Chapter 13 Easter Cold Snap
Many old timers believed in an "Easter Cold Snap." They always predicted how, no matter the date of Easter (It varies with a combination between the spring equinox and first full moon after it) that it would turn cold right around Easter.
Chapter 13 examines this belief and an unforgettable Easter much like our Easter of 2007. Do you remember what happened weather-wise this past Easter?
In the comments section, tell us about old weather sayings you've heard.
They might show up in the next book!
Monday, April 9, 2007
Sunday, April 8, 2007
Chapters 14-20
Chapter 14 Land Trouble begins
Chapter 15 The Irish Channel
Chapter 16 Crevasse!
There really was a levee break near New Orleans on May 4, 1849. It happened on the east bank of the Mississippi River at a place called Sauve's Plantation. (The area is today called River Ridge.) This levee break flooded much of the city within days and was considered one of New Orleans' "worst floods" until Hurricane Katrina. I learned much about this 1849 flood from reading microfilmed newspapers at the main branch of the New Orleans Public Library.
Chapter 17 "Spring of the Year"
Chapter 18 The Breaking Point
An excerpt from Chapter 18 when Joseph, now alone, sadly leaves the crevasse work site:
The land on both sides of the Shell Road was underwater and in some places, it flowed over the road. Joseph followed the road toward Lake Ponchartrain. He didn’t have a definite destination in mind—he just wanted to get away from the river and the flooded city.
After five miles of walking, he reached the end of the road at a spot on the Lake called West End. It was now nearing dark and the lakefront seemed empty. Fishing boats bobbed up and down at the pier. Overhead sea gulls called as they dove for fish. The Ponchartrain, a brackish lake, still had enough salt water in it to emit that ocean-like smell Joseph knew so well. All of this, coupled with the shock of Mayo’s death, combined to create an acute sense of homesickness in Joseph’s soul.
He temporarily forgot the hardships he’d left behind in Ireland. He chose not to remember how all of his family, save a sister, was gone from his home island. He just knew he wished to get on a boat and get as far from here as possible, to just go back home to Ireland seemed a plausible wish.
For hours, he sat on the rock seawall at the pier and looked out over the lake. Darkness came and a full moon rose on the east shore of Lake Ponchartrain. It was beautiful as well as majestic, but it only saddened him. The stars shone in the clear sky, but Joseph, absorbed deep in thought, didn’t seem to even notice. Out on the lake, lanterns twinkled from nighttime fisherman.
He sat there all night in one spot watching that full moon, reflected in the lake, make its arc across the sky. Joseph’s mind was a fog of sorrow, confusion, anger, and hurt. He tried to pray, but the words seem to fall out of his mouth and roll down the rocks into Lake Ponchartrain.
Much of the imagery for this passage comes from the fine song, "Heart of the Night" by the group Poco. It is a song about New Orleans with the following lyrics:
"In the heart of the night, in the cool Southern rain,
There's a full moon tonight, shining down on the Ponchartrain.
The river she rises just like she used to do
She's so full of surprises, she reminds me of you."
It's a beautiful song that tells of lost love, memories and for me, fits the mood of Joseph on the saddest night of loss for him. To read the entire lyrics and learn more about the song, click on
http://www.lyricsdownload.com/poco-heart-of-the-night-lyrics.html
Chapter 19 The Cardinal
the beginning of Chapter 19
The cardinal just would not shut up! Each morning it woke Eliza up with its singing in the maple tree by her window. She called it her “personal alarm clock.” Its shrill whistling “what cheer-what cheer” song was beautiful to hear. Her dad laughingly said he was going to pepper it with birdshot and shut it up.
Long before the other birds of the woods began their day, this redbird was already into its third verse. Some of the Ten Milers said the cardinal’s “what cheer” song was really saying, “Wake up boys—wake up.” Either way, the sound usually began Eliza’s day. She had never had the many things a city person might have: fancy clocks, jewelry, or photographs of herself and her family. She’d never even held a compass in her hand. She would have scoffed at the need for one. She knew the woods and swamps she lived in as well as anyone. Like the cardinal outside her window, her world was not very large, but it was her home and she knew it intimately.
