Leaving Early

Saturday, 16 March
Isaac Creek COE Campground — Franklin, Alabama
Temps: Lo 47F / Hi 78F (8C / 25.5C)

We’re leaving Isaac Creek COE Campground tomorrow — a day earlier than planned.  We’re not doing so because we are bored here.  No sirree!  Rather, our hasty departure is precipitated by severe thunderstorms forecasted for Monday along our travel route to New Orleans, Louisiana (NOLA).

Will the forecast hold true?  Who knows!  But we don’t want to take any chances.  The silver lining to our new plans — driving through the NOLA area to get to our campground in Belle Chasse should be a lot easier on a Sunday than it would be on a Monday.  Stay tuned to see if it works out that way.

Daisy Fleabane playing host to a bee.

In the meantime, our last two days here at Isaac Creek have been truly great.  Sunshine, blue skies, warm breezes, and temps climbing to near 80F (27C) — that’s what Mother Nature gifted us with.  In fact, it got so hot with the afternoon sun blazing full force on our campsite that Mui installed the sun/wind curtain on the west wall of the screen shelter yesterday.  Good thing he did … the panel also served to keep the worst of today’s winds off us.  We’ve certainly been making the most of this t-shirt weather, sitting out until there’s no hint of color left in the sky.

With the sun/wind panel installed, the shelter makes a cozy haven all day long.

Speaking of the sun, I’ve been meaning to mention that the lakefront sites get the full brunt of the hot afternoon rays.  Some of the sites will have shade when the trees leaf out, but I don’t know that they would do much good when the sun is low on the horizon.  Add to that the reflection off the water.  Just something to consider should you decide to come here during the hottest part of the year.

The last bits of the warm rays of the sun change the mood of the day.

With the weekend came the weekend campers.  Most of the newcomers are here for what I can only describe as a fish-o-ra-ma.  We woke up to a whole slew of them on the lake this morning, their lights twinkling in the pitch darkness before dawn.  By the first light of day their numbers had doubled.  Then, in the blink of an eye, they were off in a thunderous roar that would have woken the dead.

Fish-o-ra-ma

It’s not just the number of campers at Isaac Creek that has grown, but the bird population has increased as well.  Yesterday, a pair of mockingbirds were dancing to their own internal hip-hop music in what looked to be a courting ritual.  The bluebirds are also out in force, flitting from tree, to bench, to grass, and back.  The squirrels are chasing each other up and down the trees.  And when we walked over to Claiborne Lake Lock and Dam yesterday, a whole slew of great egrets were perched on the railings — some had green lores, indicating they’re in breeding plumage … unfortunately, they were too far to get a really good shot.  No doubt about it — spring is in the air.

Great Egrets — two eyeing one!

turkey vultures

Eastern Bluebird

Eastern Bluebird

And to end this post … we’ve enjoyed sunsets that were more colorful, but the ones at Isaac Creek seem especially peaceful.

And that’s all I really have to write about.  We’ve had a terrific stay at Isaac Creek and would return here in a heartbeat should the opportunity present itself.  Next post … from NOLA.

Quiet Days

Thursday, 14 March
Isaac Creek COE Campground — Franklin, Alabama
Temps: Lo 37F / Hi 64F (3C / 18C)

Three days since I last posted … peaceful … quiet … wonderfully relaxing.

Days spent planning for our fall “vacation” from the motorhome.

Days spent watching the birds that perch on the tree at the front of our site.

Days spent watching the waters of Lake Claiborne gently — yet inexorably — passing by our campsite to the dam at the far end.  The water is like Mother Nature’s conveyor belt, taking the mist rising from the lake with it.  I took a photo (above) that captures the mood, but Mui’s short video does a better job of showing the movement.
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8-seconds of moving mist.

Our days have been filled with sunshine, but a brisk breeze from the northwest has kept the temperatures chilled.  Regardless, except for Wednesday, when the wind was exceptionally strong, we’ve been able to sit in the screen shelter for several hours in the late afternoon.  At other times, we enjoy the scenery from the cockpit … which, Mui has taken to referring as our “Florida Room.”

Looking right from our site, the fog is clearing; but to our left, the dam is still veiled.
(Wednesday Morning — 13 March 2013)

Our poor shelter is all bent out of shape by the brisk breeze;
but additional tie-downs keep it from taking flight.

Haven’t done much otherwise … except for walks around the campground, or to the dam and back; and a couple of trike rides to add variety.  Here are some scenes from the sites overlooking Isaac Creek in the back loop.  Don’t worry, I didn’t walk through anyone’s site to get the pictures — unlike some of the new campers at the waterfront sites who think nothing of crossing through our site (sorry; pet peeve of mine).

Left: Some of the creek-side sites have small shared-docks; especially popular with boaters.
Right: A double the pleasure scene on peaceful Isaac Creek.

A couple of fishermen head out towards the lake to try their luck …

… while we relax at one of the gazebos in the back loop.

Just outside the entrance to the campground is a picnic shelter and a playground we walk through when we do our lakeshore walks to the Claiborne Lock and Dam.  We were in a playful mood when we passed through on Wednesday.

Might that be Prince Charming? …

… only one way to find out ;-)

This beautiful Eastern Bluebird likes to perch on the tree at the front of our site;
I have to be content with photographing it through the windshield, however,
as it flies off at the slightest sound and movement.

Oh, and we did a bit of stargazing Tuesday evening and spied the comet PANSTARRS in the western sky.  Thanks for the directions, MBZ.  The comet was too far for me to attempt a photo, but what we saw through our binoculars was almost an exact duplicate of the picture below, which I borrowed from the web.

Except for the antenna and the power poles, this was our view of PANSTARR.
(TUESDAY — 12 march 2013)
[Click the picture to view the original taken by Dale P. Cruikshank]

Knowing that we will be out sightseeing quite a bit when we reach New Orleans next week, we plan to continue to enjoy just chilling here at Isaac Creek.