Slowing the Pace Down on Saturday

Saturday afternoon I was ready to slow down the pace.  It has been busy and I just felt like we needed to slow down and do something old-fashioned.  We jumped in the car and headed into town to the Rocket Drive Inn to get Root Beer Frosties.  Russ got a deep fried twinkie.  We enjoyed our snack and then headed due west on old Highway 90, over the overpass, through Roanoke and on to Welsh.  We enjoyed looking at the old live oak trees that lined the highway, planted back when Highway 90 was the "main road."

When we got to Lacassine, we turned due south at the caution light and headed toward Hayes.  Then we turned left on Lorrain Road.  It is a shady two lane country road that slopes downward.  I told the family that before we all got so busy and distracted with cell phones, the Internet and entertainment, people would take weekend drives and take in the sights and sounds.  Well, that's just what we did.  We got out of the car at Lorrain Park and sat on the dock and watched alligators.  There were two or three of them out in the water, swimming back and forth.

This one came pretty close to us.  Almost close enough to become a pair of boots.

Lorrain Park is a beautiful place.  It is a historic site that features a cool, old bridge.  The bridge was built in 1895 and links Calcasieu and Jefferson Davis Parishes.  In 1920 it was reconstructed and used as a wooden draw-bridge.  The wooden bridge was rebuilt in 2004.  Many seniors go to take their senior pictures here as the scenery is spectacular.

On the other side of the bridge - the Jeff Davis Parish side, the road turns into a gravel road.  The road is shrouded by cypress and tupelo gum trees, draped in Spanish Moss.  Palmetto and cypress knees fill the bayou all along the side of the road.

We stood on the bridge and watched the alligators swim and fish splash in the muddy water.  Water bugs swam in the duck salad floating on top of the water.

Lorrain Bridge crosses Lacassine Bayou.  As we've had no rain in a while, the water was low.  We could see by the water mark on the trees that the water level was about 4 feet lower than normal.

Lorrain Bridge is a beautiful sight...

And the slow moving bayou that meanders through the cypress beckoned us to slow down, match its pace and enjoy the scenery.

There's no rat-race at Lorrain Bridge.  We enjoyed our afternoon.