Like the cardinal, Eliza was settled. Unlike many of the birds of the Louisiana woods, the cardinal never left or migrated. It chose to spend its life year-round in the temperate climate of the south, living close to the land and trees where it had been born. When one is settled and happy in the land you inhabit, you do not feel the urge to wander.
Author's Notes
I've a lifetime in the Louisiana Piney Woods with the Northern Cardinal, or "Redbird" as my year-round neighbor and friend. Recently, my South Dakota friend and fellow birder, Stan Bricker, visited Dry Creek. He was amazed at the beauty of our Cardinal, having never seen one. I was reminded of how we take for granted anything we have that is common. A beautiful blazing red bird with a fiesty personality and great song is a blessing!
The Cardinal in Chapter 19 signifies the rootedness of this non-migratory bird and its relation to Eliza Clark, who has never traveled far from her Ten Mile home.
Chapter 20 Upriver!
Chapter 15 The Irish Channel
Chapter 16 Crevasse!
There really was a levee break near New Orleans on May 4, 1849. It happened on the east bank of the Mississippi River at a place called Sauve's Plantation. (The area is today called River Ridge.) This levee break flooded much of the city within days and was considered one of New Orleans' "worst floods" until Hurricane Katrina. I learned much about this 1849 flood from reading microfilmed newspapers at the main branch of the New Orleans Public Library.
Chapter 17 "Spring of the Year"
Chapter 18 The Breaking Point
An excerpt from Chapter 18 when Joseph, now alone, sadly leaves the crevasse work site:
The land on both sides of the Shell Road was underwater and in some places, it flowed over the road. Joseph followed the road toward Lake Ponchartrain. He didn’t have a definite destination in mind—he just wanted to get away from the river and the flooded city.
After five miles of walking, he reached the end of the road at a spot on the Lake called West End. It was now nearing dark and the lakefront seemed empty. Fishing boats bobbed up and down at the pier. Overhead sea gulls called as they dove for fish. The Ponchartrain, a brackish lake, still had enough salt water in it to emit that ocean-like smell Joseph knew so well. All of this, coupled with the shock of Mayo’s death, combined to create an acute sense of homesickness in Joseph’s soul.
He temporarily forgot the hardships he’d left behind in Ireland. He chose not to remember how all of his family, save a sister, was gone from his home island. He just knew he wished to get on a boat and get as far from here as possible, to just go back home to Ireland seemed a plausible wish.
For hours, he sat on the rock seawall at the pier and looked out over the lake. Darkness came and a full moon rose on the east shore of Lake Ponchartrain. It was beautiful as well as majestic, but it only saddened him. The stars shone in the clear sky, but Joseph, absorbed deep in thought, didn’t seem to even notice. Out on the lake, lanterns twinkled from nighttime fisherman.
He sat there all night in one spot watching that full moon, reflected in the lake, make its arc across the sky. Joseph’s mind was a fog of sorrow, confusion, anger, and hurt. He tried to pray, but the words seem to fall out of his mouth and roll down the rocks into Lake Ponchartrain.
Much of the imagery for this passage comes from the fine song, "Heart of the Night" by the group Poco. It is a song about New Orleans with the following lyrics:
"In the heart of the night, in the cool Southern rain,
There's a full moon tonight, shining down on the Ponchartrain.
The river she rises just like she used to do
She's so full of surprises, she reminds me of you."
It's a beautiful song that tells of lost love, memories and for me, fits the mood of Joseph on the saddest night of loss for him. To read the entire lyrics and learn more about the song, click on
http://www.lyricsdownload.com/poco-heart-of-the-night-lyrics.html
Chapter 19 The Cardinal
the beginning of Chapter 19
The cardinal just would not shut up! Each morning it woke Eliza up with its singing in the maple tree by her window. She called it her “personal alarm clock.” Its shrill whistling “what cheer-what cheer” song was beautiful to hear. Her dad laughingly said he was going to pepper it with birdshot and shut it up.
