October in Louisiana

South Louisiana is hot during the summer.  I mean, hot.  And humid.  Miserable.

But then October arrives and brings blue skies, cooler temps, and lower humidity: perfect weather for taking Choco hiking!

Saturday, we went to Mary Ann Brown Nature Preserve.  We met a couple of other friendly dogs with their people, and we saw birds, spiders, squirrels, and chipmunks!

 

And, to my surprise, there were still many flowers in various stages of bloom!

 

 

   

Choco wasn't sure about these stairs, and she (literally) belly-crawled up the steps without a rail on the side.  She didn't balk, though, and she didn't require any coercion.

   

Choco loved her day out, crying on Sunday morning to go hiking again!

On Sunday, we went to the Port Hudson State Historic Site, which was the site of a siege during the Civil War.

   

Long after the Civil War ended, in 1990, the Port Hudson Peace Monument was created. The remains of one Confederate Soldier and one Federal Soldier were re-interred on the grounds, a constant reminder of the past and the present.

   

When this historic site was created, about six miles of trails were created, too. Some go through, over, and around the earthworks created during the Civil War, and some go to important sites in the area. The trails and the important sites are well marked and include relevant information about what happened at each site.

   

Choco and I enjoyed being outside again today, seeing more bugs and flowers.

 


 

There were more spiders at Port Hudson than at Mary Ann Brown.

... and way more caterpillars.

At the end of the day, I felt something crawling on my leg ... and yes, it was a caterpillar! Thankfully, I didn't dance through any spider webs today.

But I did take a couple of selfies.

 

 

And of course, I took more pictures of Choco!

   

"I thought a wolf got loose in these woods!" 

Ummm, no ... she's on a leash, and she's not a wolf.  I promise!

All in all, this was a pretty good weekend, and I'm looking forward to a few more nice weekends to enjoy the outdoors before the long, hot summer returns.