From Alligator Hunting to Picking Blueberries - Fun Things to Do Near Home in Livingston, Texas

April at home in Livingston, Texas, brought several tornado watches/warnings and tons of rain, for which the trees, bushes, plants, and wildflowers showed their appreciation with an abundance of blooms.  Fortunately, we had cloudless skies for the appearance of the Pink Moon and for a Starlink satellite flyover.

Mom was thrilled that the Texas Barrel Cactus bestowed to us by Bill/Sandy bloomed--multiple times!

Yellow roses--Mom's second favorite flower!

Colorful garden and shrine at St. Mary's Church in Livingston, where we supported their Friday Fish Fry.

Unenhanced photo of Pink Moon, taken with our older Android cell phone attached to our tabletop telescope--not too shabby.

Thank you, Elon Musk, for Starlink's superior service and saving Mom's sanity now that she doesn't need to use Verizon service as a hotspot!

We returned to our once-weekly 5-hour volunteer shift at Mannafest Food Pantry, after which we always indulge in a hearty lunch (followed by a nap).  In the Fall we frequented Stella's, a French cafe that always provides a scrum-delish-ous gourmet meal.  This Spring we are patronizing My Place, a great local eatery with down-home cooking, nicely-sized portions, daily specials, and reasonable prices.  (Sadly, it is only open for breakfast and lunch on weekdays.)

Livingston's First Methodist Church hosts several free musical performances each year (donations accepted and appreciated).  We attended a concert by the Livingston High School Chorale.  Wow, what a talented group of young adults!  We also were fortunate to attend the cantata, At the Ninth Hour, chronicling Jesus's crucifixion, death, and resurrection. Mom cooked us a nice meal for Easter, including lasagna, home-made bread, and a special cake for yours truly, Rambling RV Rat.  

Mom made me a special cake at Easter to celebrate the day Dad rescued me from that lonely top shelf in the toy store.  Her efforts at artistry to make it resemble me failed miserably, but it sure tasted good.

May was humid and hot like Hades, with significantly higher-than-normal temperatures for the time of year.  But we still managed to stay active and find fun stuff to do in the area, including blueberry picking at C&M Farms on Holly Grove Road in Livingston (FB Page: The Blueberry Farm, Livingston).  Their picking season usually runs from late May to late June.  I can’t say enough good things about this place.  The field is flat, the grass is cut low (so I didn’t worry about snakes), and the bushes are tall (so no backaches from bending).  The family members who own the farm are friendly, helpful, and genuinely good people.  Best of all, the berries are always plump, plentiful, and pleasing to the palate.  This Rambling RV Rat finds C&M Farms a most worthy recipient of my coveted 5-cheese award!

 

We took the Rambling RV Rat Pack Rubicon down to Sabine National Wildlife Refuge in Hackberry, Louisiana, about 45 minutes East of Port Arthur, Texas.  Our mission: to view some alligators in the wild.  I am sorry to report I saw more dead ones than living ones.  This is a sad commentary, since alligators are like armadillos.  They have only 1 predator—humankind--or more specifically, the chrome bumpers of their automobiles.  Though not mentioned on the Refuge’s website, upon arrival we found the most important trail, Wetlands Boardwalk, along with several facility buildings, closed for construction.  (This infuriates me!  There is no point in having a website if it does not include up-to-date information!)  Nevertheless, we enjoyed learning about the harvesting of blue claw crabs.   A good ole’ raw chicken leg attached to a string is used as bait.  I noticed the crabs weren’t the only ones attracted to the chicken—a few alligators were sticking their noses out of the water near the lines that were cast.  

The only alligator among the living that I saw the whole day!

This guy wasn't so lucky.

A chest of freshly-harvested blue claw crabs--someone is going to have one delicious dinner!

We made several pitstops on our route home from the Refuge to view tankers, turtles, seabirds, and trails, including Ghost Town Scenic Drive in Sarasota, Texas.  Located within the Big Thicket National Preserve along an old railroad spur, this 8-mile road is shrouded in legend.  Supposedly, in the dark of night, mysterious lights will appear.  It is said they are attributed to the lantern held by the ghost of a railroad worker, searching for his head that was decapitated in a wreck.  I saw nada, zippo, zilch—though I must admit we did not go “in the dark of night.”  We were there at dusk on an overcast day.  So, in fairness, I will refrain from discrediting this tale.

A picnic lunch along the shoreline of the Gulf of America/Mexico.

