Louisiana, our natioanl wetland

Today I returned to the great state of Louisiana for a visit with family before a long journey to Italy.  I was struck by the sight of the water level the Mississippi River has reached in Baton Rouge and know it will only be rising higher in the next few days.  Just as I had gotten off of the Morganza Spillway Bridge my sweet KBON was interrupted by and announcement that they would be opening the Morganza Spillway, something I am quite sure has not happened in my life time.  Things are happening in this bottom-land that I never would have imagined.  It is a habitat for many forms of wildlife and they are about to be abruptly driven from their homes.  From birds, to rodents to wild hogs and black bears, there is about to be a devastating event of our own doing.  It saddens me to know all the things we have messed up in nature by building to suit our wants even if it costs lives and habitats in future years.  That is another tangent all together, but I do hope for few casualties with these flooding events no matter which of God's creatures are effected.

The path that brought me to Louisiana this time has been a wonderful one!  I haven't been home since February when I came to see my 89 year old Grandad after his quintuple bypass and valve replacement surgery, of which I am happy to report he is doing well.  Still weak and very thin but still himself and most importantly still with us.  In the months to follow was partially consumed with school but all together really enjoying my last semester with David before his move to south Mississippi.  We bought baby chicks and he built me a beautiful coop to house them.  I began running and for the first time in my life and enjoying it.  And when I say enjoy it is a mild exaggeration but I am tolerating it and even intend to go out for a jog tomorrow morning...unless I'm to cozy all snuggled up with Mim and Nelly (who are snuggled up to me at the moment, happy times).  The semester ended with a graduation, my Sweet David finished in communications and headed off to his big boy job, something I am so proud of because I was to much of a coward to get a job after my own graduation.  I played for 7 months at Disney World then went back to school.  Graduation was bitter/sweet because it meant good-bye. Not forever, but for the near future as I finish school and figure out my next move and where that will take me, something that scares me so. 
Then on May 4th and 4:54 p.m. my dearest fried Erin brought the most beautiful baby boy into this world, little Drake Childes Fulcher, 8 pounds 13 ounces of pure happiness!

Yesterday I drove to the end of the world (Greene County) to see the beautiful house David has moved into and see his sweet face at least once more before my trip.  It was a short but oh so sweet visit, between work and sleeping we spent a grand total of 12 hours together but I enjoyed every one of them.  We surveyed the tornado damage which was heartbreaking and we tasted the local cuisine which was delicious and we visited with some of the best people in the county.  First was a nice visit with Mrs. Cathy and Mr. Bobby Charles, always entertaining.  Then we accepted a facebook invite to pop in at Mrs. Mary McCoy's house for some sweet treats and fattening beer, Bo Dog was there too, he fearlessly kept stray cats and neighborhood dogs from interrupting our front porch visit.  I'm slowly but surely becoming more and more persuaded to actually like little old Leakesville, Mississippi, USA. 

The trip from Leakesville to Opelousas was anything but smooth between the 3 waves of wind/rain/hail and the awful Baton Rouge traffic, needless to say I was happy to get home.  The car-full of critters were pretty happy too!  I practiced enormous restraint at dinner by passing on ordering my favorite crawfish enchiladas and having a simple grilled shrimp salad and light ranch, I think that is called maturity...look it up.  But now I am home enjoying the company of my folks, the taste of a nice cold Rolling Rock and the simple securities I can always count on here at home.