Texas is Huge

Wow! I have so much to write about. Last time I checked in I was in New Orleans... I left that city a different person. I arrived in N.O. after a long long drive from Nashville, which I must say is a place that I recommend to everyone. The people there were super nice, the food was great, and there is sooo much to see I couldn't take it all in. Anyway.

I didn't really know where I was headed after I left New Orleans, the next city was Shreveport LA, but I didn't think that there was much there in the way for me so I decided to go camping instead. I'm not really sure what I expected, I think it was what I would expect say when I go to Bulls Island. Generic spots, so on so forth, you get the idea. I crossed into Texas on Sunday, then wound back and forth into LA travelling north. I originally planned on staying at a place called Ragtown, which is a campground on the Sabine Resevoir in Texas, but finding this place was beyond rediculous and I sort of stumbled on North Toledo Bend SP. I checked in at the ranger station for 3 nights, ended up only staying 2. The scenery there is beautiful.

So I'm checking in, granted I probably didn't appear to be the most rustic of folk when it comes to spending time in the wilderness. I had my 'fancy' blue jeans on, my #36 Westbrook jersey on and you could tell the lady ranger behind her counter was passing all sorts of judgement on me. There was an older couple there reserving a site, so I perused the ranger station, reading various pamphlets on what not to eat, what not to leave out overnight, what to do if you see certain vermin, what to do if you get attatcked/bitten/stung/whatever by any of the various deviant critters. I gotta tell you guys, at this point I'm seriously questioning what I am doing... Why would I choose to sleep outside in the backwoods of Louisiana as opposed to a comfy hotel. It's just something that I like, I like camping. In retrospect, as with almost everything, I was wrong. I like camping with people, in a place that seems remote, but is actually just not - like Bulls Island. Sure I'm camping in the woods, but ten minutes away is the fine city of lambertville.

So this is what my campsite looks like...

What you see is my chair, my lantern (rechargeable electric), my tent, and the fire ring. The tent is pitched on a 15x20 elevated sand. You can see the sun shining on the right side of my tent - that is west, behind me about 30 yards is the water where alligators are, and the picture is taken sort of from where my jeep is parked. I have more pictures of that. The trees are tall, and it gets dark fairly early. I think that night I cooked a steak on the grill - it was good, but I didn't much enjoy it with my eyes darting around at every noise I heard and my arms and legs flailing around everytime a bug landed on me. I must have emptied an entire can of OFF on myself.

The campsite was pretty generic. It has water and electric, so that came in handy - but there wasn't another camper withing 200 yards of me, and EVERYONE else was in there huge fancy RV's - so I don't know what the ranger was looking at me all funny for - I was atleast in a tent (for one night anyway). So anyway, when the ranger did find out that I was camping in a tent, she handed me a pamphlet that instructs campers on how to safeguard there tents and belongings from insects. Now I'm going to say that I'm not very fond of spiders, but the two that are most common where I was were the 2 that YOU DO NOT WANT TO BITE YOU. EVER, NEVER FUCKING EVER! The one is the Black Widow, and unless you live in a cave underneath a mountain you know what a black widow is. They say that being bitting by a black widow is like being struck by a bolt of lighting - not something you want. I can take that though, I mean I know I'm not going to die, and this thought honestly went through my head 'well atleast I'll have a hospital bed to sleep in' but anyway, back to my point. The other spider is a less known one. I'm familiar with it only because one of my friends e-mailed me a link to photos of what it looks like when you get bit by a recluse spider. I knew that the spider venom caused necrosis, simply put it kills the flesh where you are bit, I didn't know that it proliferates and will continue if not treated. Here is a picture of some poor bastards thumb that got bitten by a brown recluse spider.

It's gross, and I don't use foul language lightly, but that is just fucking disgusting and I would rather die than get bit and look like that. Not to mention that I have a sleeping back that is meant for zero degree weather, so sleeping in 40 degree weather makes it really hot, and I was just sleeping in my boxers. I don't need to finish this sentence, but I would rather burn in hell then get bit on my...

So yeah, and guess what - after a light sleep of a night, because I was hearing all sorts of racket through the night, I go to take a wee and just chillin on the driver door of my jeep is one of these bastards. Shit - in my mind the whole campsite is infested and I'm probably going to get bit and die and some animal will eat me and I'll never be found again. Strike one - two more nights left, and I've already had a close brush with death. Anyway, I went hiking after I made some breakfast.what you're seeing is my stainless steel cooler with a few things on top. On the left is a tortilla shell with two semi-melted pieces of cheese on it resting on top of a stainless pot. Behind that is a 300g canister of coleman x fuel. I think it's a blend of propane and another gas. it burns extremely hot and effeciently. it's hooked up to a regulater and braided steel cord which leads at a collapsable four legged burning element. I have a cast iron pan on top of that which is cooking 3 pieces of ham with the lid to the pot on top of that. I don't know what that does, but I always see chefs putting shit on the top of their food so I figured why not. I ended up making an egg ham cheese tortilla - it was ok - not ok 3 miles into my 4 mile hike. I thought I was going to have to poop in the woods - which I haven't done... yet.

Anyway, that was basically it - I stopped at the ranger station after my hike to do laundry and I bumped into the same lady ranger again and she said this... 'so you're camping alone...it's almost halloween ya know?'

STRIKE TWO AND STRIKE FUCKIN THREE I'M OUT!

I actually ended up sleeping there that night again, because it was getting dark and I didn't have enough time to break down all my stuff and pack it properly. I knew I had around 500 miles ahead of me to Austin, so you need to pack properly otherwise I can't see out of the back of my Jeep and it dangerous having shit flying around. I finished up my laundry, got into my Jeep put the seat all the way back, listened to the Monday Night Football game on my Sirius radio, watched Invincible again on DVD and fell asleep, woke up it was 6:18am sun was about to come up and I went to the 'Comfort Station' where the showers and toilets are and cleaned my act up, shaved, and mentally prepared my plans for the day. It took me some time, more then I thought it would to pack all my stuff up and I finally got on the road to here around 11 I think.

You know, overall - I'd do it again, but in a place with people. I do want to add two things that are important. One, there was this white cat that stalked me the entire time I was there, two, another brown recluse spider came down on my chest this morning at the hotel when I was on my way out to play golf. I flipped the shit out and crushed him on my chest with an empty diet mountain dew bottle. That's not the entire story, but I'm sure you don't want to read about me flailing around in the carport at my hotel infront of 50 people screaming spider spider spider!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm sure there are more in there, hopefully they saw what happened to their buddy and decide to leave.

I can't even begin to tell you all the side stories - hopefully when I get back around New Years everyone who is actually reading this will be with me and we can hang out over a beer and I'll tell you.

I have to get going, it's Halloween Night here in Austin and apparently it's like a wattered down New Orleans. I must say, there are some of the most gorgeous women down here - and believe it or not, they talk to me!

For anyone who cares, I shot a 1,232 today at Falconhead golf club here in Austin.

I'm going to post here more often, I figured out how to put pics up and stuff. I'm leaving tomorrow for San Antonio for 4 nights. I used up all of my rewards points on this one to get a nice place on the riverwalk..... I was going to stay for just two nights, but apparently San Antonio has some amazing stuff to see. So if anyone feels the need, fly on down and you can crash with me!

Love ya'll!!!