Long before the other birds of the woods began their day, this redbird was already into its third verse. Some of the Ten Milers said the cardinal’s “what cheer” song was really saying, “Wake up boys—wake up.” Either way, the sound usually began Eliza’s day. She had never had the many things a city person might have: fancy clocks, jewelry, or photographs of herself and her family. She’d never even held a compass in her hand. She would have scoffed at the need for one. She knew the woods and swamps she lived in as well as anyone. Like the cardinal outside her window, her world was not very large, but it was her home and she knew it intimately.
Like the cardinal, Eliza was settled. Unlike many of the birds of the Louisiana woods, the cardinal never left or migrated. It chose to spend its life year-round in the temperate climate of the south, living close to the land and trees where it had been born. When one is settled and happy in the land you inhabit, you do not feel the urge to wander.
Author's Notes
I've a lifetime in the Louisiana Piney Woods with the Northern Cardinal, or "Redbird" as my year-round neighbor and friend. Recently, my South Dakota friend and fellow birder, Stan Bricker, visited Dry Creek. He was amazed at the beauty of our Cardinal, having never seen one. I was reminded of how we take for granted anything we have that is common. A beautiful blazing red bird with a fiesty personality and great song is a blessing!
The Cardinal in Chapter 19 signifies the rootedness of this non-migratory bird and its relation to Eliza Clark, who has never traveled far from her Ten Mile home.
Chapter 20 Upriver!
Monday, April 2, 2007
Chapter 21-25 Into No Man's Land!
Chapter 21 Alex and Hineston
The beginning of Chapter 21
Joe had a funny feeling about trouble when he stepped off the Caddo that day. Alexandria, a city of about seven hundred citizens, sure didn’t look like trouble, but he still had an uneasy feeling.
Calling Alexandria a “city” was probably an exaggeration. It was more like a town or a village. This small-town quality was brought out by the fact that not much went on in ‘Alex’ as it was called, without being noted.
Even the arrival of a young, poor Irish immigrant did not go unnoticed. Joseph Moore had no idea he was walking into a situation where great prejudice combined with fear would change his plans.
As he carefully descended the levee, he cheerfully spoke to several workers at street level. They stared at him and turned aside.
Before he’d gone a hundred steps, a deputy approached him. The uniformed officer, followed by two other civilians, blocked his path. Joseph stopped in the middle of the street waiting for whatever greeting or warning that awaited him. He could easily tell from the set of the deputy’s jaw that it was more likely to be the latter of the two.
“Where you headed, boy?”
Joseph had quickly learned in the South that being called “boy” in that manner was not a compliment.
“Sir, I’ve just arrived by the steamboat and I’m kinda hunting for a place to stay.”
“Where you from?”
Trying to break the ice, Joseph smiled, “Well I’m sure you can tell from my accent I’m not from around here.”
His attempt at humor brought only a cold stare from the officer. The other two men, each armed, eased menacingly closer. Joseph waited for another question, but quickly realized it wasn’t coming.
Calling Alexandria a “city” was probably an exaggeration. It was more like a town or a village. This small-town quality was brought out by the fact that not much went on in ‘Alex’ as it was called, without being noted.
Even the arrival of a young, poor Irish immigrant did not go unnoticed. Joseph Moore had no idea he was walking into a situation where great prejudice combined with fear would change his plans.
As he carefully descended the levee, he cheerfully spoke to several workers at street level. They stared at him and turned aside.
Before he’d gone a hundred steps, a deputy approached him. The uniformed officer, followed by two other civilians, blocked his path. Joseph stopped in the middle of the street waiting for whatever greeting or warning that awaited him. He could easily tell from the set of the deputy’s jaw that it was more likely to be the latter of the two.
“Where you headed, boy?”
Joseph had quickly learned in the South that being called “boy” in that manner was not a compliment.
“Sir, I’ve just arrived by the steamboat and I’m kinda hunting for a place to stay.”
“Where you from?”
Trying to break the ice, Joseph smiled, “Well I’m sure you can tell from my accent I’m not from around here.”
