Waking early comes easy.
I tidy up my portion of the bunk room in quiet — our teen is still sleeping. Then I walk to the dining area. A few others are there, eating a cold breakfast and selecting fruit and chips for snacks on the homeward drive.
Clouds remain but at the moment it’s not raining. Everyone finishes their packing. I’m surprised that it takes less space than at the beginning. We carry things out to the vans and discover a new, temporary camp resident. A small black and white dog has slipped through the fence. He ignores the three cats – or maybe they do the ignoring – and poses for photos.
Double check. Wipe down the bunks. Stash camera and snacks within reach. Then it’s time for a group prayer, final checks for cell phones, and a decision to stop for first available fuel by the drivers.
Clouds. Interrmittent rain. Conditions are not good for photos as we roll across the causeway, the first small portion of the Interstate.
We’re a quiet group in our van. The driver and I stay awake, the other pair doze in varying amounts.
Texts fly back and forth. We pull off for a short break. Farewell Louisiana. We’re really on our way back to St. Louis.
