Week 30

Our second bedroom is the office, and Kerby's desk faces the big window.  On Monday he told me to come look, and there were a mama and papa cardinal on our windowsill.  They would fly away, come back with twigs, and disappear into the bush that practically touches the window.  On Wednesday we peeked in and saw a perfect little nest.  When we came back from Houston (details below), we peeked in and saw three beautiful little eggs.  Won't peek any more until the babies are hatched, but can hardly wait to see what happens as they hatch and grow!

Should hatch in 11-13 days

Monday night was the volunteer recognition dinner at the prison.  Even though we'd only been there one time, we went to the dinner.  We were so glad we did for two reasons.  First the warden spoke for a few minutes and we were very impressed with his remarks.  He said that people were in prison for a reason, and some of them should not and would not ever leave prison.  But many of them would make positive changes in prison and part of the work of volunteers is to help them have contact with "normal life" and prepare to reenter society.  He reminded us that not one prisoner volunteered to be there, and the staff all get paid to work there, but the volunteers represent goodness and caring to the prisoners because they come to make a difference.  His whole speech was very interesting.

The second reason we're glad we went is that we sat by a man from Crowley, about an hour south of the prison, and the rice capital of Louisiana.  He told us all kinds of things about rice fields and crawfish.  Rice farmers don't plant rice in all of their fields/ponds every year.  In the fields that don't grow rice, they "grow" crawfish.  Both crops need lots of water, and the crawfish may be the more lucrative of the two.  He told us what to watch for--a rice field with little PVC pipes poking up with sort of netting around them.  The crawfish back into the traps, but can't climb up the pipe to get out.  The farmer then drives a shallow boat through the rows to harvest the crawfish.  We saw them all over southern Louisiana and Texas on our trip.

Crawfish trap

Crawfish traps in rice field

We visited folks in Marksville on Tuesday, and saw these pretty flowers.  They look like crocosmia, but have never seen pink ones.

Wednesday was our second visit to the prison.  This time there were three people who had not been with us the week before and two of the three who had.  It was actually a wonderful experience, and we are looking forward to becoming more familiar with the process as well as getting to know the men better.  We're gaining new appreciation for Matthew 25:36  " . . . . I was in prison, and ye came unto me."

When we left the prison, we began the drive to Houston.  Because this week was spring break, we didn't have any classes to visit or seminary/institute work to do, so we met the Blackburns in Houston for a temple trip.  As always, it was so good to be in the temple.  The Wednesday night session was in Spanish, so we wore headphones--had never done that before.  We did initiatory and sealing Thursday morning, went to the Houston Museum of Fine Art in the afternoon, then returned to the temple for a final session that evening.

The museum was very lovely.  In the sculpture garden was a fantastic piece called Cloud Column by the same artist, Anish Kapoor, who created the famous 'bean' sculpture in Chicago.

Cloud Column Front and Back

Some Rodin and Matisse

Friday we came home via miles of refineries along the coast.  Houston and environs are really oil towns.

Bridge and Refinery at Baytown, TX

Our last stop before home was Avery Island, LA.  That's where Tabasco is made, and we went on that tour in November.  This time we went to the Jungle Garden.  Edward McIlhenny, who created Tabasco sauce, was also a conservationist.  He developed a fabulous area that saved the egret from extinction in LA and also highlights other native birds, creatures, and plants.  The island is actually a salt dome that extends 8 miles beneath the earth's surface. Quite fascinating and beautiful couple of hours.

First of several alligators we saw--he's reading his own warning sign!

300-year old Live Oak tree, top; Resurrection Fern grows on live oak limbs, bottom

Spanish Moss on the beautiful Live Oak trees

Hundreds of Egrets nesting (would have been more a month ago)

Man-made Bayou and an egret among the cypress knees outside the restaurant

Today is Easter Sunday, and I taught the Sunday School lesson.  Cannot express the gratitude I feel for the Savior of the World, for the Father who gave His Son that we might find comfort and healing through His grace in this life and immortality and eternal life in the world to come.