Al Ride Fix Ride to Central La.w/ Al

Al arrived at the house eager and ready to go. The DL's 6 year old battery gave up the ghost and is now officially junk. No fear, Mz Guzzi yelled at me from the back of the garage, something about "you fool" as she saved the day again. Whoa, this was my birthday ride. I had just gone through my collection of outings from the very old Geocities site and had found a "Birthday Ride" which was taken with Mz Guzzi. The timing was spooky. What is spookier, is that we, without intention, rode to the same area as that outing. I have just realized that the old ride was her birthday, just turning 30K on her odometer, but also was very close to my birthday which was probably 30K on the Aztec calendar. She sure looks better than I do. I had to say that or the chorus would be emailing me while they giggled in their mother's basements while she brought them cookies and milk. Here are a few shots of MzG in 2005.

Don't laugh, that off road helmet is not only cool, but keeps
the sun off my face. You don't stand up at speed or that
bill will rip you off the bike or break you neck, whichever
you prefer. I had set the table for lunch.



She's never been one to complain. (excuse me while I
get over this choking spell)



Italian woman. Need I say more?



Now on to this birthday ride.
They all start off a little strange. I started recording this
one at the Strange Cemetery.







Piny woods cemeteries are different. Maybe it's the pioneer
aspect and the respect you have for these folks who were
tougher than nails. The American flag in the first shot
says a lot.

Strange Road is a thing of beauty. The many new residents
there obviously see that also.



It comes out on US 165 very near the entrance to old
Camp Claiborne. I figure it was time to revisit.



Some group has been spiffing up the place. A new plaque
was just the start. A new sign followed.



If I can read it, you can, or zoom your browser, that works.





OK: I'm going to make sure you can read this.
Alvin York and Omar Bradley are extremely important
people in our history. Our children will never hear their
names in our schools. They will, however, endure a
month of Black History. Something needs to be tweaked.



Whoever seems to be getting a driving tour ready. This
is great.



The 1940's roads are still perfect, well, almost. Marks
says the aliens preserve them. No, not Mexicans, the
Area 51 guys who were shipped here from New Mexico in
1951, after the gig was up about their whereabouts there.
Senior EL (he still hasn't gotten the fact that I meant to
spell Senor, "senior", on purpose), Senior EL has actually
pointed out the spot where the creatures were railed in.
Mark has found the cemented up old sewer plant where
whatever went on, went on. Camp Claiborne served the
country far after its official 1945 closing.

These may be some of the aliens previously mentioned.



It was time to go to Big Cut.



Ask Senior El about that. I've explained my head off and
can't do it anymore. Don't go fast here.



Or you will feel like we did when that blimp started falling.





Next. I wanted to show Al what Senior El and his band
of merry men, and women? had accomplished. I knew
where the end of the line was. There, correctly identified
by Al, was an old log car. Normally, finding stuff like this
in the woods would be a little weird, but not at Long Leaf.
This stuff is everywhere and ready to visit. One more
plug, go to the Southern Forest Heritage Museum. Senior
has just told me that "Area 51" will be the theme of this year's
Halloween Party. Now isn't that strange timing and a little
strange.



Isn't this amazing.



Al and I looked down at the rails from an angle. I pointed
out that the spike was not centered. He pointed out that
there was one on the other side and that they were offset.
That's why I bring him, it's sure not because he's a chick
magnet.



What a throw back. No not you, Al. The rails.









After leaving the museum we took the fast track home.



South of Ville Platte, we stopped at an old landmark store.




It was the Kind Edward Cigar supplier for the entire area.
What will the KEC people do now?



Will the house be next to go?



It was being carefully dismantled to save the wood for some
other purpose.



This is one of my old shots. I have one looking inside with
merchandise still on the racks, but I can't find it. Al had
mentioned that he had liked a pair of lady's shoes in the
window. I knew we'd be friends from that point on.
More later!!

Caney Lake Visit Incomplete

Al has written and expressed an interest in Winnfield.
He said he'd never been there and would like to visit.
I told him I'd send him the few pictures of the area I had
from a couple of long ago visits. The properties on these
shots say 2004. I think they were taken earlier, but maybe
not.

