Prairie Creek on the Alabama River

Wednesday May 15, 2012
Site 40 Prairie Creek Campground
Lowndesboro, Alabama

 

 

WEDNESDAY

A last look at beautiful Davis Bayou.  We’ll spend more time with you the next time we come.  I promise. And then it’s off down the road.  Well actually up the road toward Mobile and on into Alabama.

 

 

I just love COE parks with waterfront sites.

 

 

We get all set up in site 40 at Prairie Creek Campground including the Earth flag.  We’ll be here for 4 days RIGHT ON THE WATER.  Hope to get the kayaks out on both Prairie Creek and the Alabama River if the predicted rain will  just knock it off.  The site is too high for a direct put in, but the boat ramp  is very close by.  

 

Pretty Sweet huh?  Water and electric for $10 a night at this COE park IF you are old enough.  HA!

 

 

We’re on a roll here.  Two new states in a row. 

 

I put Alabama up on the map.  But sadly that’s it until after both Virginia and Pennsylvania.  But we should score several more on the way to New England and we MIGHT even make it to Canada.

 

 

 

Winnona’s new plate has finally come.  We are now a trio of Florida residents.  Me, Ruby and Winnona.

Off with the old.  Well not off.  Not sure it’s legal but we’re putting our Virginia RV dream plates on the front of both Winnona and Ruby.  Hope nobody cares.  I’ve seen others do it so I’m up for giving it a try.  I hate to lose those plates.  Florida wanted WAY too much for that plate.

 

On with the new.

Notice that it is a QAK plate too.  So Ruby is 515 QAK and Winona is 593 QAK.  Love it!!   4 duckies in the family.

 

Ruby has been front plate-less waiting for Winnona to get hers.  But they are a pair now.  ALL RIGHT, let the savings begin!!

 

Day is done.

Too many “rain’s a comin'” clouds for much of a sunset but this sure is a great spot to watch what color there is.

 

 

 

THURSDAY MAY 16

 

In the afternoon, we take the kayaks down to the boat launch and turn left to go up Prairie Creek.

 

 

We’re told there is a BIG alligator in the creek but we don’t see him. 

Our best sights are one Great Egret successfully fishing and some beautiful plants in and beside the water.  It’s a relaxing 3 hours on a lazy creek.  

You’d think this was Texas’s idea of a creek wouldn’t you?  It’s just that there has been SO much rain, all the bodies of water are swollen.  I’m surprised campsites aren’t flooded out.

 

 

There is pretty much no bank.

 

 

 

 

‘Next time’ I want this site.

I saw this site when I was running this morning and seeing it now from the “creek” makes me even more convinced that I’d love being here,   all alone back in the trees but with a low bank for putting the kayaks in.

It’s true that it is the only non cement paved site, it’s all gravel but I think that would be fine if it would stop raining.

 

 

  

 

UH oh!

Coming back down the “creek” we realize we aren’t exactly positive which one of these arms we came up.  HA!   Turns out we have good karma and pick the correct one.

 

 

 

 

We leave the kayaks at the ramp hoping we’ll have another dry or piece of a dry day to paddle them to the left this time and spend some time on the Alabama River.

 

 

The rain arrives at about sundown.   So no sunset tonight either.

 

 

FRIDAY

 

 

What a great spot for a little yoga early in the morning.  It is totally quiet.  Nothing but natural sounds, the birds making their morning calls and some light lapping of the river.  AND It’s not raining YET!  

 

 

 

 

 

It’s a great spot for eating lunch as well. 

David isn’t eating alone, I just haven’t gotten there yet.  Busy taking this picture.  You’ve probably noticed the smudge on the lens.  Unfortunately I didn’t notice it until Sunday when I’d taken two days of smudgy pictures.  But they will have to do since they are all I have to remind me what we were up to on Friday and Saturday while staying at Prairie Creek COE in Alabama.

 

 

The rain kept us curtailed and thus out of the river today so I worked on a snafu with my father’s former home’s electric bills.  Seems the new owner had not put the service in his name as we’d been told he would and now I have to contact the electric company to get a refund of part of what he’d paid since he was on the budget plan and contact the new owner to get nearly 3 months of electric payments refunded to him. It took a number of hours to get this all straightened out.  Or at least they all “say” they are sending him refund checks.   Doesn’t it seem like there is always something?  It’s tough being business manager for two households.

 

 

Again too many clouds and too much rain for any sunset. 

It’s a shame since tomorrow is our last day here and our last chance to sit in our chairs with a great front row seat.

But the sky is pretty as the sun goes down behind the heavy cloud cover.