Louisiana: Lake Fausse Pointe State Park: A Second Visit

At the end of November I visited Lake Fausse Pointe State Park a second time.

Approached the park entrance about quarter til 8:00 a.m.

Saw this.

Morning mist. Near Lake Fausse Pointe State Park, November 29, 2013.

Louisiana: Lake Fausse Point State Park in Autumn

Lake Fausse Point State Park, Louisiana. November 2013.

From a visit to Lake Fausse Point State Park in late November:

Lake Fausse Point State Park, Louisiana. November 2013.

Lake Fausse Point State Park, Louisiana. November 2013.

Lake Fausse Point State Park, Louisiana. November 2013.

Lake Fausse Point State Park, Louisiana. November 2013.

Lake Fausse Point State Park, Louisiana. November 2013.

Lake Fausse Point State Park, Louisiana. November 2013.

Funny, I'd assumed that one pronounced "fausse" like "hoss." But a long-time Louisiana resident pronounced it "fossy."

So now I just had a crazy idea - what if I called the park and asked for the correct pronunciation?  So I did. It's "fossy," rhyming with "mossy."

As you may recall, I saw a number of armadillos here.   

I heard a lot of gunshots, and another visitor conjectured the sounds were from duck hunters.

Louisiana: Armadillos, Undead

I was surprised to hear a small chuffing sound, then movement in the brush on yesterday’s trail walk at Lake Fausse Point State Park. I looked down and over to see not an American alligator, but an armadillo. Undead.

Undead. Imagine. Heretofore, I’ve only seen them dead.

Dead armadillo, Missouri

A few minutes later, continuing on the trail, I practically stepped on an armadillo. Also alive. Its apparent cluelessness about the prospective danger of a bipedal carnivore might explain the large quantities of its dead brethren on the roads.

Before my walk was done, I’d seen two more of the critters, both living.

This reminded me of Kate’s story about when she and Pam went on a safari about 10 years ago. It was the very first day of their very first safari, and right off the bat, they saw a herd of gazelles. The driver intended to keep driving, but Kate said, “No! Stop! I want to see the gazelles!” The guide said, “Kate, we will see so many of these, let’s continue without stopping.” But Kate said, “No, really, we must stop.” ….She took many photos before they drove on. …. It wasn’t too much later in the day when Kate, after seeing innumerable gazelles, saw that it was best to continue.

And so it is that my interest in a living armadillo evinced a sharp incline, a peak, and a rapid decline, all within the space of a quarter-hour.

Louisiana: American Alligator is the New Mountain Lion

Went to Lake Fausse Lake Point State Park today.

One of the first signs I saw:

Lake Fausse Point State Park, Louisiana

Another sign helpfully noted the average size of an American alligator is between six and 12 feet. So it can be as long as a room.

Which reminds me of this sign:

McKittrick Canyon, Texas

.. which is like the sign I saw when I first arrived in Alamogordo, New Mexico.

Predators all the same, just different teeth and wrapping.