Mud Mud Mud

 

Sunday after Taco Loco:

We went back to the church to change and prepare for a day to walk out into the swamps. Mr.Dave is a man that attends Sovereign Grace Fellowship and had a lot of damage done to his house with Katrina. SGHM has spent many years helping them out and repairing/rebuilding their homes. They have a huge piece of property, with storage sheds, trailers, boats, ATV, trucks, you name it. They have it. I put on my I could do w/out kind of clothes on and my camera strapped around my neck and tons of bug spray on my body. Eddie gave me a quick tour of the main part of the property, but the property just kept going and going. We walked past a gate and the muddy road began.

We walked down a pathway of trees. We turned the bin to the left and saw a whole bunch of overgrown leafage. And then we came to a stop and saw a huge petrified forest of trees. The hurricane forced itself straight through the grove and killed a forest of trees. They were now just standing there like an erie cathedral. It looked like a grove of mourners, solemn, and w/out words to express the whirlwind they had just experienced. They were standing but that's all they could do. The road was wet and really muddy. I hadn't brought my gum boots but I should have. I would have been able to get a lot messier, that's for sure. I slipped a few times but I was ok. The deepest the mud ever got was just above my ankles. I was just worried about ticks or leaches. I've experienced both before and neither is fun to try to deal with.

Eddie was my tour guide. In full outback gear. He was wearing a red torn up t-shirt, army fatigue pants, a camouflaged hat, machete, corn cob pipe, cigars, and a rifle. Yes, a rifle with a scope at the end of it. My heart palpitates just thinking about it. I'm not afraid of guns in Africa. I've been around rifles and guns of all sorts my whole life, but not on a frequent basis. Most of the times it's been on non US soil so it makes me a little nervous to have one right next to me. There was a time when I was walking with Laura h, Laura T, Jay, and Eddie. But suddenly the Laura's and Jay went walking ahead and Eddie and I stayed behind. I think Eddie was taking his time with me because I was photographing all over the place. The entire cool flora out there. I had never seen before. Some of it reminded me of the jungles of Africa but some of it was so distinct to our gulf waters. So three of us, Eddie, the gun, and myself walked down this lil swampy path all the way down to a Katrina made lake. We went through groves of trees, cleared out camp spots, rich soft soils, to a great lake potentialed with Alligators. I found that out after we walked all the way out there. I was already on the lookout for ticks, leaches, spiders, snakes, and now alligators.

On the way back I realized I was a bit more tired than expected and had asked to take a ride back with Mr. Dave on the back of his ATV. I went side saddle and had wrapped my hands firmly on the back of the ATV. We were talking about the history of the area and Mr. Dave's history. We talked about the troubles of cows and bulls and how they cause a stink wherever they go. We talked about how his new pup of 8mos takes care of him wherever he goes, and how he likes to take care of him too. And then out of the blue, he pulls out a pistol from a holster he had attached to the ATV. And begins to shoot it in the ground on the opposite side of where I am. He did it over and over again. And Eddie came running to see if I was ok. Not that he thought I got shot, or even that a creature was coming at us. But just because he knew I was worried about the guns. I was ok. Honestly, it didn't bother me as much as I thought it would. I kind of enjoyed it. I kind of secretly wanted to ask Mr. Dave if I could shoot one off. I refrained because I thought it would cause a dent in my liberal California anti-gun reputation.

Steve and John are brothers that came down from Chicago to help out with SGHM. They live at the church and offer time to help with the rebuilding projects. John was busy chopping down trees that had fallen on the pathway. Steve was out with his machete destroying the small branches and brush that had grown in the way of the path too. When it was all over we began to walk back to Mr. Dave's house. I was on the ATV and Steve appeared in front of us. So Mr. Dave proceeded to accelerate on the ATV and chase Steve. Well my feet weren't touching anything, and I was riding side saddle. When he went to accelerate, I suddenly saw my legs lift in the air. I saw my legs go higher in the air and I could feel my back hanging off of the back of the ATV, with my hands firmly gripping the ATV. Similar to how you see a person when they're half fallen off a horse. I felt like Angelina Jolie in that one car chase movie. And I thought ok cool I can get back up. When Mr. Dave hit a pocket or decided to swerve. I went to reach for his hip to get a better grip and my legs flung me somersaulted right over the back of the ATV. However, my hands hadn't let go and I got dragged across the mud under the ATV. I immediately buried myself in the mud because I was worried that I was going to get caught under the axle of the ATV and get my hair torn out of my head or something.

Mr. Dave hadn't realized that he had lost me and finally came to a hault. He said, "Are you alright?"

I said, "Um, yeah I guess so"

He said, "Well then get back on girl!"

When I stood up I was covered in mud. My hair was a mud pack. My face was muddy. I was laughing so hard that ate the mud that was dripping down my face. There was mud in my bra. There was mud on my jeans and even in my underwear. I wasn't looking to get baptized again but the Louisiana mud gave me a nice bath. I lost my glasses in the mud and when I reached down to see if my camera was ok. I found moss, mud, and water dripping off it. When I opened up the compartments ooooozzzy brown muddy liquid came pouring out. My diamond glasses were stuck somewhere out there along with my lens cap. I got back on the ATV with a nice tire rubber burn on my arm and a big bruise on my arm from hitting the ATV on the somersault.

It was kind of foolish for me to be out there, not saddled on the ATV correctly and not wearing a helmet. I am lucky that something worse hadn't happened to me. I am grateful for that. I also think I won some type of street cred with the boys because I didn't have a girl pansy attack. Steve ran out to buy some beer, and we all banged our bottles of bud in the air in salute to Louisiana. Yahoo. Honestly, I had the time of my life and if my glasses, or camera, or bruised arm got the funk of it, I am truly sorry.

My camera is officially dead. I am bummed about it, since it was a $1000 camera. And I am bummed that I didn't have a camera the rest of the trip. But overall this trip has been so incredible. I honestly don't want to go back home just yet. I can't want to go for another walk at Mr.Dave's house!

We got back to the church kind of late. I showered in Laura's shower and she kindly washed my clothes for me. I got in the car that the church lent me and drove home. All the way home to my hotel in New Orleans. I had a blast. I felt so official. I felt totally at home. I am also beginning to figure out the map of the larger part of the city too. It was a blast to drive into the city and see the skyline. This very well could be my future home.

I know I am a day late in my stoires…I apologize for this. I'll try to write more later today.

I'm on my way to Houma where I think I need more swamp gear! Laura is supposed to be sending my clothes along.

More later…..