Settling in at Fontainebleau State Park

Sun. Jan. 30-Mon. Jan. 31: Here at campsite #22 there is a nearly constant sound of loud “clicking” from the swamp. I haven’t managed to find out if it is insects or frogs or something else, but I sure hope to learn before the week is out! It’s a bit disconcerting because it sounds very much like the click of raindrops on the aluminum roof of the camper. We have spent these two days getting acclimated, learning our way around the campground, and trying to recover from bronchitis and ear infections (Peggy) and a very bad cold (Marv). We agreed that we mostly needed to take it easy so that we have enough energy to be helpful when we show up at Habitat! So yesterday we went shopping for groceries and then took a rest. We walked around the campground a bit and then took a rest. We went to the Visitors Center to see their demonstration of old fashioned wood working and their exhibition of the history of the park and then took a rest. You get the idea. It rained off and on nearly all day and the temperature was right around 60. It rained hard after sunset and the chili I made tasted very good. The night wasn’t too cold and we woke to fog but temps in the 50s. Although Monday was cloudy much of the time we did have times with hazy sunshine. Many of our fellow campers left yesterday or today and so we have very few neighbors. The campground is quiet and we have seen deer in neighboring campsites. Most of the buildings and structures in the park were wiped out by Hurricane Katrina so what is here is new and very nice. We rode our bikes a lot today—about 8 miles, all in the campground. We started out by going to the registration gate to get quarters for the laundry only to find out we were too late; they had been sent out already with the weekend proceeds. So we rode down to the lakefront and walked on the Alligator Boardwalk. I can’t decide if I’m disappointed or relieved that we didn’t see any alligators. We did see lots of water fowl and no other people. We came back, ate lunch and rested. After sitting in the sun and reading for a while, we rode over to the group campground area and to see the cabins that are available to rent. There are twelve of them, all up in the air, and right over the water. They have a table and chairs, rocking chairs, and fans on their front porch overlooking the lake. Each has a dish for TV and internet access. We don’t know how much they cost to rent, but they look very, very nice! As we ride the camp roads we see very few vehicles but many, many white tail (and possibly another, smaller type) deer and armadillos. We also saw the back end of a wild pig as it scurried into the brush away from us. Marv greased the truck and the camper and we waited to take one more bike ride, back down to the lakeshore to watch the sunset. But by the time he came in, we realized the sun was setting. So instead we hopped in the truck and drove down in time to catch just the edge of the sun as it slipped beyond the horizon. But there was lots of color so it was very nice. We drove from there into Mandeville to get some local cuisine for dinner—bar-b-que beef po’ boys and fried dill pickles at Bears Grill washed down with Abita beer, which is made about 5 miles away. Yummy but we were stuffed!!! We came back to the campsite with a supply of quarters and did two loads of laundry, watched a little TV and got to bed early so we’ll be ready for our first day with Habitat for Humanity.

Happy Birthday, Hank!!

Sat. Jan. 29: Our drive today was sunny and mid-70s the whole way! Gorgeous!! I was surprised at how little "civilization" we saw most of the way. Once we got away from the obvious large cities, it was rolling countryside with lots of piney woods. Very pleasant and little traffic most of the time. We continued on I-65 south to Birmingham, AL, where we headed southeast on I-20/I-59. I-59 headed more southward just west of Meridian, MS. We followed it all the way down to Slidell, Louisiana to take I-12 west to the park. We are settled in at Fontainebleau State Park on the north shore of Lake Pontchartrain. We're on the outside of a camping loop overlooking the swamp, which is noisy with critters calling as the sun goes down. We have electricity, water, and internet access at our site, all for $9.00 a night (half price because we're volunteering this week with Habitat). We are in the “new” campground and we wonder if it was put in following the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. It has a nice, new bathhouse with showers. And there is apparently a laundry here at the campground, possible on the other end of the bathhouse. This is certain to be the best, cheapest camping we'll have the whole time we're gone. It will be a great start for the camping portion of our time.

