This is only one of many short videos which we filmed as we floated peacefully on the still waters of Lake Martin in Breaux Bridge, Louisiana. It was a day we will always remember: peaceful, beautiful, and an example of Mother Nature at her very best.
Showing posts with label Louisiana. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Louisiana. Show all posts
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Louisiana Flashback: Jay Cormier and Cajun Born
Here is a video of Jay Cormier and his band, Cajun Born, live at Mulate's in Breaux Bridge, Louisiana. These musicians are personable, kind, talented, and we thank them for their excellent music on a quiet Monday night in Breaux Bridge. Mr. Cormier shook my hand and welcomed us from New England, gently encouraging us to settle in Lafayette. He also dedicated this song to us! (And for those of you who knew our dear friend Woody, do you notice the resemblance when you look at the bass player?)
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
From Louisiana to Texas!
Just a quick missive to our beloved and appreciated readers that we have left Louisiana behind, and we are now ensconced in the national headquarters of the Escapees RV Club, the very place where our mail is forwarded, and which will provide us with the legal address with which to seek legal Texan citizenship!
Over the next few days, we will be doing the leg-work to get ourselves and our rig official in these parts, and we hope to also regale you with stories of our two days in Lafayette, Louisiana, complete with a swamp tour, an alligator sighting, an evening of live Cajun music, and the resplendence and beauty of Cajun country, also known as Acadia.
Stay tuned for updates in the next few days. For now, the weary travelers are in recovery from their sojourn to Polk County, Texas, our legal domicile and new ersatz home.
Over the next few days, we will be doing the leg-work to get ourselves and our rig official in these parts, and we hope to also regale you with stories of our two days in Lafayette, Louisiana, complete with a swamp tour, an alligator sighting, an evening of live Cajun music, and the resplendence and beauty of Cajun country, also known as Acadia.
Stay tuned for updates in the next few days. For now, the weary travelers are in recovery from their sojourn to Polk County, Texas, our legal domicile and new ersatz home.
A Resplendent Day in Louisiana
Yesterday, Martin Luther King Day, was a simply resplendent day in Louisiana. With brilliant sun and mild temperatures in the 60's, we were thrilled to have a day of sun and fresh air ahead of us, and we packed up and headed out into the Lafayette area.
Our campsite for our two days in Lafayette was located on the grounds of the Louisiana Association for Retarded Citizens (LARC), a day program and rehab facility where one of Mary's cousins worked and received treatment up until his death in 2009. His father, Mary's first cousin, was on LARC's Board of Directors for quite some time, and his family has played a large part in the life of this very special and tight-knit community. LARC also runs a lovely folklife museum--The Acadian Village---which is a reconstructed Cajun village that brings to life the history of the Cajun people of Louisiana.
Lucky for us, we were able to secure a swamp boat tour on Lake Martin, just six miles from downtown Lafayette, and a funny and kind guide named Norbert led us on a two-hour expedition through the cypress swamps along the age of the lake which teems with birds, snakes, turtles, alligators, and other wildlife. Norbert has been featured on The Today Show, NBC, PBS, and in National Geographic, so we felt like he was the real deal, offering us an expert's view of life in the swamps. He even stopped the boat half-way through the tour and offered us a nip of what he called "moonshine", and which Mary thought tasted like good ol' Jim Beam. Whatever it was, it tasted great on a sunny day while floating on Lake Martin watching the world go by. (It tasted great to Keith, Mary adds!)
Even though there was no promise of seeing alligators at a time of year when most of them are snoozing while waiting for mating season to begin in March, we were very blessed and happy to float right by a 10-foot gator relaxing in the shallow waters!
The lake and its environs are a very special place, and the birds---many species of heron, ibis, cormorant, falcon, osprey, hawk, and others---are simply everywhere, flying gracefully through the air above the water, swooping down as they look for prey, nest on centuries-old cypress trees, and grace the lake with their winged presence.
