Owls, The Swamp, + Workshops

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It's been a productive week.

1.)The new day-lab shipment should be here tomorrow or Friday and I have been spending a couple hours every day moving things out and around to make room for it all. I'm excited...it's a fantastic stash of vintage goods.
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2.)Last night I went to the lecture part for the Photography Workshop I signed up for with CC Lockwood, who I have written about before in regards to the Atchafalaya Houseboat book.

Photo: CC Lockwood

CC Lockwood is an enormously talented photographer and I feel so lucky to be able to participate in this workshop. The lecture was at his house and there was only a handful of us, which was nice. The entire presentation was wonderful from beginning to end and I felt like I learned more in those two hours than I maybe did in my whole 3 years in the photo dept. in college. I can hardly wait until the field trip part of the workshop.
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3.) I made reservations for an Alligator Bayou tour for next weekend. I made it an evening tour because I really love the color of the October sunsets in Louisiana.

A sunset picture from the Alligator Bayou Tour site:

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4.) Monday right after sunset I was in between the backyard lots gathering pine needles for the beds and noticed a barred owl overhead in a tree. Sufi and I watched her for a bit and she seemed more interested in watching Sufi than she seemed bothered by my picture taking:


On the lake, over the past two weeks, I have been seeing more Anhingas, Cormorants ,Egrets, Herons, and Night Herons. It's been so nice...
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Exposure Times and Trips

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I've been experimenting with exposure times and selective focus/depth of field with the old SLR 35mm film camera lot lately. I love when they lose a lot of their form and recognizable features and start to look like abstract water color paintings (like the first photo). I want to make some like that, but focusing on color, and print them very large. From the porch through the screen a couple of weeks ago...






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The other day it was cool out with a breeze. There weren't that many mosquitoes out either and it felt like Fall approaching. It made me remember this list I made back in May of places I would like to visit starting this September:

BRIARWOOD
Caroline Dormon Nature Preserve:
Preserving native Louisiana flora was the lifetime passion of Caroline Dorman who collected and replanted her favorite native plants at Briarwood (her childhood summer home). This wild garden has a special emphasis the Louisiana iris.
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Cat Island:
Cat Island National Wildlife Refuge was established on October 27, 2000 as the 526th refuge in the National Wildlife Refuge System. It is located near the town of St. Francisville, Louisiana, which is 30 miles north of Baton Rouge.

Alligator Bayou:
13,000 acres of the Spanish Lake Basin and a wetland habitat of bayous, swamps and lakes. The Spanish Lake Basin is one of the most historic spots in America. Beginning 100,000 years ago, river systems built up a high terrace, or ridge, around the basin's geologic "bowl" of soil and water.
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Cypress Island:
The Cypress Island Preserve, which includes the focal point of Lake Martin, is situated between Breaux Bridge and Lafayette, Louisiana. Walking Trails and rookery.
Approximately 9,500 acres of important cypress-tupelo swamp and bottomland hardwood forest habitat, which is protected.
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Hodges Gardens:
Located in North Central Louisiana, Hodges Gardens, the nation's largest privately owned horticultural parkland and wildlife refuge and is one of Sabine Parish's most celebrated attractions.
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Jungle Gardens on Avery Island:
Born on Avery Island in 1872, Edward Avery ("Ned") McIlhenny was an arctic explorer, naturalist, and conservationist. He studied the plants and animals on Avery Island and in the surrounding salt marshes, and in 1895 he founded Bird City, a private bird sanctuary for the once-endangered snowy egret. In the 1920s Ned found time to convert his private Avery Island estate into Jungle Gardens, decorating it with exotic botanical specimens from around the world. He gradually expanded the gardens until it reached its present size -- more than 250 acres. Opened to the public in 1953.
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Rip Van Winkle Gardens: View slideshow at bottom of the website's page.

Atop a coastal salt dome on Lake Peigneur, Rip Van Winkle Gardens is 20 acres surrounding the Joseph Jefferson Home, built in 1870 by acclaimed American actor Joseph Jefferson and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. A mysterious place, the island is inspirited with the legend that Jean Lafitte, the pirate, buried his treasures under the giant live oaks that would later become the environs for the home and garden on the island. One passes live oak after live oak before reaching the black wrought iron gates opening into this paradise that was cultivated first by a 19th century actor, then by a Southern gentleman with a singular love of camellias and English gardens.
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Longfellow-Evangeline State Historic Site:
For generations, a blend of history and legend has drawn visitors to this meeting place of incredible natural beauty and unique historical background. In legend--the area was the meeting place of the ill-fated lovers, Evangeline and Gabriel. In history--it was the meeting place of exiled French aristocrats fleeing the French Revolution, and of Acadians of Nova Scotia seeking refuge after the British expulsion. It was also the meeting place of wealthy New Orleanians escaping the oppressive heat and epidemics of the city. In nature--it is the meeting place of the swamp and the prairie.
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Lake Martin for bird watching and hiking
Lake Martin is the largest nesting area of wading birds in the United States. It's been listed as one of the top 10 bird watching spots in the United States by the Audubon Society. Lake Martin also has its share of nutria and alligators.
Gayle P. Clement's Galleries have some amazing photographs from Lake Martin which can be viewed HERE
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Eagle Expo + Cajun Jack

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On a whim a couple months ago I registered both myself and my daughter for the Eagle Expo in Morgan City from February 14-16, 2008. I am not sure we will even be able to make it down there until February 16th for the events, but I am definitely looking forward to two things above all else:

1.) Getting to do some family history research (I wrote a post over HERE some time ago about my great great grandfathers (Dalton and O'Brien) and their ties to Morgan City and my great grandmother and her family ties to the Cotton Top house). I have only been there once and I was too young to remember any of it now. It will be nice for me to document all of these things there and great for my daughter to see them first hand as well.

2.) The Cajun Jack Atchafalaya Basin Tour!

This is Cajun Jack:


Some of the pictures taken by others on his tour:









I really hope the raccoon comes along on the tour too...

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It's Good to be Home

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Well after several airport delays I am home, 4 or more hours later than planned. It is super late and I am going directly to bed so I can be well rested enough to get a HUGE update done tomorrow of the new jewelry stock. I have to play catch up a bit first with orders, since being out of town set me back a little. I am very excited to get to the update though, so tomorrow I will work work work to get it all done.

I love the East Coast a lot. I love it so much, I consider moving there at least once a month. This trip though, I finally figured out what it is that I always kinda feel is missing from parts of the East Coast that i have seen: the South's Live Oaks draped with moss lining and canopying the streets...and all the beautiful Cypress trees and knees in the swamps and lakes.















The East Coast may have actual seasons with some of the most beautiful fall foliage I have ever seen...but how will I ever be able to give up the trees...the swamps...the backyard animals...

It is good to be home.
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Be sure to check back tomorrow for updates!
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