LOUISIANA!!

May 3 - Kirbyville to De Ridder LA - 47 miles
Nice easy ride today. Beautiful lush vegetation. About ten miles out of town we stopped by an old church for a "fanny break". An older man in a van was just pulling out of the driveway. After a few minutes the van came back and the man said "I got to thinking that I could open the church for you. You could use the restrooms and get some cold water and when you are finished just close it up behind you." Another very caring person. Rusty and I talked about it after we rode on. Would we have offered to open the church and turn it over to complete strangers? Hmmmm.
Crossed over into LA after twenty miles. As we left Texas we got pictures of a big Texas sign. We hadn't seen one when we entered Texas...how many weeks ago? We started anxiously looking for a Welcome to Louisiana sign but never saw one! But we're here!!
Just after crossing over a lone bike rider came up along side us, rode with us for a while and chatted. He is from the Netherlands, probably older that us, and looking like a lean biking machine! At a chocolate milk stop in Merrysville we sat and visited with him more. He is riding with an Advenure Cycling group from San Diego, CA to St. Augustine FA. No other riders in his group in sight and he had already ridden 70 miles today by noon. This ride was only one of many he has done but is so nonchalant about it that one gets the impression there's nothing to it. He told us that the ferry across the Mississippi to St. Francisville is out of commission. We are really looking forward to visiting there so will have to do some rerouting.

SIDE NOTE: We called the sherrif's department in St. Francisville for ferry info. We were told it will be out of service for a month or two.