It is difficult to describe the beauty of the swamp, the cypress trees, the Spanish moss, the wintry bareness of the trees, the birds preparing for mating season, that only hints at the springtime explosion of lush beauty that will inevitably bloom in just a matter of weeks.
We have a multitude of videos and photos to review and process, and with any luck, some of those will be posted here as soon as the strength of our connection allows. For now, this will have to suffice.
Our campsite for our two days in Lafayette was located on the grounds of the Louisiana Association for Retarded Citizens (LARC), a day program and rehab facility where one of Mary's cousins worked and received treatment up until his death in 2009. His father, Mary's first cousin, was on LARC's Board of Directors for quite some time, and his family has played a large part in the life of this very special and tight-knit community. LARC also runs a lovely folklife museum--The Acadian Village---which is a reconstructed Cajun village that brings to life the history of the Cajun people of Louisiana.
Lucky for us, we were able to secure a swamp boat tour on Lake Martin, just six miles from downtown Lafayette, and a funny and kind guide named Norbert led us on a two-hour expedition through the cypress swamps along the age of the lake which teems with birds, snakes, turtles, alligators, and other wildlife. Norbert has been featured on The Today Show, NBC, PBS, and in National Geographic, so we felt like he was the real deal, offering us an expert's view of life in the swamps. He even stopped the boat half-way through the tour and offered us a nip of what he called "moonshine", and which Mary thought tasted like good ol' Jim Beam. Whatever it was, it tasted great on a sunny day while floating on Lake Martin watching the world go by. (It tasted great to Keith, Mary adds!)
Even though there was no promise of seeing alligators at a time of year when most of them are snoozing while waiting for mating season to begin in March, we were very blessed and happy to float right by a 10-foot gator relaxing in the shallow waters!
The lake and its environs are a very special place, and the birds---many species of heron, ibis, cormorant, falcon, osprey, hawk, and others---are simply everywhere, flying gracefully through the air above the water, swooping down as they look for prey, nest on centuries-old cypress trees, and grace the lake with their winged presence.
It is difficult to describe the beauty of the swamp, the cypress trees, the Spanish moss, the wintry bareness of the trees, the birds preparing for mating season, that only hints at the springtime explosion of lush beauty that will inevitably bloom in just a matter of weeks.
We have a multitude of videos and photos to review and process, and with any luck, some of those will be posted here as soon as the strength of our connection allows. For now, this will have to suffice.
Monday, January 18, 2010
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Images From Louisiana
Those beautiful trees and Spanish moss
Mary and her Louisiana cousins, Larry and Rhea
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Louisiana at Last!
This is just a short post to let our beloved readers know that we have arrived safe and sound in Louisiana! Crossing over from Mississippi, the rains and wind continued unabated for most of the day, but that didn't stop us from visiting the quaint town of Abita Springs, just north of Lake Pontchartrain, and we are now happily parked at Fountainbleau State Park.
Tomorrow, with clear weather in the forecast, we will bicycle on the nearby rail trail, go see the lake, and then head a few hours west to the town of Lafayette, where we will have the pleasure of seeing a number of Mary's Louisiana cousins. Mary's mom Lydia was born in New Orleans, and Lydia and Mary's father Bill met in New Orleans while attending Loyola University, so the family history and blood run thick here in bayou country.
More news will be forthcoming as our adventures continue, and please be sure to see the videos and stories in our most recent posts below.
Tomorrow, with clear weather in the forecast, we will bicycle on the nearby rail trail, go see the lake, and then head a few hours west to the town of Lafayette, where we will have the pleasure of seeing a number of Mary's Louisiana cousins. Mary's mom Lydia was born in New Orleans, and Lydia and Mary's father Bill met in New Orleans while attending Loyola University, so the family history and blood run thick here in bayou country.
More news will be forthcoming as our adventures continue, and please be sure to see the videos and stories in our most recent posts below.
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