This is Gum Springs. It had a spring fed pool, covered
picnic tables and facilities. It was nice. It was built way back
by the CCC during the Depression. It is off US 84 between
Nachitoches and Winnfield. The props say it was taken in
April. I don't believe that either. I have recollections of
being very hot on this one. There is a horse riding area
across the road from it. I rode up to Natchitoches and
over to Winnfield and back home. I don't know if I'd
do that again.



This was taken when I camped out at Caney Lake St.Pk.
Now it is called Jimmy Davis St.Pk. To save typing, those
shots will be simply marked "PK".



This was an early morning shot. That "cup" sits before
me right now. Those may be the same boots, too.



Mz Guzzi was my main squeeze. Gorgeous Italian wench.
She went everywhere I pointed her with never a complaint.
If you believe that..............



This is one of the big river swamps in the area. Probably
off La.4.








Big Map....Click to enlarge if you need new glasses, like me.
Look .... a railroad to follow.



PK campsite.



The farmer came out and asked why I was taking a shot
of his mailbox. I had to smooth him over exclaiming about
how original it was. I'd already seen 6 variations of the
same theme but I had to say something. He said I could
shoot it as much as I wanted, beaming proudly. He also
boasted that it gets hit all the time but leaves the vehicle
something to remember it by. I bet. The road seems to
lend to accidents being straight and wide like it is.



Campsite at night. The bugs and frogs were a wall of sound.



OK, Al, there's a fishing supply place and landing.
The park has 2 huge ones.



And a small part of the lake.



I have no idea?



Another shot of the PK campsite.



That's it. I guess I better get a few more shots. I'm convinced.
Whenever, let's go.

More Free Big Pictures

These are large pictures. Click what you see and the larger version will appear.

This is/was the Kate Chopin House in Chopin, La., between Alexandria and Natchitoches on La.1.







This is/was the McNabb Music Store in Bunkie, La., south of Alexandria, US 71.

DEPOT: The Sunset Limited Lafayette

Being me, my timing was great. I'm a train magnet. While doing the Icing on the Cake fill in the blanks hunt, I took a picture of the depot. Something was strange. There were people waiting on the benches. I had hit the mother lode. I went down there and parked by the Jefferson Blvd. underpass. It is a gathering place, so I moved to the south side of the depot at the Lee Ave. crossing. After it crosses the tracks, it is 6th Street. Go figure.



I sat for a long time, finally asking a fella when the train was
coming. He said, "2:30". It was 4:oo.



I had time to take a few "orientation" shots. This is facing
north. The Hub City Hunt / Icing Hunt happened up there.



I, like all the potential passengers looked south. I assumed
that since they were looking south, from the south it
would come. It originates in New Orleans, 125 miles away.



I yelled to the assembled, "Here it comes". A loud applause
was heard. It was a jovial group who understood that
the age of the gold watch hung by the chain was gone.



I knew I had an opportunity for a shot. The jag in the
tracks would provide that. Why is there a jag? Was it a
surveying mistake like what occurs in our highway and bridge
building? I think there is a story here.



















As each passenger exited, they shook the conductor's hand.
It is obvious that a train trip is different.



I walked behind the train and sought an angle to get the
whole train. I had to work at it.





I strolled back.



The depot was a beehive of activity.



It was All Aboard Time.













Al had written that he liked the picture of the train
coming in and that he thought it was the first time I'd
gotten a close up. It was the first time from a moving frontal. I
wrote back telling him about the picture I'd gotten in Rayne.

It was doing the snake on a side track so the freight could get by. That explains why it can't keep a schedule. It was an hour and a half late getting to Lafayette. It had departed from New Orleans, 125 miles away and it was already that late. By Los Angeles it could be a day late according to a reader. So, you never use it for appointments. Everyone getting off was smiling. Everyone getting on was smiling. I don't think it is considered serious transportation.

Here's the Rayne shot.



This is west of Rayne out on the Cajun Prairie alongside US 90.
It was dead stopped.



And here is my New Iberia shot.



That's it. Not quite. Andy in Jennings added this.

Thanks Steve,
Reminds me of when my cuz and I use to sit near the old depot in Jennings and watch the trains stop or keep on going and snatch a message from the depot hung out on a line. Sometimes the train would just throw out a pack of stuff instead of stopping all the way. We would also wave at the passengers going by and once in awhile at a hobo going through on a freight train. Great days.

Thanks again to Andy for his contributions to this rag.