Trinity Christian Center

I was up early as we ladies went shopping and out for lunch.  We headed to Burkes, Hancock’s, the mall and lunch at El Reparo.  I order an enchilada with rice and beans.  It wasn’t very good.  Diane wasn’t thrilled with her Taco Salad and Jean’s enchilada had very stringy chicken.  I prefer Sombrero’s.  After a long day of shopping we needed to get back and get ready the Christmas Program at David’s (Camp Director) church. 

We rode with Tommy and Diane and head to watch Meagan and Oliva in the program.

 

Olivia and she did a great job and was a stand out as she got into the songs.  the first girl to the right in the red dress.  Next Meagan (second photo) did a couple solo on the keyboard and she did a job.  She has taught herself how to play and just began Piano lessons in November.  This girl has talent.  There were several other unique skits.  One was on Cow Pies!  YESSS.. I'm talking about real live cow Pies!  A very talented Neural Surgeon who is also a comedian did her version of “Who let the dogs out” it was very good and lead into passing gas in church.  It was done in good taste and very funny.  

 

After the program was time for cookies and hot apple cider.  They have a fantastic kitchen.  Everything was donated to the church from a company going out of business in Texas and they have made a really unique kitchen.  Complete with a bar (of course no alcohol is served here)

another area is a like a gazebo complete with a sitting area

 

and they even had booth’s around just like a restaurant. 

It’s been another wonderful day here Louisiana.  We got home around 9.30 PM and it was time to shower and get ready for bed as we have a long day planned for tomorrow.  Stay turned to find out what is next for us.

Kent House Plantation

I’m going to continue on with the last thing that we did on Saturday.  After leaving For Randolph we headed over to the … Kent House Plantation.

Kent House is a classic example of French colonial architecture. Standing on the original land grant from the King of Spain to Pierre Baillio II, it offers a glimpse of the French, Spanish and American cultures that have influenced Louisiana. All three flags fly over the entrance. 

Kent Plantation House, is an authentic Creole plantation house built circa 1796 prior to the Louisiana Purchase. The house was built by Pierre Baillio II, whose family came from France. Pierre's father was an officer at Fort St. Jean Baptiste, in Natchitoches, Louisiana.

(Front of house from the road)

Kent Plantation House is the oldest standing structure in central Louisiana. Completed in 1800, it was constructed of hand-hewn cypress, handmade brick, and bousillage, the mixture of clay and Spanish moss that packs the timbered walls. The raised Creole building’s second owners added its distinctive flanking pavilions in the 1840s. The house survived not only the Civil War, but a 1963 demolition plan, when citizens raised funds to move the house a few blocks from its original location.

Construction of the house was completed in 1800. Pierre received a land grant of 500 arpents (a French measurement roughly equal to an acre) from King Charles IV of Spain near the Poste des Rapides in 1795. Construction of the house was completed in 1800.

The house, originally only six rooms, is typical of Louisiana colonial construction. It is raised off the ground on brick pillars to protect it from the flood waters of Bayou Rapides. All of the materials used to build the house came from the land: the clay used for the brick pillars, cypress for its sills and beams, and mud, Spanish moss and animal hair for its bousillage walls.

In 1842 Robert C. Hynson purchased the house from Baillio heirs. Hynson had come to Louisiana from Kent County, Maryland and the house was named for that area. Greek Revival style was in vogue, and Mr. Hynson made several changes to the house to bring it up to date, including adding the two square wings at either end of the front gallery. The house and all of the original land grant are now within the city limits of what is now Alexandria, Louisiana in Rapides Parish.

back of the house from the grounds … click here to see the inside of the house .. http://www.kenthouse.org/site/TourtheHouse/tabid/67/Default.aspx

The plantation house is one of the oldest standing structures in the state of Louisiana. Together with its outbuildings, it preserves the homestead of a successful Creole family typical of a Louisiana colonial era working plantation.

