Returning to "Oakley" for the 5th time

[DutchmenSport]

Yep, That's me!

Click here.

 

[DutchmenSport]

It hard to believe it's been almost 5 months now since my wife, two doggies, and I returned to Oakley. That was October. Our time is winding down soon, the end of February is approaching only all too soon.

We'll be returning to Indiana for the month of March. We need to take care of Vet visits for the doggies, doctor visits for both my wife and me, Income Tax preparation, banking needs, oil change on the tow vehicle (truck), and a couple fixes on the camper. One fix is to replace the ceiling vent/fan in the kitchen area. I think a gear has broken on the electric opener. I have a new entire fan assembly on order (and paid for already) waiting at my local RV dealership back home. I'll install the new one myself.

Life in the park has been a marvelous experience. I have no complaints. It's truly is a magnificent experience living on a historic plantation. The quiet can be deafening sometimes, but the Louisiana frog orchestra starts sounding, the owls start hooting, the birds and chipmunks and squirls make their unique sounds, the wind blows and the trees crack and creak, the coyotes howl in the distance, and the stars come out out at night bright as diamonds with no lights anywhere, except the moon (and 2 street lights in the parking lot). It's magnificent, connecting with nature, with history, and with a past that time has forgotten.

I've been kept busy, house tours, blacksmith demonstrations, and occasional carpentry fixes. I have a couple minor fixes on the camper too. In addition, my wife and I have been able to explore Southern Louisiana a bit more, experienced some very FINE restaurants with excellent food, great atmosphere, and absolutely delightful people, servers, staff, and other patrons. Every single person we've encountered has been friendly, happy, and glad to share their entire life's story with us. It's truly awesome experiencing this.

We've been at Oakley for over 2 years now (minus the trips back to Indiana) and folks in the area, at the grocery stores, the hardware stores, other historic sites know us, know who we are, and welcome us.

Sorry Indiana. I was born in Indiana, I've lived there all my life and I use to think Indiana was a friendly place, but once you stepped foot into the Southern Charm and have eyes opened up a bit, folks in Indiana are really "stick-in-the-mud" people.

Indiana is still my home and always will be, that's my heritage. But gosh do I love Louisiana!

Just an FYI.... we've been invited back to Pilot Mountain State Park near Mount Airy, North Carolina to serve as a camp host for the month of August. We accepted. This will be my 4th time there.

 

[DutchmenSport]

Left Oakley Feb 28 (Saturday) morning and drove straight through to the West Memphis KOA in Arkansas for an overnight. Pulled out Sunday morning early and 9 hours later pulled in our own drive way at home, still daylight.

Set up the camper at home and took some items out of the truck and called it done.

When we left Louisiana Saturday, temps were 85 degrees. When we woke up Monday morning in Indiana, temps were 25 degrees. Yes, kept the furnace on all night. I did not winterize and still have not. We're keeping the furnace going as we are still hanging out in the camper.

Diesel fuel prices were about 75 cents to almost a dollar higher the farther North we got compared to the Baton Rouge area of Louisiana. Last fill up in Illinois was over $4.00. In Louisiana, diesel was just a bit over $3.00.... Go figure.

Truck drove beautiful. Trailer towed marvelously. Return trip home was uneventful .... nice and peaceful ... as it should be.

We'll be back at the Plantation on April 1. Lots to do at home over the next 4 weeks.