His attempt at humor brought only a cold stare from the officer. The other two men, each armed, eased menacingly closer. Joseph waited for another question, but quickly realized it wasn’t coming.
The photograph shown features the present day Red River at Alexandria, Louisiana. This is near the spot where Joe Moore came ashore on his arrival.
Chapter 22 Crossing the Calcasieu
Joe Moore had his first encounter with the most beautiful of all birds, wood ducks.
Chapter 23 Miz Girlie
Chapter 23 Miz Girlie
Joe's encounter with a Louisiana dog (from Chapter 23)
Eliza called it her “song and light show.” The sound she loved was how the pines carried the wind. Their song in the wind was so different from the way oaks sounded in a strong wind. She had never been to the ocean, but the roaring of the wind in the pines was the way her mind imagined the ocean would sound.
The lightning continued getting closer. She’d always been warned to stay away from pines during a thunderstorm. Her mom called them “lightning magnets.” Eliza had seen ample evidence of what lightning did to a longleaf pine. It was common to see these tall pines featuring a long fresh scar down its entire trunk from a lightning strike. Soon the tree would drop its straw and die.
However her mom had warned her against being in the pines during a storm. Not before one—at least that is the way she interpreted the warnings. So as the wind picked up she told Eli, “We’ll need to get out from under the pines before the storm hits—but don’t that wind feel good right now.” As the wind blew, they stood joyfully stood under the pines taking in their song. Eliza spread her arms and felt the wind blowing her hair and blouse. To Eliza, it was not just a sound show—it was also a light show. The long leaf pines of the Ten Mile country seemed to be a prism.
Whatever the level of light was—whether the sunshine was brightly shining on a clear day, or the clouds sent rolling shimmering shafts of light that were further segregated by the pines, the pines gave this light show. Even on short winter afternoons when the low angle of the sun sent yellow shafts through the pine trunks, or dark rainy days when under the pines it seemed sinister, gloomy, and nearly scary. Eliza liked each mood of this light show under the pines.
Chapter 25 Father Willis
The grave of Reverend Joseph Willis, Occupy Cemetery, Hwy 113 Ten Mile, LA
Joe Moore was so focused on this close inspection that he never saw or heard the dog coming until it was too late.
He never figured out where it came from, so the dog achieved a total ambush. It was undoubtedly the fiercest looking dog he’d ever seen.
As it bounded at him in what seemed like slow motion, Joe stood frozen in shock. He would always remember the dog’s eyes as it made the last ten yards: they were a glassy, weird white that seemed to emit intense hate. The large dog drove its head into his chest. It didn’t bite him . . . at least not yet. It simply had bull-rushed him and knocked him down. He tumbled to the ground, trying to cover his neck and face, while feeling for his knife.
The dog stood over him with teeth bared, a loud guttural growl emitting from its curled lips. It probably weighed about fifty pounds, and every muscle was shaking with rage. He hurriedly tried to back away on his hands and knees, but the dog stayed over him letting him know it was in charge. Joe couldn’t find his knife, and no stick was near.
As the growling dog snarled in his face, he took a desperate look at his at his attacker: The dog was a dark-brownish blue with black spots on its side and back. It had a white-striped chest and its legs, shaking with rage as it growled in Joes’ face, were strong and white-sock footed.
But most of all, those eyes had Joe’s attention. The eyes looked like glass eyes, the kind you saw in mounted animals and they gave the dog an evil look.
The dog, still emitting a low growl in its chest, finally backed off a step or two, allowing Joe to get to his feet.
It was then he heard the shrill whistle. It was repeated again and a harsh female voice boomed out, “Jezebel—you come here! What you done caught there?” The growling dog still held its ground, but was evidently distracted by the woman’s voice. The voice repeated louder, “Jezebel. Come here right now!”
Suddenly, the dog turned and trotted obediently toward the porch. This allowed Joe the opportunity to turn and observe his rescuer.
He never figured out where it came from, so the dog achieved a total ambush. It was undoubtedly the fiercest looking dog he’d ever seen.
