Shrimp and Thunderstorms

By Sunday afternoon, we were one of seven groups of campers left in Chicot State Park: the largest state park in Louisiana. With almost 200 spots, we each had our plot of privacy. Clearing out earlier than the 1pm check out time, the park was muggy, humid at a level like a misty bathroom after a hot shower. Then, the thunder began. Shortly after that, so did the rain.

The search for crustaceans

Searching through our pantry, I found a box mix of “gumbo” seasoning. I set it out on the counter, deciding to use it for dinner, then sat down to listen to the rain. When Jeremiah saw what I had chosen for dinner, he decided we needed shrimp instead of spicy sausage and set forth in the exploder to the nearest gas station grocery to see what he could find. (Yes, a grocery update will be coming shortly once we frequent another grocers or two here in Louisiana.)

By the time he arrived back with 2 six packs of Louisiana-brewed beer, ice cream, and 2 pounds of jumbo shrimp, the lawn outside the RV was a shallow lake. It was evident that there is a reason the spaces at Chicot State Park are so unlevel; you’d drown otherwise.

The De-Heading

Standing outside in the rain, Bernadette’s leash looped between my legs, Jeremiah and I de-headed two pounds of shrimp by our trash can, rain hitting our head and shoulders. By the time we had finished deconstructing the shrimp bodies, our shirts were damp. Bernadette hates rain, and she had been pawing at her face the entire time we were out there, letting us know she had just about had it.

Leftovers for weeks

We headed back in, brought our boxed gumbo mix to a boil, and realized after our 2 servings each that we had leftovers enough for about a week. Turns out even after being de-headed and de-shelled that two pounds of shrimp is a lot of shellfish. (I don’t think I’m going to be eating week-old shrimp, so I’ll keep you updated on that.)

Next up: Beignets and Voodoo

If it wasn’t evident enough, we’re back on the road after being in the Dallas area for what felt like forever. Louisiana with it’s bayous and Cajun food is home for the next bit of time, and we’re happy to scratch off another state on our map. Next up: New Orleans is and along with it: Beignets and Voodoo!

Also, I’m a sucker for a theme, so if you can recommend a good Louisiana-based movie, book, podcast, etc, let me know!