Time Flies June 28, 2009
Posted by dianehuhn in Bayou Life, Big Fun on the Bayou, Fishing, Friends, Louisiana Wildlife, Ramblings, Relief Work.Tags: alligators, wetlands, louisiana, redfish, Fishing, saltwater fishing, hurricane relief, marsh, outdoor, eagle, honey bees
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So I can see from the date of my last post that I have been a bad blogger once again. It’s been a fun-filled week of new friends, volunteers (who are now new friends), relief work, paper work, good food, too much sun, gator spotting, eagle spotting, and fishing. And oh boy, did we fish!
And fished some more…
and a little more for good measure.
Oh yeah, and a little more fishing just to be sure.
And since a limit a day keeps the psychiatrist away…
And although it looks like I spent every waking moment fishing, I actually did engage in a few other activities. Like chasing what I thought was an eagle around the rec center for 2 hours in the 104 degree heat trying to get a good pic, but not being too successful…no matter since it wasn’t a real eagle…
and trying to get a good picture of a gator at night…
and trying to keep a safe distance, but still get a good pic of some honey bees…
and trying to get just a little better close up…
and carting around tools and supplies for a great bunch of guys from Tennessee (the Volunteer State I might add)…
and becoming the incredibly proud owner of a GJ original (although I was so excited I forgot to turn it the right way for the camera).
And now it’s time to pack a bag for a few adventures of the Michigan variety and get a little bit of this action going on.
My Adventure With The Swamp Dwellers, Part 3.14159265… June 20, 2009
Posted by dianehuhn in Bayou Life, Big Fun on the Bayou, Friends.Tags: alligators, Bayou, cypress, Fishing, mauvais bois, south Louisiana, swamp, swamp dwellers, Terrebonne
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OK, so we rounded a bend in the canal and I caught sight of a dock and what looked the outline of two bayou beings of the human variety.
The two bayou beings are first cousins, separated by 30 years, but joined by their deep love and respect for the enchanting south Louisiana landscape.
I learned that the older cousin is 84 years old, but I honestly wouldn’t have pegged him for more than 72 or 73. It might sound odd to describe the movement of such a man as graceful, but he just seemed to spring lightly about the dock. I could immediately picture him moving swiftly across the flottant while his younger cousin, nearly double in stature, would most likely be lumbering well behind on the verge of breaking through any second on his way to China.
As we chatted about the fish that had gotten away, I could not stop looking out on this view. Unfortunately, my photos just don’t seem to do it justice.
I sat entranced by the wealth of history carried by this older cousin. He was born out here. Grew up hunting and fishing and trapping. Living off the land. Crossing the canal by pole. It felt odd to realize that this man and my father were born in the same year. Not that my father was a city boy. He did his fair share of hunting and fishing and exploring along the banks of the Grand River. But I got the sense that their lives were vastly different, but both much more tied to nature than their succeeding generations.
As the older cousin explained how, at 84, he still works trapping nuisance alligators (seriously, how cool is that???), an occassional bass would splash about toying with us and all of us would momentarily pause the conversation looking at each other to determine who would grab the fishing pole next to try our luck. First the younger cousin…
then BW…
then the older cousin…
and I certainly couldn’t pass up the opportunity to try my hand. (Thanks for the pic, BW!)
But alas there would be no bass upon our plates so we settled instead for a most delicious, old-fashioned, camp meal of boiled steak and potatoes prepared perfectly by the younger cousin.
Before we knew it, the day had gotten away from us and it was time for BW and I to bid adieu to my new friends…
and book it on home while the sun took it’s leave at our backs.
If you’re ever down the south Loozy way, I would highly suggest you arrange a tour with BW and make it a point to drink in this magnificent jewel for yourself. But, sadly, you’d better not wait too long. If we can’t get some real action moving soon to restore and protect the Louisiana coast, this treaure will be lost like so many before and a whole way of life washed away with it.
Alright BW…when are we going back?
For more scenes from this most amazing day, click here.