As it bounded at him in what seemed like slow motion, Joe stood frozen in shock. He would always remember the dog’s eyes as it made the last ten yards: they were a glassy, weird white that seemed to emit intense hate. The large dog drove its head into his chest. It didn’t bite him . . . at least not yet. It simply had bull-rushed him and knocked him down. He tumbled to the ground, trying to cover his neck and face, while feeling for his knife.
The dog stood over him with teeth bared, a loud guttural growl emitting from its curled lips. It probably weighed about fifty pounds, and every muscle was shaking with rage. He hurriedly tried to back away on his hands and knees, but the dog stayed over him letting him know it was in charge. Joe couldn’t find his knife, and no stick was near.
As the growling dog snarled in his face, he took a desperate look at his at his attacker: The dog was a dark-brownish blue with black spots on its side and back. It had a white-striped chest and its legs, shaking with rage as it growled in Joes’ face, were strong and white-sock footed.
But most of all, those eyes had Joe’s attention. The eyes looked like glass eyes, the kind you saw in mounted animals and they gave the dog an evil look.
The dog, still emitting a low growl in its chest, finally backed off a step or two, allowing Joe to get to his feet.
It was then he heard the shrill whistle. It was repeated again and a harsh female voice boomed out, “Jezebel—you come here! What you done caught there?” The growling dog still held its ground, but was evidently distracted by the woman’s voice. The voice repeated louder, “Jezebel. Come here right now!”
Suddenly, the dog turned and trotted obediently toward the porch. This allowed Joe the opportunity to turn and observe his rescuer.
Chapter 24 The Lightning Storm
An excerpt from Chapter 24
An excerpt from Chapter 24
Eliza called it her “song and light show.” The sound she loved was how the pines carried the wind. Their song in the wind was so different from the way oaks sounded in a strong wind. She had never been to the ocean, but the roaring of the wind in the pines was the way her mind imagined the ocean would sound.
The lightning continued getting closer. She’d always been warned to stay away from pines during a thunderstorm. Her mom called them “lightning magnets.” Eliza had seen ample evidence of what lightning did to a longleaf pine. It was common to see these tall pines featuring a long fresh scar down its entire trunk from a lightning strike. Soon the tree would drop its straw and die.
However her mom had warned her against being in the pines during a storm. Not before one—at least that is the way she interpreted the warnings. So as the wind picked up she told Eli, “We’ll need to get out from under the pines before the storm hits—but don’t that wind feel good right now.” As the wind blew, they stood joyfully stood under the pines taking in their song. Eliza spread her arms and felt the wind blowing her hair and blouse. To Eliza, it was not just a sound show—it was also a light show. The long leaf pines of the Ten Mile country seemed to be a prism.
Whatever the level of light was—whether the sunshine was brightly shining on a clear day, or the clouds sent rolling shimmering shafts of light that were further segregated by the pines, the pines gave this light show. Even on short winter afternoons when the low angle of the sun sent yellow shafts through the pine trunks, or dark rainy days when under the pines it seemed sinister, gloomy, and nearly scary. Eliza liked each mood of this light show under the pines.
Chapter 25 Father Willis
Sunday, April 1, 2007
Chapter 25 Girlie and Unk
Chapter 25
Joe Moore (from Westport, Ireland, picks out his home place in the Ten Mile country.)
.Black-eyed Susans are one of the prettiest parts of early fall in SW Louisiana. Growing in the open, these weeds bloom during late September through November. Joe picks his homestead spot in a field of these flowers. [Photo]From the end of Chapter 25: They (Joe and Unk) walked through the waist high flowers. “These purty flowers are called ““black-eyed susanslazy susans” and they bloom every October. They’re really a weed and only grow out in the open. Unk finally stopped among the flowers and splintered tree trunks. He was searching for something. “There it is.” He trotted over about fifty feet to an area where the grass was thicker and greener. “Here’s the spring.”Joe followed him and saw the small spring bubbling out of the ground. It wasn’t large but the water was clear and looked deep. Around it grew strange single-stalked red flowers. Unk called them “spider lilies” and said they bloomed at the same time as the black-eyed lazy susans.Unk grinned, “Don’t nobody know ‘bout it but me. I use it to water the sheep when I’m in the area. Don’t you see how this would make you a good homestead—water, open land, your wood for building is already on the ground drying out. What do you think?”Joe said, “I think it is where I’m going to build me a homestead. I think I’ll call it Westport.”F
all spider lillies near the porch of the Iles Old House in Dry Creek.
