Natchi What??
~Saturday, December 26, 2020~
Day 195
Yeh!! A day of rest and no cooking. Don’t get me wrong, we LOVE to cook, but we whipped up quite a lot of dishes in the last few days, and are officially tired of cooking and dish duty. Plus, with all of those leftovers who needs to cook? It was nice to just enjoy some quiet time in our forest setting, listen to some good ‘ol college football, and visit with our new friend Bronie. When he stopped by our place in his 3-wheeled scooter, I promptly ran into our kitchen to collect the rest of the mint chocolate cookies for them, or we’d eat them all! He said in his big southern accent, “Now, I never turn down a homemade cookie”. My response….”Now don’t eat them all before you scooter over to your trailer”.
In the late afternoon we headed for downtown Natchitoches for their annual Christmas Festival, this being their 94th year. We must have brought along some good mojo since we got the perfect parking place (thanks to an obliging sheriff’s wife that gave us the tip!) and the perfect view (that we didn’t have to pay for) to watch some amazing fireworks. Though Jeff and I were keeping with our mask wearing, most people were not, making us feel all the better for wearing one. I’ve never seen a town so festive in such a concentrated area. There were Christmas lights criss-crossing streets, decorations all along the Cane River and bridges, and every square inch of large pavilions decorated all-a-glow!
“Chicken on the Bone” was a live band playing cool cover songs on the very large River Bank Stage. Another band was playing at the opposite end of town, showcasing their bluesy talent. It was so much fun walking by all of the quaintly decorated shops (most were open), and breweries that looked so inviting as their bars were hoppin’ and the college football was playin’. And man, I tell you, this town knows how to put on a fireworks show (see video). Especially the grand finale. (Can you hear my southern drawl yet??). While we were trying to find the ideal spot to watch the show, we came upon an open gate with a walkway leading right to the river. I don’t know if someone wasn’t manning their station, but took the opportunity anyway. I think it was the best place in the “house”. While we watched the brightly lit boats go by, sitting right next to the river, we noticed another occasion in the south, where waterways lined with pedestrian walkways have no fencing or barriers. You’d never get away with that in California. You’d really have to watch your little ones like a hawk.
When we arrived back to our place, we noticed a few new arrivals just down a ways. Apparently, the Grand Bayou Resort will keep up with their tradition in having a completely full campground for New Year’s. I think they’re starting to arrive.