Sunday provide excellent weather for a visit to a beautiful place, Briarwood, Caroline Dorman Nature Preserve.
Caroline Dorman lived most of her 83 years in a log house in secluded woodlands in a remote area of northeast Natachitoches Parish. She was world renown as a conservationist, naturalist, botanist, artist, historian, author, student of Indian lore and collector of native plants.
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| Linda, Richard and Jessie in front of the Visitors' Center. |
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I was invited by my neighbor, Linda, to ride to Briarwood with her and a couple of her friends, Sara and Jean. As we came to the Visitors' Center we were met by Richard and Jessie. Richard and Jessie have devoted much of their lives carrying out Caroline Dormon's work to preserve southern flora.
Linda told me to pay attention to the wallpaper in the restroom. How could I miss it?
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| Native Azalea |
There where hundreds of butterflies. This was the perfect week to see the native Azaleas in bloom.
Richard was our tour guide and drove us around the preserve . While we were in the cabin, I had to video some of his stories. I didn't know when to record, but you can get a sense of the history that this man knows. No one will ever be able to replace him, because he knew Caroline Dormon.
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| Caroline's Indian care provider. |
These books were by Caroline Dormon. Richard said that one of these arrow heads is 12 hundred years old.
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| This is the picture above the fireplace of Caroline and her dog. |
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| The fireplace in the cabin with the picture of Caroline above it. |
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| The Louisiana Irises were just beginning to bloom. |
I took more pictures than I can post. But I do highly recommend this as an outing. It's beautiful and very educational. In fact, Linda gave me 2 tickets to the picnic there in April. I can't wait to go back.