My Adventure With The Swamp Dwellers, Part Deux June 17, 2009
Posted by dianehuhn in Bayou Life, Big Fun on the Bayou, Friends, Photography.Tags: Bayou Grace, bayou woman, Coastal Restoration, cypress, land loss, mauvais bois, saltwater intrusion, south Louisiana, swamp, swamp dwellers, water hyacinth
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Ok, so we load up the gear, get the boat in the water, get the trailer tucked away, and off we go. Still I have no idea where exactly we are off too. BW whips out her cell phone and lets the folks at our destination know that we are on our way, hangs up, looks at me with this little grin and says “We’re going to the last surviving cypress swamp and meeting up with the swamp dwellers.” Actually, I’m not a hundred percent sure that’s exactly what she said because my heart leapt and my head went dizzy with “surviving cypress” and “swamp dwellers”.
I will confess that for a split second I did get a little nervous. I mean, “swamp dwellers”, geez, that kind of terminology in the brain of a Yankee just conjures up scenes from Deliverance if you know what I’m mean Vern. But then I was like, wait, they’ve got cell phones. Why having a cell phone automatically means you’re not a psychopath waiting in the swamp to kill me and feed me to the gators, I don’t know. But it works for me. Plus, I trust BW and I don’t think she’s in the Yankee trafficking business or anything.
So anyway, as we cruised along Lake DeCade, BW pointed out how the local landowning company in the area has been fortifying the bank of the lake to try to prevent erosion. And for the most part, it appears to be working except for this area where there has been a breach.
This is just one small area, but you can see how rapidly the marsh behind the breach has become water. It shows, however, how quickly and relatively inexpensively protection can be established by private interests. BW informed me that the land company reinforces the entire shoreline of the lake each year in a time span of about 6 weeks. Most government entities who shall remain nameless can’t even decide whether or not they should make a decision about doing a study in that time span.
Sorry, getting off track. Seriously, this heat is frying my brain. Where is the ice cream man when you need him? Has anyone started on that petition yet?
OK, so BW slows the boat and turns in to this canal…
and tells me that the ridge in the background is known as the Mauvais Bois, which translated means something like “bad woods.” This is the last living cypress swamp in our area. Notice all the water hyacinth along the banks of the canal. Water hyacinth is an invasive species in south Louisiana and can basically double it’s population in a span of two weeks. It’s really nasty stuff and can quickly take over an area, impact water flow, block sunlight from getting to various aquatic plants, and starve the water of oxygen. BW tells me that it made it’s way to Louisiana via the 1884 Cotton Exposition held in New Orleans. Apparently the Japanese delegation distributed plants that they had imported from Venezuela and it quickly became popular as an ornamental plant in ponds and such. The rest is history. The picture below that I took today on Bayou Petit Caillou near the Bayou Grace office is a good example of how quickly water hyacinth takes over. Just a few weeks ago, there were only a handful of plants along the banks of the bayou.
But I digress. Back to the story. But, seriously, does anyone have a big tub of ice or something I can lie in whie I write this? I’m not even going to torture myself and see what the “feels like” temperature is according to weather.com.
Nope, I lied. I just checked. Apparently it is 89 degrees with a “feels like” temperature of, are you ready, get this, 105! I know you think I’m exaggerating. But I only wish that were true. Here’s proof.
OK, so really, back to the story. BW tells me that much of the marsh in this area is known as flottant. Flottant, as you may have guessed from the name, is a kind of floating marsh. I think it’s generally made up of Maiden Cane (but maybe BW can correct me on this bit of trivia.) As I was l to later learn from one of the Swamp Dwellers, if you’re a small person like he is, you shouldn’t have too much trouble walking across it. But if you happen to be a little on the bulkier side, you’d better watch your step or you’ll be on your way to China.
As we crept farther down the canal, we began to see these big, beautiful cypress trees…
and BW explained that the cypress knees we saw are actually like a big protection system for the trees by anchoring them in the soft muddy soil.
I am so thrilled to see this because most of the cypress trees I’ve encountered in my travels around the 5 bayous look like these, killed by saltwater intrusion.