Utilizing our Texas State Park Pass at least once is always on our itinerary when we are home.  So, in addition to our requisite visit to Lake Livingston State Park, we took the motorcycles for a back-roads ride to Huntsville State Park.  I learned I didn’t need to go to Louisiana to hunt alligators.  The Ranger informed me that about 40 alligators are active residents in Huntsville State Park.  Alligators eat turtles, snakes, and small mammals (yikes, that includes rats!). Unfortunately, I only saw 1 alligator in my search: a 9-month-old in captivity.  But I still enjoyed hiking with my folks, viewing Lake Raven, and being among nature.  And I learned that the Park was built by Company 1823 of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC).  Comprised of Black veterans from World War I and the earlier Spanish American War, the members of Company 1823 were older and more experienced than many other CCC Companies.  

Lake Livingston State Park.

I met this feisty juvenile alligator currently in captivity at Huntsville State Park.

Lake Raven at Huntsville State Park.

Although I saw no alligators at Huntsville State Park, I encountered a copperhead snake while on a hiking trail there.

We returned to playing pickleball twice a week with our group at the 4 outdoor courts at Matthews Street Park in Livingston.  And to get a break from the heat, we played indoors on a few Thursdays at 5 p.m. at the Global Methodist Church in Cold Spring, Texas.

 

We love our line dancing. Mom participates occasionally in the classes offered at Escapees Rainbow’s End RV Park at 8:30 a.m. (Beginners = Tuesday/Thursdays, Advanced = Mondays/Wednesdays/Fridays).  But we generally take our lessons on Tuesdays with Instructor Diane at 9:30 a.m. at the San Jacinto Senior Citizen Center in Cold Spring and on Wednesday evenings at the VFW Post 1839 in Cleveland, Texas. If you prefer to learn some 2-stepping or swing dancing, a class is offered by a different instructor at VFW Post 8568 in Livingston on Tuesdays at 6 p.m.  No partner?  No problem.  The instructor will rotate students, so everyone gets to practice.   And there are opportunities to put all these dance lessons to good use.  Both the VFW Post 1839 in Cleveland and the VFW Post 8568 I Livingston have live country music bands every Saturday night.  

 

San Jacinto Senior Center dance class members.

VFW Post 1839 dance class members, with beloved instructor Diane in center.

Oddly, Rainbow’s End RV Park swimming pool operates as if it is in the Northeast.  It opens in time for Memorial Day and usually closes by Labor Day.  But in my humble opinion, the heat and humidity in these Piney Woods of East Texas justify the pool being open all year.  Now I know, that just ain’t gonna happen--no way, no how.  But I have found other options in the area!  Indeed, Woodsy Hollow Campground and RV Park in Goodrich (Woodsy Hollow Campground and RV Resort; Facebook: Woodsy Hollow Campground) has their 5 to 8-foot deep pool open year round, and offers use to the public for a $5/day/person fee (however, there is no lifeguard on duty).  Though not open year round, Livingston's Matthews Street Park (where we play pickleball) has a community pool with lifeguards on duty that can be enjoyed for a nominal fee ($3/day/person ages 3+). (Facebook: Livingston TX City Pool).

 

Keeping the meaning of Memorial Day close to our hearts, we attended the annual ceremony at Gipson Funeral Home in Lufkin in remembrance of those military members who made the ultimate sacrifice while serving our Nation and protecting our freedoms.

 

We haven’t been to the movies in eons, but we went to 2 in the last week at Cinemark in Lufkin: Mission Impossible: Final Reckoning and The Last Rodeo.  Each scored 4 cheeses from this Rambling RV Rat.

We attended several Ice Cream Socials at Escapees Rainbow’s End (Sundays, 6 p.m.) and a Monthly Potluck Dinner (held the 3^rd Thursday of each month).   April's event also served to express well wishes to long-time Escapees members and Park Residents Carolee/Dan, who moved out of state.     

 

 

And, of course, getting together with local friends as well as those passing through the area is always a top priority for my parents.

 

 

As for me, I have made some new friends of my own during my daily walks with Mom.

This beautiful cardinal was a bit camera shy, but I managed to get a photo.

I met "Gilbert" while browsing at a "resale" shop.  He is even older than I am!

I am happy to say that Dad's doctor appointments in April went well.  So, we leave tomorrow to embark on our summer RV adventures.  I'll talk to you again soon or maybe even see ya down the road!