  

Kent Plantation House preserves, interprets, and promotes its historic site to educate the public about the history and culture of central Louisiana between 1795 and 1855

Circa 1820-1830 The plantations outer buildings

Milk House … This building was used for the preparation and storage of dairy products. Displays include a creamer which allowed the cream to be skimmed from the surface of the milk and churns in which milk or cream is agitated to separate out the butter. A cistern similar to the one located next to the milk house was used to keep the dairy products cool.  click this link to view more pictures of the inside .. http://www.kenthouse.org/site/TourtheGrounds/MilkHouse/tabid/66/Default.aspx

 

Hearth Kitchen .. This building is an example of Louisiana construction that uses the hand- molded, sun-dried, brick-between-post structure. It is complete with a wood burning, open-hearth fireplace and bread oven. Kitchens were separate from the main house due to frequent damaging fires. All meals would be prepared in this building and quickly carried into the main house. Weekly cooking demonstrations are held annually from October to April.  click this link to view more pictures of the inside .. http://www.kenthouse.org/site/TourtheGrounds/OpenHearthKitchen/tabid/73/Default.aspx

Slave Cabin … Two examples of the hand-molded, sun-dried, brick-between- post slave cabins located on the grounds. The oldest, circa 1820 - 40, contains two ceiling less rooms flanking a center fireplace. More than one slave family would have lived in this sparsely furnished building. The exterior of the doors and windows are painted brownish-red. Among slave beliefs was one that evil spirits could be kept at bay by painting the windows, doors and porch timbers this color.  click this link to view more pictures of the inside .. http://www.kenthouse.org/site/TourtheGrounds/SlaveCabin/tabid/74/Default.aspx

Eden building .. This structure is a rare example of a mortised and pegged building. Its actual purpose is unknown, but it is thought to have been a building used to store grain. Presently it is used to house the spinning wheel and loom displays.  click this link to view more pictures of the inside .. http://www.kenthouse.org/site/TourtheGrounds/EdenBuilding/tabid/75/Default.aspx

Front and back of the …

Carriage house .. the construction is of large hand hewn logs, notched and held together at the corners. One of the very few surviving log buildings in the state, it possesses most of its original hand-forged hardware. Also displayed are antique horse-drawn carriages and related equine rigging, harnesses and equipment.  click this link to view more pictures of the inside ..  http://www.kenthouse.org/site/TourtheGrounds/CarriageHouse/tabid/76/Default.aspx

front and back of the …

Barn .. The barn would have been used to store corn in the two cribs and hay might have been stored above the crib with the window. Located inside the barn are a tool display, tool drawings, a turpentine exhibit, and a farm equipment exhibit.  click this link to view more pictures of the inside ..  http://www.kenthouse.org/site/TourtheGrounds/Barn/tabid/77/Default.aspx

Black Smith shop .. The blacksmith shop is a reproduction building utilizing salvaged timbers from a cabin, circa 1815 - 1830, that was located on Wemple Plantation. A working blower-forge sits surrounded by sledges, hammers, chisels, an anvil, a wooden water bucket and other smith tools.  click this link to view more pictures of the inside .. http://www.kenthouse.org/site/TourtheGrounds/BlacksmithShop/tabid/78/Default.aspx

I borrowed the top picture as the sun made it impossible to get a good picture.  a couple of the pictures are borrowed but I've tried to put my own with them.

Sugar Mill house …the sugar house is the only known operating structure of its kind in existence. It is an accurate reproduction depicting the sugar making process circa 1840. The sugar house contains a series of four kettles of varying sizes. Each kettle has a specific purpose and name. Also on display are two metal, wheeled, sugar hot room cars (called sugar babies). These heavy metal carts were used to store and move the brown sugar used in the seeding process from the warehouses to the sugar house. Sugar making is demonstrated in early November after the cane is harvested.  click this link to view more pictures of the inside .. http://www.kenthouse.org/site/TourtheGrounds/SugarMill/tabid/79/Default.aspx

 

Cemetery .. The cemeteries of Louisiana Plantations play a significant part in the plantation's history. They tell the story of those who built the plantation, who lived there and who died there. The cemetery on the Kent House grounds does not actually have anyone buried on the site but is representative of plantation cemeteries.  click this link to view more pictures ... http://www.kenthouse.org/site/TourtheGrounds/Cemetery/tabid/80/Default.aspx

these big pots were outside in the yard.  I’m assuming they used them to cook things with .. the top one was very large and the bottom was a bit smaller, but i could have sat inside of both of them.  They were huge!!