Then we round a bend in the canal and I get my first glimpse of the Swamp Dwellers…
Tune in tomorrow for Part 3. I’m heading to the gym to sit in the industrial-sized ice maker for a while. But in the meantime for your viewing pleasure…
My Adventure With The Swamp Dwellers, Part 1 June 16, 2009
Posted by dianehuhn in Bayou Life, Big Fun on the Bayou, Friends.2 comments
So I woke up the other morning, made some French Press coffee and grabbed my mug of joe ready to head out the door to take the Blue dog of his morning jaunt around the Rec Center. Now when I opened the door I was greeted with a blast of hot air. Upon checking the weather channel, I learned that it was already 86 degrees with a “feels like” temperature of 99. This should just not happen at 8:30 in the morning. Can we start a petition or something to get this kind of thing stopped? I mean really people, this is not funny. It’s only the middle of June. What am I going to do when August rolls around?
Needless to say, I decided it would perhaps be a good day in lay low in the AC and watch that stack of educational DVDs about the wetlands that have been sitting on my counter for a while. A few hours later after eating some dipping dots to chill my core, it was time to brave the heat and let the Blue dog take another trip around the Rec Center. When we got back, I noticed that I had a voicemail from Wendy Billiot, legendary Bayou Woman extraordinaire. The message went something like this. “I’m launching my boat unexpectedly and I need you to come with me on an adventure. So as soon as you…” I have no idea what the rest of the message was because I promptly began dialing Wendy back while simultaneously grabbing my camera bag and keys and heading for the door.
My first attempt at reaching Wendy, whom we shall henceforward refer to as BW, landed me at her voicemail. Now I thought, she couldn’t have gone already. According to my phone, she just called me like 5 minutes ago. So I left a message and continued for the car hoping I wasn’t too late. Within moments I rejoiced at the sound of Hail to the Victors (seriously I must be the only person in the state of Louisiana with that ring tone.)
When I answered, BW told me to get a few provisions together and book it on over to Dularge and call her when I hit the pontoon bridge. So I promptly headed for the gym, grabbed the closest cooler, filled it will ice and headed off to the Pig for some beverages. The cooler secured, I headed down the bayou toward the crossroad.
As I hit the pontoon bridge, I was ecstatic that I didn’t get get caught waiting for one of the hundreds of barges or tugs or shrimp boats that travel through each day. I gave BW a call and let her know I was about four and half minutes out from the marina. Literally fifteen seconds after hanging up, I rounded the corner and saw this.
With a heavy sigh I inched up to the guy who had just flagged me down, rolled down the window, and said “Hey buddy, how long you think?” To which he replies, “Shouldn’t be too long. We just got to strap down that crane. You should have been here earlier while we were loading her up. It was a real sight.” Now here’s the dilemma. When someone on the bayou says “it shouldn’t be too long” you really have no idea what that actually means. When a Yankee says it, you instinctively know that it basically means any where between 3 and 5 minutes. But when a Bayou Person says it, well, let’s just say it could be 5 minutes or 45 minutes. Kind of like when a Bayou Person tells you something is just down the road and 15 miles later you’ve arrived at your destination.
Knowing that the only alternative route to span what should be a 4 minute and 15 second drive to my awaiting adventure will actually be 20 miles out of my way, I decide to take my chances and sit tight. I hit BW on speed dial and informed her of my plight, then learned that the flag guy was actually from Kentucky and that while it certainly gets hot in Kentucky, it usually doesn’t get this hot. But you know it’s not really the heat, it’s the humidity that really gets to you. And no, he really isn’t exactly sure what they’re doing. They had to do some drilling and work on a pipeline and he thinks it has something to do with some levee they’re building, and hey look, you can head on your way now.
So a short while later, I was back on track and decided that “shouldn’t be too long” translates to about 10 minutes in Kentucky time. I think it just keeps getting longer the farther south you go. Four minutes and fifteen seconds later, I pulled into the marina, grabbed my camera and the cooler and met BW at the boat launch.
Tune in tomorrow for Part 2 of my adventure with the swamp dwellers. I’d keep going, but the only way I can get a signal this evening is sitting outside and I just checked weather.com and it’s currently 88 degrees with a “feels like” temperature of 100! Yep, 100 degrees my friends. It’s 6:45 PM and it feels like 100 degrees. What the what? I keep hearing this do do ta do diddily do music. Am I hallucinating? No! It’s the ice cream man! See ya later gator!
