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Alma M. Womack
Treasured Mountain Trips
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H EURNH WUDGLWLRQ ODVW \HDU DQG WRRN RXU VXPPHU WULS WR WKH PRXQWDLQV DURXQG (XUHND 6SULQJV $UNDQVDV 8VXDOO\ we are found on an Alabama or Florida beach in the hot VXQ DQG HQGOHVV VDQG WKDW WKH EHDFK DIIRUGV 1HYHU P\ FXS RI WHD EXW , DOZD\V ZHQW EHFDXVH WKH JLUOV DQG WKH ODWHU JUDQGFKLOGUHQ WKDW l acquired preferred the white sands and blue waters of the Gulf of 0H[LFR WR DQ\WKLQJ FRROHU DQG OHVV VDQG\ ,W WRRN DOO GD\ WR JHW WR QRUWKHUQ $UNDQVDV VLQFH ZH KDG VKRSSLQJ VWRSV DQG IRRG VWRSV DORQJ WKH ZD\ :H JRW WKHUH DW QLJKW DQG WKH *36 V\VWHPV LQ WKH WUXFNV KDG XV FUHHSLQJ DORQJ RQ GDUN PRXQWDLQ URDGV ZLWK QDU\ D OLJKW DURXQG WR KHOS JXLGH WKH ZD\ -* DQG , ZHUH SUHWW\ VXUH WKDW &ODLUH DQG -RULH KDG JRWWHQ XV ORVW LQ WKH GDUNQHVV EXW DIWHU QXPHURXV WZLVWV DQG WXUQV ZH SXOOHG LQWR WKH \DUG RI WKH camp that Claire had rented. :H ZHUH GHOLJKWHG ZLWK RXU DFFRPPRGDWLRQV D WZR VWRU\ FDPS with a guest house, situated on the shores of a beautiful lake. I was TXLFNO\ DVVLJQHG WKH JXHVW KRXVH DQG ZKLOH WKH JURZQXSV ZHUH XQSDFNLQJ WKH ER\V JRW WKHLU ÀVKLQJ URGV DQG KHDGHG WR WKH ODNH 7KH DLU ZDV FRRO QRW KXPLG D UHDO WUHDW IRU XV VLQFH ZH·G OHIW Catahoula Parish with temps in the 90s and the sultriness that goes with our heat. 6XQGD\ WKH ÀUVW IXOO GD\ WKHUH ZH UHVWHG DQG UHDG EURFKXUHV to plan our activities. We found caves to explore, guided tours of WKH YHU\ TXLUN\ (XUHND 6SULQJV DQG PRUH SODFHV WR VZLP DQG ÀVK than Woodrow and JG could believe. Page 50 { March / April 2021 { Bluffs & Bayous
Without going into too much boring information DERXW ´ZKDW , GLG RQ P\ YDFDWLRQ µ OHW XV VD\ WKDW ZH ZHQW VZLPPLQJ DQG ÀVKLQJ LQ ODNHV DQG WKH %XIIDOR River, fossil hunting, cave exploring, canoeing, and VFHQHU\ DGPLULQJ IRU D IXOO ZHHN 6LQFH WKH PDVN PDGQHVV ZDV LQ IXOO VZLQJ E\ WKH WLPH ZH ZHUH there, few restaurants were open; and those that were would deliver food outside to us waiting in the SUV. 1RW H[DFWO\ WKH NLQGV RI PHDOV ZH KDG hoped for. -RULH &ODLUH DQG , DUH DOO SUHWW\ JRRG FRRNV VR ZH PRVWO\ IHG RXUVHOYHV DW KRPH WKDW LV XQWLO WKH RYHQ ZHQW RXW DQG ZH ZHUH OHIW ZLWK MXVW D FRRN WRS ,W WRRN D IHZ SKRQH FDOOV DQG D FRXSOH RI GD\V WR FRQYLQFH VRPHRQH WR À[ WKH RYHQ EXW LW ZDV ÀQDOO\ done, and we could bake good things again. 7KH ORFDO JURFHU\ VWRUH ZDV QRW 5RXVHV RU .URJHU but we made do with what we could get. Most of WKH VWRUHV LQ WKH WRZQ ZHUH WRXULVW\ HVWDEOLVKPHQWV and I declare that over half the population was old KLSSLHV IURP WKH V 7LH G\H DQG %LUNHQVWRFNV ZHUH HYHU\ZKHUH DQG VR ZHUH ROG JX\V ZLWK VLOYHU SRQ\WDLOV $OO DURXQG ZHUH ORWV RI SRWWHU\ DQG ZLQG chimes and questionable art that I attributed to the old hippies, for it was like a rebirth of another time WKDW , KDGQ·W SDUWLFXODUO\ OLNHG EDFN WKHQ 7KH WRZQ ERDVWHG PDQ\ EHDXWLIXO ROG KRPHV spaced about two feet from each other and perched on the sides of the mountains where it looked like D ELJ UDLQ ZRXOG KDYH WKHP DOO VOLGLQJ GRZQ WR WKH YDOOH\ ,W ZDV D ORYHO\ SODFH WR YLVLW DQG , DP JODG WKDW ZH JRW WR WDNH WKDW VWHS EDFN in time, fashion wise, and see the town that used to be a special GHVWLQDWLRQ IRU WKH OHDGHUV RI WKHLU GD\ 7KH QDWXUDO EHDXW\ RI $UNDQVDV LV PDUYHORXV DOO ULJKW EXW IRU PH QRWKLQJ LV PRUH EHDXWLIXO WKDQ WKH 6KHQDQGRDK 9DOOH\ LQ 9LUJLQLD 0\ IULHQGV &DURO\Q +XIIPDQ -RDQLH /RVVLQ DQG )UDQFLV 3XJK DQG , PDGH WKDW WULS LQ 2FWREHU DQG ZH KDG D JUDQG ROG WLPH :H VSHQW WKH QLJKW LQ D GLIIHUHQW WRZQ HYHU\ QLJKW DWH DW ÀQH UHVWDXUDQWV DQG WRRN LQ DOO WKH VLJKWV DQG EHDXW\ RI WKLV PDUYHORXV part of America. 7RZQV WKHUH DUH YHU\ ROG DQG KRPHVWHDGV VWLOO GRW WKH 9DOOH\ perfect to view from a mountain road; and the people were some RI WKH QLFHVW IRONV DURXQG )UDQFLV DQG , GLG WKH GULYLQJ DQG ,·OO KDYH WR DGPLW )UDQFLV QHYHU JRW ORVW 7RR EDG , FDQ·W VD\ WKH VDPH IRU P\VHOI +RZHYHU ZH ZHUH QHYHU ORVW ORQJ IRU -RDQLH·V WUXVWHG SKRQH PDS DOZD\V JRW XV EDFN WR WKH ULJKW SDWK Both of the mountain trips made great memories and gave us DOO DQ DSSUHFLDWLRQ RI WKH XQERXQGHG EHDXW\ WKDW LV RXU $PHULFD , ZLOO DOZD\V FKHULVK WKHVH WULSV ZLWK IDPLO\ DQG IULHQGV DQG , ZLOO FRQWLQXH WR SODQ WR VHH SDUWV RI WKH FRXQWU\ QRW FRYHUHG LQ EHDXWLIXO ZKLWH VWLFN\ KRW VDQG Columnist Alma Womack lives on Smithland Plantation on Black River, south of Jonesville, Louisiana. In addition to her duties as maitresse des maison, she is the keeper of the lawn, the lane and the pecan orchard at Smithland.