A garden here as well .. I've been told these are called Victorian gardens

interesting tree .. colorful

National registry plate .. Kent Plantation House, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Satureday was Old Time Christmas and the tour was free from 4-6 PM .. How great is that?  I love it when i can find free things to do .. as you can see they had a very nice crowd and we got to listen to Christmas music, the kids got to see Papa Noel and make fun things and the best of all was they had cookies!

 

Woke up to a dreary looking day, it rained off and on.  On the plus side it was still warm.  Not really much to post about today.  The morning flew by as it always does and i spent the afternoon helping Diane with her blog and tonight I played games. Came home and computed a bit until bed time. 

Work or Play here at Twin Lakes?

We woke up to a beautiful warm morning.  I picked up and before i knew it was time to head up for our 10 AM get together.  We came back home and before we knew it was time to go back up for lunch!  WOW .. time sure does fly by here.  On the way up to the dining hall where we have our gtg we noticed this thing sitting funny … taking a break .. maybe? 

when we arrived at the dining hall, Alton (the guy running it) was there and he said he was stuck!  Hmm .. no .. i can not blame this one on hubby .. I know shocking huh?  Usually everything is hubby’s fault .. but this is a rare moment (hush Wanda .. I know what your thinking) .. hubby wasn’t driving .. sorry boys i know how much you’d enjoy me posting a picture of your dad getting stuck … but not today.

 

I’m wondering if this wasn’t more of an opportunity to play instead of working?  Hmmm   Yessss .. this RV lifestyle is really hard work.

another guy arrived to dig out of this mess (hmm .. looks to me he is almost buried?  I think this guy may  be in deeper then the last one :))   I know boys .. your drooling at all that mud and the fun you could have.  Tommy took pictures for me (thanks Tommy) while Diane and I ran into town.  YESSS .. I know we go to town a lot :)  On the list today was Wal-mart to get our med’s .. hubby’s was ready but they didn’t have mine .. go figure .. i called the doctor’s office and they didn’t know why, both were called in at same time .. next was to Dollar Tree .. YESSS .. Diane loves it as much as i do :)  then over to Office Depot to check on getting an RV Directory printed out.  That took awhile and before we knew it time had flown by and we needed to get back to get things ready for some dinner.  YESSS .. it does seem like all we do here is eat!!

 

Finally he dug himself out and all was good.  I was beginning to wonder there for a bit if he wasn’t getting in deeper :)

I still am going to claim that was more fun then work for the guy but a place there is work going on is at the dining hall which is named after the past Louisiana AG District Superintendent .. Cecil Janway. 

well .. I'm still not convinced this isn’t playing instead of working either .. after all it appears more destruction then fixing is going on .. it’s yet to be determined ..

another window tore out?  Maybe a door going in it’s place? 

 

there is still more walls to be torn out.  It was being done in sections as they had guest here the past few weekends and they had to have a place to seat them.  But now the divider wall is gone and it’s more demolition time. 

once the chairs and walls are gone .. it’s a nice size room

 

Dinner tonight was Taco’s .. Yess .. their killing us with all this spice!  Pizza for lunch and Taco’s for dinner .. they seem to forget we northerner’s are use to bland food.

After dinner we played cards and I won!  Yesss .. how bout that, i started out in hole big time and i pulled out a win .. way to go to me :)  Before we knew it the day was gone and it was time to head home to relax a bit before going to dream world .. hope you had a great day!  I know i promised a continuation of Saturday’s blog but I'm too tired .. maybe tomorrow.

The Red River, Fort Randolph & Buhlow State Historic Site

I slept in the morning as my back and legs were screaming from all the walking we did yesterday.  It was a beautiful day and temps reached the low 80’s!  I spent my morning recouping and my afternoon taking the dogs for a run (i rode the golf cart) and then relaxing in my lounger.  This evening was spent doing more of the same of just relaxing and recouping from a fun filled day yesterday.  I’m going to add to yesterday post since there was just too much to post at one time.