It’s Madness I Tell You April 26, 2009
Posted by dianehuhn in Big Fun on the Bayou, Photography.add a comment
So I am totally cheating on the photo of the day. I am so excited to be heading to the 40th New Orleans Jazz Fest tomorrow! But I seriously need to figure out how to clone myself quick. I mean who schedules Dave Matthews, Etta James and Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings all at the same time. Come on people. You’re killing me!!!
First I had to agonize over which one of the seven days to attend since I am now a very poor volunteer on the bayou. I might have been able to swing two of the seven, but as much as I love them, I do tire of Ramen Noodles now and again. Plus the other day that I really, really, really wanted to attend is the day that I need to go to Baton Rouge for this big statewide Summit. For a half a second I thought about blowing the summit thing off, but I realized it’s important to act like a grown up for at least a few hours a week. But my heart is going to ache the next time I listen to Emmylou Harris or Ben Harper and know that I could have been there if whoever planned this summit had just had the common sense to not schedule it during Jazz Fest. So after all of that, now three of my favorite acts will be playing on three different stages at the exact same time. It’s torture.
My first thought was Dave, but then I started thinking Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings. I mean, don’t get me wrong. I love Dave, but I was trying to count the number of times I’ve seen him and I kept losing track. But then again, I’ve never seen Dave at Jazz Fest. But front row in Dublin was beyond cool and there’s not a chance in hell I’d be able to swing that at Jazz Fest. OK, so I love Sharon Jones and I haven’t had the chance to see her live before. But, oh man, Etta James. She’s a legend! And let’s face it, she’s not getting any younger. I mean chances are she’s going to do At Last. It’s like one of the greatest songs in the history of the world! And Stormy Weather, Tell Mama, Baby What You Want Me To Do, Next Door to the Blues, not to mention A Sunday Kind of Love. But then again, Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings just gets me all pumped up and I start doing that weird little dance thing I do. I mean I’m not as bad as Elaine on Seinfeld or anything, but I freely admit that I am challenged in the dancing department. Rest assured, however, that it won’t stop me from getting my funky kind of groove on.
OK, I now have a headache. It’s too much. Does anyone have a three-sided coin I can borrow? At least there’s no doubt about Papa Grows Funk and Mavis Staples. Yeah, baby!
Todays’ photo was actually taken last week on Canal Street in New Orleans and is entitled Blue Dog Jazz. And if any generous person out there has an extra ticket for Friday that they’re itching to give away…I mean Patty Griffin, the Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Tony Bennett, Walter “Wolfman” Washington. Come on.
Friday Night Gators April 25, 2009
Posted by dianehuhn in Big Fun on the Bayou, Friends, Photography.3 comments
It’s definitely bed time, but not before sharing todays’ photo which was taken at the Jolly Inn where I enjoyed some great music, good company, a little Cajun dancing, and a few gators of the Friday night variety. Good night and good luck.
Let Our Sea Prosper April 20, 2009
Posted by dianehuhn in Bayou Life, Big Fun on the Bayou, Photography.1 comment so far
So I went to my first boat blessing today and it was a very cool experience. The offshore shrimp season opened last week. The inshore season typically opens around the middle of May. And every year, dating back to the late 1920s or early 1930s, the fleet of Chauvin gets blessed, holy water and all, and parades down Bayou Petit Caillou to Boudreaux Canal and then out to Lake Boudreaux where the participants let the good times roll, or, as we say on the bayou, laissez les bon temps roulez!
In conjunction with the blessing of the fleet, the Chauvin Sculpture Garden also holds it’s annual Folk Art Festival where I enjoyed some interesting art, good music, a ride down the bayou, and way too much food.
I think my favorite boat of the day would have to be the Tracy and Macie. I pass her just about every day during my travels, and while she’s a nice trawler, well, on a regular day she looks a lot like most of the other shrimp boats on the bayou. But today she was in her full glory. I particularly enjoyed the rather large portrait of The Last Supper perched port-side.
Todays’ photo was taken along Bayou Petit Caillou in Chauvin, LA and entitled Let Our Sea Prosper.
Was This A Good Idea? April 17, 2009
Posted by dianehuhn in Big Fun on the Bayou, Photography.add a comment
OK, seriously, I am so tired and ready for a good night’s sleep. And I was thinking, well, geez, I could just post my photo of the day tomorrow. I mean really, do I need to do this every single day? Maybe I should consider doing a “photo of yesterday” in the morning. You know I’m much more of a morning person. Alright, suck it up and git r’ done D.
