at hooking a fish hiding in the water below.

It is hard to see from the distance the photo was taken, but the two are sitting in red chairs.

Our map shows that it is too far to walk, so we take the Jeep, passing a pavilion set with tables and chairs for group gatherings.  I can imagine my family reunion here at this time of year when the weather is so nice and cool.   Nearby is a BBQ grill and smoker which appears to have had lots of use.  Herb could definitely prepare some delicious steaks here.  If you look carefully, you will see the main reason I took a photo from behind the smoker.  On top there is a cutout in the shape of Texas, but from this angle, it is reversed.

There is a nominal fee for staying in the campground, and a park attendant checks guests in at the gate.  He doesn't have far to walk to work, as his Fifth-wheel camper is just across the road.  He waves to us as we exit to go around to the next entrance.

Not far down the road we find what we are looking for.  At 7 o'clock in the morning, it is apparently too early for the children to be outdoors playing, so that explains the empty playground.   As we get near the boat launch, we see a duck taking its morning bath, then swimming lazily away.  This is the same body of water that we see in front of Sweet Georgia Brown's campsite.

Kayaks are beached at the launching area, again too early for recreation.

Around 10am the boat parade begins.  How wonderful that nature provides so much for us.

Oh, yes!  Nature provides rain, also!  Around 3 in the afternoon we get a hard downpour, so we spend the rest of the day inside the motorhome.  We turn on the TV and see that Louisiana is getting way more rain than we are.  Our hearts sink as the effects of Hurricane Ida (Category 4) approaching the coastline in the Gulf of Mexico are shown.  New Orleans, much of which is below sea level on dry land, gets a storm surge of 12 - 16 feet, with isolated tornados predicted.

Louisiana was hit by Hurricane Katrina (Category 5) in 2005.  There was much devastation.

It is a sad day, and when we see all the area of Louisiana that so far is affected, we know we should check on Karl and Emily, hoping they have cell service and are high and dry!

Willie of Sweet Georgia Brown,

     and of Walldog and Willie

     August 29, 2021