Yesterday we had several choices of what and how we were going to spend the day.  Since we declined an invite from friends Tommy and Diane we needed to make some decisions.  One of my first choices was a local Zoo they have in Alexandria.  After discussing it and we both agreed to go see Fort Randolph and Buhlow first.  It’s on the way!  A joke amongst RV Volunteers – i will go into that another time :)

from the Cajun Pawn shop (continue from yesterday’s blog) heading toward the bridge that goes over the Red River. 

 

The Red River,  located in the Texas Panhandle, runs two different branches in the northern section of Texas and flows about 1,638 km (1,018 mi) eastward along the Texas-Oklahoma border.  From there it goes through southern border with the Oklahoma & Arkansas, then shifts direction and flows south into Louisiana and then SE to the great Mississippi River into the Gulf of Mexico.

  

The Red River separates Alexandria and Pineville, LA. 

across the river and a few turns and you find signs for Fort Randolph and Buhlow, located on the Red River in downtown Pineville, the site includes a visitor center with exhibits on the Civil War Red River Campaign, an elevated boardwalk around the fort area, with an overlook near Bailey's Dam site, and an open field for Civil War re-enactments. Forts Randolph & Buhlow were placed on the National Register of Historic Places on June 1, 1981.   

continue down the road and you see the entrance

a bit closer up of the entrance sign

once you enter the entrance you follow the road to the visitor center

Inside the visitor center we were asked where we come from.  We said Illinois and it was stated … OH the the evil enemy  coming to check us out :) . Yes ..  Illinois was from the Union and the home of President Lincoln.  Of course it was a very friendly greeting and we all laughed and enjoyed it.

Inside the visitor center we watched about a  15 minute video which gave us a bit of information on the Civil War and why the Forts were built. We also toured the displays they have inside.

confederate uniform and saddle

a replica of the Forts

a replica of how they lived

A demonstration of how to remove the seed from cotton

cotton was a big thing back then and it was considered the gold of the south.  First is to get the seeds out of the cotton before making it into thread.  It has to be ran through twice to get all the seeds out and the seeds were kept for replanting.

you can feel seeds all through the cotton.  Pretty neat as i have never felt cotton in it’s natural form, nor seen a cotton machine.  I’m fascinated with cotton and i love the feel of it.  I prefer my clothing made out of cotton then anything else.

  

After the Battle of Mansfield.   Confederates expected a third invasion by Union forces of the Louisiana Red River Valley in 1865. Halting the Union advance to the West in Spring of 1864, Forts Randolph and Buhlow were constructed on the Red River at Alexandria by Confederate General Edmund Kirby Smith, commander of the confederate Trans-Mississippi Department.  Realizing the need for fortifications along the Red River, in order to repel future Union attacks through Northwest Louisiana and prevent Union naval vessels from ascending the river past Alexandria Louisiana.  

  

Completed by March 1865, under the command of Cpt. Christopher M. Randolph and supervised by a military engineer, Lt. Alphonse Buhlow, for whom the forts are named after. A third and larger fort, planned for the Alexandria side of the river, was never built.

The Fort Randolph had an outer ditch and central earthen citadel with gun positions, magazine, and bombproof shelters for the garrison. It is estimated that the fort held from 4 to 8 guns. It was built in tandem with Fort Buhlow (located just to the north of Fort Randolph). It was sited on a hill overlooking the rapides in the Red River then in existence and the remains of Bailey’s Dam which had been built in May 1864. The fort was built mainly by free Negroes and slaves who were conscripted to provide labor. Confederate soldiers from units stationed in the area also contributed to the construction so that the fort would be completed before the start of the campaigning season in the spring of 1865.

The earthen forts, constructed using local plantation slave labor, were fortified with cannon and over 800 soldiers. In addition to a Confederate troop buildup in the Alexandria area, the Confederate ironclad Missouri was anchored in the river opposite

After the Forts were built they were never involved in any action during the American Civil War. In May of 1865, the Confederates surrendered to Union forces.  The fort was surrendered to Union forces on June 3, 1865, and the Forts where occupied for a short while by the Union before being abandoned at the end of the war.  

