Day 35 cont’d . . . with less than 2 minutes left in the nail biter Wisconsin Badgers game last night, Linda came flying into our room to announce the girls were changing rooms because they had BEDBUGS in their room located right next to us. Margie had been under the covers and suddenly broke out with the itchies and welts began appearing on her arms and back. Howard, the hotel owner, had said the rooms on the second level were evidently ‘better’ and offered us all a chance to change rooms.

We pulled our beds out to check the ticking on the mattress for the telltale frass and critter bodies and found this treasure trove of goodies . . .

. . . and the tell tale sign!!!! We packed up all of our gear and headed upstairs to find a room that seemed ‘safe’. Howard said he didn’t understand what had happened because he sprays once a month for bugs. I told him maybe he needed a new kind of spray because , ‘’it obviously ain’t workin’ !”.  By 10:30pm, we were all hunkered down again. I think everyone slept on top of the quilts last night!!!

Easter Sunday and by 7:30am I was off to 8:00am mass. I had called the night before to make sure the mass schedule had not changed for the holiday. It was darn right neighborly for them to remember that and lay out the ‘red carpet’ for me (to match my new red hair of course!).

Typical C & E situation. Arrived 20 minutes early and it was already standing room only because of Catholic’s who only attend twice a year, Christmas and Easter!!!

On the way out of Eunice, on the way to Lafayette, I saw this sign. They must use really tiny cement overshoes to get rid of the buggers!!!

Parlez-vous français?

mmmmmm . . . not too scenic right here. This is only the second drilling rig I have seen on the whole trip. The other in TX!!!

We are in an area heavily involved with crayfish farming. The farmers construct bermed barriers, similar to cranberry growers in WI, and plant a special crop in the interior. Here is one that must need ‘refurbishing’. It’s a hey day for egrets!!!!

Once the ground cover is established, the enclosure is flooded and these crayfish traps made of screen are installed. They look like giant bobbers!!!!

Who knew!!!!!

As I turned onto Schultz Rd from the main highway, I realized the road was 5-6 feet below the water level in the crayfish ponds . . . Rain forecasted today . . . hope the barriers hold or I will be crayfish bait!!!!

No counties in LA, they call them parishes. You can see above which parish spends money on their roads and which does not. Generally, the roads have been terrible since we entered LA. Every gas station seems to have a ‘casino’ affiliated with it. Not sure what they do with the tax revenue but I don’t think they are using much of it on roads!!!!

It stared lightly raining as I headed towards Lafayette, nice riding though. Riding alone today, the sound of rain gently bouncing off my helmet cover and the lack of traffic almost put me in a therapeutic trance . . . Home of KP !!!!!

Got to Rance, where I passed under the interstate. Interesting graphics . . .

. . . on both sides!!!!

North Carolina may be known as the ‘Land of the Pines’, but so far, I think of LA as the ’Land of the Doublewide’. This one actually looks pretty nice compared to most which were falling apart but usually had a BIG jacked up pickup in the yard with 1 or 2, 4 wheelers on a trailer. Easter Sunday so lots of folks out smokin’ something like this feller. Must also be the custom to rent these blow up play structure for all the kids coming over for Easter dinner. Saw a lot of them!!!!

So . . . what does one do with all the crayfish shells, eaten corn on the cob husks and every thing else that is not consumed in a crayfish dinner . . . how about just throwing it out the window of your pickup as you motor down the road??? (hopefully, without hitting any bicyclists!)

Now this photo REALLY doesn’t do this oil rig’s size justice to the size. It’s parked in someone’s back yard!!!! Looked like an off shore oil platform sitting in a hay field!!!

Funny . . .there was this sign . . .

. . . followed right down the road by this option!!!!

As I rolled into Lafayette, we obviously were not approaching from the scenic side of town. Mostly salvage yards and out of business shops. However, here was the Chevy version of the old Henry Ford story where you could get a Model A in any color, as long as it was black. With this Chevy dealer EVERY truck and car were white, and I don’t think they were for fleet sales!!!

Should have waited until I got to Lafayette . . .

Soon the route turned through a really nice and tidy residential neighborhood. Well tended gardens . . .

and lots of streets with vegetative arches!!!!!

. . . including this beauty!!!!

I passed through the University of Louisiana where the Alumni Center indicated most of the alumni must be doing just fine!!!!

Here was the ‘exclusive’ Petroleum Club. Don’t even think of just showing up!!!!

Ahhhhhh . . . home sweet home for tonight. Tomorrow we start our mini-vacation from the Southern Tier. We are leaving most of our gear in one of the rooms we are renting and heading to New Orleans, by vehicle, for a couple days of R&R. Stay tuned . . .

The Bobcat . . . revisted

While trying to fall to sleep last night after the bedbug Chinese Fire Drill, I got to thinking of the dead bobcat and how taken we all were with it, even removing it from the road and me commenting how Linda had RESPECTFULLY moved it to the shoulder. Funny how we have not given the armadillo’s, skunks, possums or the wide variety of other roadkill we have encountered the same RESPECT, as we cycle past, trying to avoid it. They all play a part in keeping the planet in balance which helps support our life as we know it. Even the cockroaches we encountered in Langtry. Even English sparrows have a place in the environment! Humans seem to be naturally attracted to things that are visually and behaviorally appealing and not so much to things that are not. There is a life lesson there somewhere . . .

Good thing we got in by 1:30pm. By 2:30pm it was pouring and rained all afternoon.