2025 November in South East

 After the fishing trip, I spent another few days with Tanya and also had lunch with my grandson Alex and his wife Bria. 

Lunch was good, conversation was going well. My hearing aids un a restaurant needs a tune up though.... just saying.

So I leave mid day Sunday to beat the DC traffic and head south. Foliage is awesome along the way.

Catching up with Janet and JoAnn in Durham, NC they want a bike ride (30 miles) ! ! 

 

The next day we go to Raleigh for we learned that trolls have been placed in Dix Park.

 

I visited son Doug and wife Amanda for few days. Really felt that we had some quality time together and was not wanting to leave. Unfortunately another cold front much colder than before is on its way so I continue south.

What better morning than my favorites, sunrise and Waffle house!

I poked along the Gulf of Mexico for a few days hoping to get an appointment to visit AFRH - Armed Forces Retirement Home in Gulfport, MS. It wasn't until I reached them by phone a week later that I got an appointment for 1 Dec.

Fortunately I caught up with another group of WINs in Natchez, MS. We had a good time visiting town and some plantations. 

Mississippi River view on Natchez boardwalk 

Longwood Plantation home

Frogmore cotton plantation and cotton gin.

Marcie Pickin cotton

I took a cutting from a cotton bush and the l part was still a solid green bud when I hung it up in the RV. In a week it ripened and opened!

Jazz museum 

Disc golf with Bill

I wanted to find a cypress swamp to kayak.  I have found some in Florida, South Carolina, Maryland,  Delaware  and I know there has to be some in Louisiana. 

But I also found:

Shop local my friends! See what new experiences you can have as you travel! Such a collection of food from local markets that you would not find anywhere else.

What's more, right outside the campground is where the local fisherman sell their catch in coolers filled with ice!

Combine that with some Molson beer from Canada too!

Lastly a radio station that plays old country songs!

This is very good country radio station. Mostly older country.

Toured the Louisiana museum right on Jackson square.  The bottom floor had alot of information about hurricane Katrina.  The upper floor was half Mardi Gras parade and half Mardi Gras costumes. Really good museum!

More pics of New Orleans 

We decided that a drive out to the mouth of the Mississippi River should be a bucket list item. Not so exciting,  the levee makes a visual barrier to see the river, nice drive though.

Hollow tree but still had bark on it.

Fort Jackson,  civil war era.

Notice the high school is elevated

The very end of the road has a welcome sign that everyone put stickers on.

Cold front came in so kayaking is out. Went for a 36 mile bike ride on top of a Mississippi River levy. Pictures show industrial scenery along the river.

This year I recognized that reading the news in the morning made me grumpy all day. So I changed that to afternoons.

Next I found while riding bicycle on a rail trail I was enjoying myself so much I felt like singing. I dont know songs because of my hearing loss (recently got hearing aids) so I searched for music apps. The Great ones like Pandora and Spotify etc, all automatically come on whenever you start your car and Bluetooth connects. I dont like that. Nothing stops this from happening. 

Next I explored online radio station, my search found one that does not steal your data or information and does not automatically come on when starting your car. Radioly. 

So adding music into my life has given me more peace and happiness, of course with the hearing aids I can hear all of the words now too!

Don't give up on us old folks, life gets better every day!