The United Daughters of the Confederacy held a ceremony to place markers at Forts Randolph and Buhlow in October 1927

   

Forts Randolph & Buhlow State Historic Site also includes the remains of Bailey’s Dam. Bailey’s Dam, remarkable for its design and the amount of time required in constructing it, allowed for the Union Fleet, under the command of Admiral David Porter, to escape below the rapids on the Red River at Alexandria during the Union retreat after the battle of Mansfield. Called “one of the greatest engineering feats of the Civil War,” The dam designed by Colonel Joseph Bailey has left a lasting mark on the history of the region. The site is today commemorated with interpretive signage and a scenic overlook of the Red River.

One of the guns from the fort

 

the board walk that goes around the fort

 

signs with history .. Why was Fort Randolph built?

Click on this picture and you can read it better

here is what the fort area looks like today .. can imagine having to live here?  One of the signs said that after being built the first winter conditions were terrible as Alexandria was flood and temps reached below freezing. 

 

Lake Pierson

 

a replica of what the soldiers lived in .. doesn’t look like you would stay to warm in this .. huh??

 

Cypress roots

 

There really isn’t a lot to see when walking around the fort.  It’s mostly just grown up brush. But .. you have to remember is that the Union had already came and burned everything down and dirt was basically all they had left other then the few guns they could get.  The Navy had come in first for the cotton and what they could get.  They were ordered to leave the town in tact but then the Army came in and destroyed the town.  The people fled to safety in the levee.  You can read more about it here .. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexandria,_Louisiana

  

the beauty of the place is after you tour the fort.  Here is a side  view of the bridge going over the Red River.

  

I love this picture, this was so cute.  Here in the south they grow gardens in boxes .. they love their greens.

 

this side of the garden was greens that could be eaten, turnip greens, collards and mustard greens, green onions

the other side was my kind of greens .. cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower .. now that is what I'm talking about

telling some history of the place to some other tourist.  This is a beautiful setting and I can imagine when the grass is green it’s breath taking.

reenactment of what it was like to live here at the fort

 

Can you imagine when it’s cold or raining outside and having to cook like this all the time?   Thinking about it makes me really thankful and appreciate my modern day kitchen  ... i have to be honest and admit I love my luxury’s of indoor gas stove, gas grills and electric appliances.  Makes cooking so much easier.  I can’t imagine having to bend over all the time to cook my meals with this ole back i have, esp when it’s cold or raining as i can barely stand up on those days.

On the hand, I have to say that in our younger years before my illness and we could afford the luxury of a camper, we tent camped and i did not mind cooking like this at all.  We looked forward to going camping and cooking like this for a bit using the fire to cook along with our portable propane stove & grill outside, it was fun.  We have some great memories of our family experiencing the great outdoors. 

 

In fact I still love to cook outside today but I have to admit i prefer my gas grill and my electric appliances.  Although I’ve been told that out in the desert in AZ and CA you will find this setup still exist and I am looking forward to getting to experience it this winter on our journey.  Not sure i could cook this way as bending over the fire, I'd likely fall in with my balance.   I used to have several Dutch ovens and iron skillets and I have to admit that i miss them but when with my lifting limitation and starting our RV living life style we were thinking of weight and they were just to heavy for both.

Fort Buhlow is closed to the public.  It could be because they are building a new bridge over in that area.  It wasn’t clarified.  It was $4.00 per person, 12 and under or 62 or older are free.  It was a beautiful day to walk about and take in the scenery.  I have to admit it wasn’t thrilling walking around the fort.  All it managed to do was irritate my allergies and felt like we were walking in a big ole berm pile which was not thrilling to me.  After walking it and thinking about it later makes you realize what the people had to endure must of been horrible. 

We did enjoy walking and seeing how the soldiers lived and the re enactment.  It’s another Fort we can add to our list that we have seen.  We love forts and their history.

Stay turned as this adventure does not stop here .. YESS .. there is more to come :)