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Come on
all you Lynard Skinner
fans.. Sing along,
"SWEET HOME LOUISIANA."
That's right the
infamous Cy Scammell is
a true 100% Coonass from
the Cajun Heartland of
Lafayette, LA and this
is my trip report on
life and the people of
Louisiana. Enjoy! |
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There are
many misconceptions to
Louisiana, so let me go
ahead put some to rest
right away.
Alligators are as
prevalent as prairie
dogs in Colorado. So
yes, I have seen one,
touched one, been
surrounded by them, and
even lurched at by one.
However, there has never
been a single casualty
by an alligator, ever in
Louisiana.
Pictured above is indeed
a bayou and if one
looked hard enough, you
would most likely see an
alligator. Pretty
much everyone in
Lafayette Parish, we
don't call them counties
down here, lives in or
close to a bayou.
Above is Mer and Pop
heading to the local
Cajun animal shelter.
One can adopt an
alligator, nutrient,
crawfish, or a water
moccasin at the St.
Martinville shelter for
swampy critters. |
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Over a
hundred years ago most
of the houses in the
area looked similar to
this one, which is now
occupied by a very lucky
pair of love birds.
The wood is of cypress,
a very special wood that
grows out of our basins
and bayous. The
reason I love this so
much is that unlike
people it does not, will
not, and absolutely
refuses to wear a mask.
If you were to paint on
cypress, within a few
months it would shed
every drop of it off.
What you see is what you
get, much like the
people of Lafayette.
No mask, just genuinely
good people who find no
need to pretend to be
something they are not. |
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But Cy,
where do crawfish come
from? Legend has
it that when the
Acadians were forced out
of Nova Scotia by the
English the lobsters,
which loved the
Acadians, followed them
all the way to south
central Louisiana.
Exhausted from the trip,
they lost a bit of size
and remained with the
Acadians, who later
became known as Cajuns,
to continue the love
affair. Above is
where they live now, in
the rice fields we have
made for them. And
yes they are crawfish,
not crawdads or
crayfish. |
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Here is
where I grew up.
There are plenty of
alligators in the bayou.
No lifeguards on duty in
this pool. |
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Oh the
live oaks!!! My
sweet grand parents.
These trees are so wise
and playful. They
let down their beautiful
limbs and slowly lift
you to see all the
world. Stories
whisper through their
long grey hair of times
long ago as you hold and
hug them. |
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This was
my house where I grew
up, it's in the middle
of a live oak pecan tree
grove, just behind the
bayou, with thousands of
acres of open space to
explore. Lunch was
where you found it in
those days, where,
whichever house you were
closest to in time of
hunger was the house you
had lunch at.
Doors were unlocked and
family was everyone
within a ten mile
radius. To this
day, Louisiana still
holds on to these
ideals. |
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One true
myth is that frog legs
are a pretty common dish
in any Cajun restaurant.
Thankfully, this guy was
spared. |
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Besides a
warm smile and food that
sends you straight to
God, one can always
count on a gift from the
gulf in the form of a
good old thunderstorm
every summer afternoon. |
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Beauty is
truly everywhere in
Louisiana. Cajuns
love their landscaping.
The main components are
open space, big trees,
and plenty of flowers.
Everyone takes great
care of the land as if
it were an extension of
themselves. |
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Last but
not least, the people.
The people make
Louisiana what it is.
Accents come out like
honey mixed in with a
spoonful of molasses
thrown in with a bucket
of magnolia petals.
One can not help to be
roped in when ever a
Cajun opens up his or
her mouth.
Everywhere you go, you
will surely be wrapped
up in the most
magnificent story
telling from strangers
lounging in the middle
of stores, restaurants,
or stop lights.
You most likely will be
wowed, laughing until
cramps set in, and leave
with some sort of food
or treasure. Here
is Rosi Bear, seasoned
pro, making it seem like
the norm...cause it is. |
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So come
on home to Louisiana.
The people will treat
you like one of their
own, the food will
serenade the senses, and
the scenery will leave
you speechless. If
you leave your masks at
home and come for a
visit, I will even let
you have a pet
alligator. As
always, thanks for
reading and I'll see
y'all at the next
crawfish boil.
Laissez les bon temps
rouler! (Let the
good times roll!) |
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