WBJ Park this Late October

As of yesterday, we've received 13.93 inches of rain. We anticipate breaking the monthly rainfall record of 14.00 inches when we check the gauge tomorrow.

Ozark Trail is almost completely submerged. Ouachita Trail sports a dead fish here and there. As it nears the Ozark junction, it, too, goes underwater. Miracle Trail is washed out from the irises to Fordney Bayou. Caddo Trail is under water from Fordney Bayou to Shettleworth Bayou on both the north and south ends of the park. Adai goes under just north of the Yatasi intersection.

Even the paved Audubon Trail shows signs of recent high water, its south bend coated with mud.

This is the "occasional flooding" of a forested wetland. The palmettos and cane are thriving. The frogs and toads are booming. Dragonflies race to keep up with the plague of mosquitoes.

The Louisiana State Fair is in town, and not surprisingly, many folks would rather be down at the fair grounds than here sloshing through the water, ducking spider webs, and fending off ticks and mosquitoes. But, from the picture windows of the Interpretive Building, the fall colors are vivid: Chartreuse leaves frame fuchsia berries; turmeric, terra cotta, rust, and sulphur highlight the forest green, chocolate, and slate palette of evergreens. It seems unfair to have this view all to myself.