My good bud Kevin stopped by for a few Buds. I admire Kevin so much and some day I’m going to tell all five of my blog readers a little more about him, but I’m having trouble keeping my eyes open so it will just have to wait for another day.
Todays’ photo was taken outside my home on wheels next to the Little Caillou Gym in Chauvin, LA and is entitled Laissez les Bon Temps Roulez My Friend.
Gator Spotting March 12, 2009
Posted by dianehuhn in Big Fun on the Bayou.2 comments
So my new favorite pastime is definitely spotting alligators. The recent warm weather has brought these prehistoric-esque creators out of hibernation. In the last week I’ve seen at least 30 or so during my runs to the job sites we’ve got going this week. Way cool! I’ve even been able to get a few photos which I’ve found isn’t always so easy when they’re in the water because noises and movement seem to send them under the surface. And, well, it’s a bit eerie standing on the bank of the canal knowing there’s a creature that could be just a few feet away under the water who could tear me to bits in a few seconds. When that realization begins to creep in to my mind I tend to head for the safety of my truck and motor on down the bayou.
I hope to keep adding more photos of my encounters with these big guys, but for now you can check out my “Gator Gallery” here.
Throw Me Something Mister! March 1, 2009
Posted by dianehuhn in Big Fun on the Bayou, Relief Work.add a comment
Yep, so I said I was going to do a better job of keeping my blog updated. Well, another month has passed and I’m finally getting around to it. It’s certainly been a busy month filled with volunteers, meetings, chores, a conference in Mississippi (and got served ice cream by Jerry of Ben and Jerry’s) and Mardi Gras just wrapped up this past week. I always thought Mardi Gras was just about Fat Tuesday, but it basically starts on January 6th and is an endless stream of parades and parties. I did take in a few parades and got pelted with a good number of beads and assorted trinkets, but I’ve got to say that I realized I’m just not that into huge drunken crowds screaming “Throw me something Mister” in my ear while pushing small children to the ground in order to scoop up a cheap plastic football. Now don’t get me wrong. I don’t want to sound like Scrooge or whatever the Mardi Gras equivalent would be because I really did have a good time, but I think the thing I enjoyed most about the Mardi Gras season were the endless slices of King Cake upon my plate. Yeah baby!
As I mentioned, we’ve recently had quite a number of outstanding volunteers working here on the 5 Bayous of Southern Terrebonne Parish including groups from Illinois, Massachusetts, Missouri, and my home state of Michigan. It’s been a little like our own version of Bayou Extreme Makeover. Each team has been enthusiastic, hard working, flexible, extremely generous and continue to help make a huge positive impact in the lives of the families and organizations we work with.
I couldn’t be more excited that Miss Walterine will be able to move into her home probably within the next week and plans are in the works to lift her home in the next few months, Mr. Moe and Miss Nola now have insulated walls (even freshly painted) throughout and a beautiful new floor in most of their home, Miss Patty has a nicely cleared lot with neatly stacked salvageable lumber when she has details in order to rebuild, Miss Heather and family have a home that they are truly proud of outfitted with some brand new appliances and cabinetry and a beautiful fresh coat of paint, Miss Angel no longer needs to worry about falling through her bathroom floor, and Miss Jackie, Mr. Rodney and family are well on their way to a home safe for their daughter and two grandchildren. I’ve also got a much more organized tool shed and Albert has a lot less of the Gym to paint by himself.
There just aren’t words to express the deep gratitude that I feel for the efforts of all of our volunteers. I have seen some things since I’ve been here. Some things that like to rip my heart out. It’s easy to get frustrated and angry and depressed, and well, I’ve certainly had my moments battling all of those emotions. But I’ve learned that it is imperative to do my best to stay positive, keep a smile on my face, and keep moving forward even when it only feels like I’m making a millimeter of progress at a time. There’s too much to be done to waste time shedding tears of sorrow, but I got to tell you that I’ve shed a few tears of joy lately.
It’s hard to describe everything that’s happened in the last month so I put together a very short video to highlight some of the sights I’ve taken in. As always however, you can also check out my photo page by clicking here.
