The West Fork of the Calcasieu River

By the middle of 1947, Granny and Granddaddy lived at the end of South Perkins Ferry Road in Moss Bluff, Louisiana. The road began in a wooded area off Hwy 378, ran south beside Richey Cemetery, past a dirt trail to the colored graveyard, then curved its way along the West Fork River. Large spreading oak trees, thick double cedar and tall pine crowded both shores of the river. Spanish moss swayed gently in the cool breeze floating over the water. Timid squirrels, red birds and wren jumped playfully from branch to branch in filtered spots of sunlight, as cottonmouths and bobcats crawled through the shadows, and nutria rats, alligators and possum criss-crossed the winding gravel road.