Black-eyed Susans are one of the prettiest parts of early fall in SW Louisiana. Growing in the open, these weeds bloom during late September through November. Joe picks his homestead spot in a field of these flowers.
From the end of Chapter 25: They (Joe and Unk) walked through the waist high flowers. “These purty flowers are called ““black-eyed susanslazy susans” and they bloom every October. They’re really a weed and only grow out in the open.
Unk finally stopped among the flowers and splintered tree trunks. He was searching for something. “There it is.” He trotted over about fifty feet to an area where the grass was thicker and greener. “Here’s the spring.”
Joe followed him and saw the small spring bubbling out of the ground. It wasn’t large but the water was clear and looked deep. Around it grew strange single-stalked red flowers. Unk called them “spider lilies” and said they bloomed at the same time as the black-eyed lazy susans.
Unk grinned, “Don’t nobody know ‘bout it but me. I use it to water the sheep when I’m in the area. Don’t you see how this would make you a good homestead—water, open land, your wood for building is already on the ground drying out. What do you think?”
Joe said, “I think it is where I’m going to build me a homestead. I think I’ll call it Westport.”
Joe Moore (from Westport, Ireland, picks out his home place in the Ten Mile country.)
.Black-eyed Susans are one of the prettiest parts of early fall in SW Louisiana. Growing in the open, these weeds bloom during late September through November. Joe picks his homestead spot in a field of these flowers. [Photo]From the end of Chapter 25: They (Joe and Unk) walked through the waist high flowers. “These purty flowers are called ““black-eyed susanslazy susans” and they bloom every October. They’re really a weed and only grow out in the open. Unk finally stopped among the flowers and splintered tree trunks. He was searching for something. “There it is.” He trotted over about fifty feet to an area where the grass was thicker and greener. “Here’s the spring.”Joe followed him and saw the small spring bubbling out of the ground. It wasn’t large but the water was clear and looked deep. Around it grew strange single-stalked red flowers. Unk called them “spider lilies” and said they bloomed at the same time as the black-eyed lazy susans.Unk grinned, “Don’t nobody know ‘bout it but me. I use it to water the sheep when I’m in the area. Don’t you see how this would make you a good homestead—water, open land, your wood for building is already on the ground drying out. What do you think?”Joe said, “I think it is where I’m going to build me a homestead. I think I’ll call it Westport.”F
all spider lillies near the porch of the Iles Old House in Dry Creek.
Black-eyed Susans are one of the prettiest parts of early fall in SW Louisiana. Growing in the open, these weeds bloom during late September through November. Joe picks his homestead spot in a field of these flowers.
From the end of Chapter 25: They (Joe and Unk) walked through the waist high flowers. “These purty flowers are called ““black-eyed susanslazy susans” and they bloom every October. They’re really a weed and only grow out in the open.Unk finally stopped among the flowers and splintered tree trunks. He was searching for something. “There it is.” He trotted over about fifty feet to an area where the grass was thicker and greener. “Here’s the spring.”
Joe followed him and saw the small spring bubbling out of the ground. It wasn’t large but the water was clear and looked deep. Around it grew strange single-stalked red flowers. Unk called them “spider lilies” and said they bloomed at the same time as the black-eyed lazy susans.
Unk grinned, “Don’t nobody know ‘bout it but me. I use it to water the sheep when I’m in the area. Don’t you see how this would make you a good homestead—water, open land, your wood for building is already on the ground drying out. What do you think?”
Joe said, “I think it is where I’m going to build me a homestead. I think I’ll call it Westport.”