Time in Carmel with the Penquites

Tue. Jan. 25—Fri. Jan. 28: We had a great time helping out in any way we could as the Penquites learn how to be a family of five. Eli and Jordan went to pre-school as usual on Wednesday, giving us a little time alone with Sarah and Analyn. Craig’s office is in the middle of moving from a leased building into a building they will own AND had a Thursday deadline on a big project. He had no choice but to go into the office for some time each day. We were grateful to be able to be with Sarah so she wouldn’t be alone as she recovers from the exciting birth. Analyn is a most gratifying baby, who is bright-eyed, tracking well with her eyes, and looking back at those who talk to her. That is a very good thing when you have two little boys who are eager to be big brothers. They already feel that they are connecting with her. Two highlights of our time: 1) When the midwife, Linda, came back for a 48 hour check of Sarah and the baby, she had to poke Analyn’s heel to draw blood. I was reading a book to the boys in the living room. When she cried both boys took off like a shot to see what was happening and why Linda had made their baby cry. They are pretty protective of their little sister. 2) I was able to listen in on imaginary phone calls that each of the boys made on their cell phones (old, broken phones we have given them). Both of them told their call recipient that they had a new baby sister and invited them to come and see her. It was very endearing to hear! When we weren’t reading to, playing games with, or otherwise interacting with the boys, Marv worked on his “Dad’s List” of fix-it projects that Sarah had for him. He and Craig installed a new vanity and a sink that, after 24 hours of adjusting, doesn’t leak. He also hung a magnetic knife rack for her. He and Craig made the Rice Krispie houses with the boys that the kit that Santa brought. I did multiple loads of laundry, cleaned the bathrooms, and cooked most of the meals we had, although Marv & I did take the boys to Chick-fil-A for kids’ night on Thursday so they could play in the playground there and Craig and Sarah could have a little alone time with their new daughter. We regretfully left this afternoon about 2:00. It was hard to drag ourselves away. But Craig will be home all weekend, his parents and sister, Angie, are coming on Sunday, his mom is staying until Thursday, Craig will be home next Thursday and Friday, as well as over the weekend, and then Jen is going down to help out for a few days. So Analyn will be three weeks old or so before Sarah has to deal with three kids on her own. Other than taking an hour to get through Louisville, we drove straight through with a short stop for dinner and got to Athens, Alabama before staying at a Super 8 motel with Free Wi-Fi and a breakfast. The roads were clear and dry and temperatures in the forties most of the way. There is no sign of snow here! We will get up tomorrow and hit the road to drive the rest of the way to Fontainebleau State Park, north of Lake Pontchartrain and New Orleans. That will be our home base for the next week. The adventure continues!

Our Winter Trip, 2011

Mon. Jan. 24: This blog actually started with yesterday’s excitement. Sarah called at 5:35am to let us know she was in labor. We went to church, began packing, and waited for more information. Analyn Dunn Penquite was born at 12:45. We found out later that she was born in the tub, as hoped. However, she beat the midwife by 15 minutes so it was up to Craig, Sarah and the doula to deliver her. But all went well and she was nursing and pinking up right away. Photos were posted and we were even more eager to get on our way. We got up this morning, intending to throw the last few things in the truck, turn off the water, and leave town but the cough that I have had since before Christmas was worse than ever so we agreed that I couldn’t go see a newborn until I had seen a doctor first. So I went to Redi-care while Marv packed. I was relieved to find out that a chest x-ray showed that I didn’t have pneumonia. I have a bilateral ear infection and lots of drainage and a nasty cough. But I am NOT contagious and he sent me off with a ten day antibiotic, a bottle of codeine cough syrup, and his blessings to go and meet my new granddaughter. Back at the house, we finished packing and got on the road before noon. The roads were snowy and slippery in town but the freeway was just wet and the further we got the less snow there was. By the time we got to Indianapolis it was 34° and they had some new snow that had fallen the night before. We played with the boys and held Analyn and generally enjoyed being with the new expanded family. Everyone enjoyed the beef and rice casserole that Great Grandma had sent along with a loaf of bread. It had been a truly wonderful day!