We have died and gone to heaven. We are about 12 miles south of Centerville LA, down Hwy 317, staying with CouchSurfing hosts Russ and Paul. Back in 1989, Russ moved an old slaves quarters house onto his land, now measuring perhaps several acres. The land is bounded by 317 in front and by sugarcane fields in the back, and much of the surrounding land belongs to other family members. Everything is lush and green, and there’s a bayou – Bayou Sale’ (pronounced bayou sally) running along the property in the front.
When I think of how to describe Russ and Paul, and the land, peaceful is the first word that comes to mind. They are very creative, clever, full of fun, and very relaxed. Every window shows acres of green and trees, and they have an above ground pool and a hot tub. They run a small stained glass business from their property, doing commissions, creating some pieces to sell retail, and teaching classes. We had the good luck to be able to sit in on one of their classes the first night we arrived, and sure enough, their students are really fun and relaxed, too. The level of work their students are turning out is amazing – it’s hard to believe that they are first pieces. We’ve already given notice that we’ll be back for one of their weekend workshops when we finish our trip. If you’ve ever wanted to know how to do stained glass, you should seriously consider coming here for a weekend. They’ll provide the materials, the instructions, a place to stay, 3 meals, and all the instruction. And New Orleans isn’t very far away, so you can make a week of it and do that as well!
We’ve had an incredibly peaceful week being here. We’ve gotten caught up on some writing, we’ve rested, we’ve laughed a lot with Russ and Paul separately and together, and we’ve talked music, movies, and local history. We even got a ride into a local WalMart today to pick up supplies! We’ve gone swimming in the pool, and watched movies together, and eaten some great meals. We are really sad to have to be moving on, but we will carry them and this week with us in our hearts.
We are cooking a last meal for them tonight, doing laundry and packing, and we’ll end by watching a movie. Tomorrow morning we’ll take off without our trailers, and Russ is going to meet us up in Baldwin with our trailers. Our goal is to reach New Iberia tomorrow night (40 miles) and stay with another couchsurfing host. We are sad to leave, but we are, as always, looking forward to the future.
Signing off from Centerville LA