Three Campground Pics and Back in Louisiana

Location: Heart of the Haynesville RV Campground; Mansfield, Louisiana
(click pictures to enlarge)

I left the banks of the Mississippi River last Friday morning with a rainbow in the sky. Severe storms blew through the area during the night. Heavy rain with 50 mph winds were predicted. Both items showed up at the Tom Sawyer Campground on the river. Liberty was rocking and rolling in the wind but handled it well as she has in the past. It rained hard at times and was driven by the wind. I have not found a single leak anywhere in Liberty so I'm happy. With the predicted wind and rain, I debated about bringing the slides in before the storm hit but decided to leave them out. We have ridden out storms like this before without any problems other than me worrying. The heaviest storms passed over around midnight followed by rain showers until early morning. When I went outside the following morning, there was a nice rainbow in the sky as a reminder that God wouldn't create another great flood.

The Morning After Rainbow

The last towboat and tow before I pulled out

I had a long tow of about 230 miles ahead of me so I emptied my tanks and took on a full load of fresh water. The fresh water was to serve as weight ballast in Liberty during the trip. High wind gusts were predicted along my travel path. This is typical behind such heavy storms. The storms blow through so fast and with such fury it is as if it creates a vacuum that is being filled by the high wind gusts following it. This is a lesson that the current administration should learn. When Obama pulled out of Iraq he created a vacuum that is now being filled. Of the three choices of Lead, Follow or Get out of the Way, it seems he choose the last for way too long. Maybe he has wised up, hopefully.

The next campground was to be just off of the interstate in Hope, Arkansas. The name was "something" Motel and RV Park. It was ok for an overnight stay but I wouldn't stay there any longer. There were about 6 other RV in the park but they looked like they had been there for a while. A couple of guys were sitting in lawn chairs and looked totally spaced out as if they were on something stronger than coffee. Although it the campground had full hook-ups, I only connected to electric. I knew the place was questionable before I left Tom Sawyer, that is the other reason why I filled my fresh water tank so I wouldn't have to connect to the water at Hope. It was good enough for a one-nighter.

Overnight stay in Hope, Ark

I pulled out of Hope, Arkansas early and arrived at the Heart of Haynesville Campground in Mansfield, Louisiana right about noon. This campground was built when the Natural Gas Boom hit this area a few years ago. There are about 150 campsites here but since the price of natural gas fell there are only about 20 sites filled. The owner has bought several FEMA trailers with hopes of renting them out to transient workers in the area. Looks like only one has been rented so far. I have full hook-ups and plan to stay here for a week or two before heading further south to see my sister and oldest son. I'll then spend a week or so in east Texas before returning around the 1st or 2nd week in November. I have a list of things to take care of while I'm in my home area. There are so many, I had to write them down to make sense of them. So far, the only things I've done besides visiting with 2 of my children, 1 of my grandkids and ex-wife was to go to Home Depot for things around the RV. I also have many people to see before heading to south Texas for the coldest part of the winter and then onward to the western and northwestern states.

Hearth of the Haynesville Campground

Olivia Grace trying to figure
out who I am.

Olivia Grace and the
Crazy Ole Man

Ya'll take care of each other. Cya down the road.