Fall spider lillies near the porch of the Iles Old House in Dry Creek.
Chapters 28-42
Chapter 28 More Land Trouble
Chapter 29 The House Dance
An Irish band plays as Matt Molloy's Pub in Westport, Ireland. Just like Louisianaians, Irish folk love good music and fellowship.
Chapter 29 The House Dance
An Irish band plays as Matt Molloy's Pub in Westport, Ireland. Just like Louisianaians, Irish folk love good music and fellowship.
"Craic" (pronounced "crack") is the Irish word denoting music, fun, and fellowship. In the Ten Mile house dance featured in Chapter 29, Joe attends and "officially" meets Eliza for the first time. He is an outsider but quickly makes himself at home with the music of the pioneers.
"Mose" was an actual 19th century fiddler in western Louisiana. I first read about him in the historical account of the later Westport Fight.
Chapter 30 Burnout and a horse
An Irish horse in Doolin, Ireland. click on the picture to see that road signs are in both English and Gaelic.
Chapter 31 The First Kiss
Chapter 32 Peat and Pine knots
A peat pile in County Mayo, Ireland. The Irish use a type of shovel to cut the "bricks" out of the turf. They pile it and dry it for months, before moving it to their homes.
Chapter 32 Peat and Pine knots
A peat pile in County Mayo, Ireland. The Irish use a type of shovel to cut the "bricks" out of the turf. They pile it and dry it for months, before moving it to their homes.
Burning peat gives off a blue smoke and has a sweet smell.
A peat brick. Curt brought back two bricks in his luggage and has enjoyed showing them to groups.
Peat is a partially-decomposed fossil fuel. The wet peat bogs of western Ireland are spongy when you walk on them.
I loved the idea of Joe explaining to Louisiana pioneers what peat was.
Chapter 33 Next Visit
Chapter 34 Dogwoods
Chapter 35 Snakebite!
Canebrake Rattlesnake rattles held by Curt.
This large rattler once was common in all parts of Louisiana, but now is found in SW La. primarily only along the Calcasieu River and Sabine River areas.
Chapter 36 Occupy Church
Church sign at Occupy #1
Chapter 34 Dogwoods
Chapter 35 Snakebite!
Canebrake Rattlesnake rattles held by Curt.This large rattler once was common in all parts of Louisiana, but now is found in SW La. primarily only along the Calcasieu River and Sabine River areas.
Chapter 36 Occupy Church
Church sign at Occupy #1
Hwy 113 between Pitkin and Union Hill, LA
Does anyone know what year Occupy Church split into Occupy 1 and Occupy 2?
Legend has it that they split over trouble, but the historical record shows that because flooding of Ten Mile Creek separated the members, and caused the ones west of Ten Mile to start Occupy 2.
The grave of Rev. Joseph Willis at Occupy 1 Cemetery 
Chapter 37 Leave!
Chapter 38 The Fight at Davis Crossing
Davis Crossing at the Calcasieu River La. Hwy 113
Chapter 39 Davis Crossing
Davis Crossing Baptist Church near the Calcasieu River.
Chapter 38 The Fight at Davis Crossing
Davis Crossing at the Calcasieu River La. Hwy 113
Chapter 39 Davis Crossing
Davis Crossing Baptist Church near the Calcasieu River.
Chapter 40 Trouble at the Creek
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Chapter 41
Uncle Arch and the Wood Duck Slough
Uncle Arch and the Wood Duck Slough This is my favorite chapter of the book. It is predicated on two real life stories. One similar story was told by my uncle, Lawrence Edwards of Larto, LA.
The second story concerns the death of one of my heroes and friends, Mr. Jay Miller. Mr. Jay was the last of the eight Miller Brothers of Dry Creek. In 2000 on a cold November morning he took his daughter and preacher to their deer stands at daylight. As he walked down a firelane in Miller Pasture to his own stand, he fell dead.
Men in our community said, "If I could pick how to go, I'd go like Mr. Jay did."
Wood Duck mount. The male drake is the prettiest bird God created.
Chapter 42 The Burn Out
Epilogue
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