Jan 27
This gallery contains 6 photos.
I’m from Massachusetts, so I’m familiar with the long, wet, cold winters. The driving during this time of year used to be horrific. We lived on a hill and not a winter would pass where we were out on the street during a snowstorm trying to help push cars up the hill in the stormy […]
Jan 8
This gallery contains 14 photos.
Southeast Louisiana’s winter weather is so fickle. One day it’s cold, damp and gray and the next is sunny with blue skies and mild temperatures. During Christmas break from work hubby and I decided to go looking for pelicans in their winter habitats around Slidell during a warm, sunny day. We didn’t have to go […]
Dec 23
This gallery contains 1 photo.
I have been lucky in friending Plaquemines Parish P.J. Hahn, Director of Coastal Zone Management on facebook and following his photography. I did so during the oilspill of 2010, knowing he would provide local, honest first-person reporting of an incident that was censored by BP, the Coast Guard and our government. I can’t watch the […]
Dec 3
This gallery contains 1 photo.
I am a shoreline person. My blood pressure drops when I hear the sound of the surf. I adore walking barefoot in the sand. I live within a mile of a bayou, I cross Lake Pontchartrain 2 times a day 5 days a week. I have a thing for pelicans. My wonderful husband is the […]
Oct 23
This gallery contains 1 photo.
We were pleasantly surprised today when we finally decided on what to do on Saturday… we went to Camp Salmen Nature Park to see what updates have been done since our last visit in February. Originally a Boy Scout camp from the 40′s to the 70′s, Camp Salmen has an interesting history in the Bayou […]
Oct 12
This gallery contains 1 photo.
The Big Fix premieres this Friday as part of the New Orleans Film Festival. This documentary film details the massive government cover-up which has taken place in the wake of the BP oil spill. There will be a press conference at 2 pm at the Contemporary Arts Center before the film is shown. The entire […]
September is the high point on the tropical activity calendar. We who live on the Gulf Coast accept the fact that our Labor Day weekends might possibly be hampered by tropical activity. And this year we have Tropical Storm Lee.
What follows are my pix taken on the north shore of Lake Pontchartrain (approximately 30 miles away from the French Quarter). The pictures are not as sensational as the Weather Channel would have you believe about Lee’s intensity. Lee is more of a slow moving storm than a powerful one. As I type this (Sunday at 8 AM) it’s still pouring outside.
This was taken from Lakeview Drive, better known as Rats Nest Road in Slidell. The old piers destroyed by Katrina are in the foreground and the new Twin Spans can be seen in the background.
This train was moving slowly across the submerged marshland heading towards Lake Pontchartrain.
Six years Post Katrina, St. Genevieve Catholic Church in the Bayou Liberty area of Slidell (my neighborhood) is finally rebuilding.
I like this shot of the crosses of the chapel and church.
Bayou Liberty boat berths. Those poles in the foreground represent sunken boat slips.
Swings and benches submerged in Lee’s flood waters.
This is what this area normally looks like.
Hubby pointed out the beauty of the Spanish Moss and the waters of Bayou Liberty.
This crazy truck driver drove through the flood waters to drop off a friend.
The “new” Bayou Liberty Bridge taken from the Church side of the Bayou.
A view of the piers on the St. Genevieve grounds.
A bright spot in all of this wet windy weather is that our 6 month old lab discovered how much he LOVES water!
For the first time in over a month hubby and I had a Saturday where we could do some hiking and picture taking. It was a wonderful release.
A place that’s been on our”gotta visit” list is the Southeast Louisiana National Wildlife Refuge Headquarters in Lacombe, just 15 minutes from our house.
Upon entering the site, you’re drawn to the landscaping. The attention to detail is apparent and it reaches back over 200 years.
This site is rich in history and beauty. The August heat appeared to be too much to handle, but it really wasn’t at this site because of the abundance of trees. We arrived at 10 AM and were done by noon.
Here is a brief rundown of the history of this paradise in Lacombe, taken from one of the info boards:
Likely a portion of French or Spanish Land Grant during the Colonial Era, the earliest known owner was Louis Reggio prior to 1820. The property changed hands a number of times later that century, with the Cousin and Ducre names common today in the Lacombe area among the owners during this period into the 20th century.
The land was acquired in 1935 by Judge Wayne Borah (the youngest Federal Judge in the country at the time), who built a residence.
This structure is a Chimney Swift Tower
He and his family did extensive landscaping, laying out the foundation which is known today as the “Bayou Gardens” of Lacombe.
In 1946 the home and gardens were acquired by former (crooked) Louisiana Governor Richard Leche, who settled into the lush surroundings with his family and continued the cultivation of the Bayou Gardens.
In 1956 the land was acquired by the Redemptorist religious order and in 1960 the Holy Redeemer Seminary opened. The seminary closed in 1980, but members of the order continued to live at the site, holding religious retreats. And apparently, a cemetery was established for the priests that stayed until the end of their lives.
The rear of the residence gives way to a great lawn that faces Bayou Lacombe
This site is loaded with walking trails, as shown in the map below
There are walking trails off to each side of the great lawn that are easy to maneuver and full of small surprises if you look for them
A trail that begins at the parking lot of the Refuge leads down to a grotto
which leads to a rudimentary brick staircase:
Made with local bricks
This same trail will also bring you to a lovely little area to sit and ponder the beauty of Bayou Lacombe
If you walk it a little while longer, it brings you to another pensive sight overlooking a pond.
The visitor center is huge and loaded with information and displays.
This little girl was killed by a car in Bayou Teche and her remains were saved and brought to the headquarters
The Headquarters represents the eight of Southeast Louisiana (SELA) Refuges:
Atchafalaya (prounounced A-Cha-FaH-lie-ya)
Bayou Sauvage (through which I traverse on my daily commute)
Bayou Teche (prounounced Tesh)
Big Branch Marsh (in our backyard)
Bogue Chitto (prounounced Boog gah Chitta)
Breton – close to my heart because it’s a bird refuge
Delta National Wildlife Refuge
Mandalay – only accessible by boat, near Houma, Louisiana.
A visit to the Bayou Lacombe Center is a win-win situation any time of the year. Besides all of the hiking trails, the kids would love the Visitors Center for the displays (lots of interactive stuff there too). The best part is that admission is FREE!! You can get to the Bayou Lacombe Center by taking exit 74 on I-12. Staffed by volunteers, the visitor center is open Thursdays-Saturdays from 9:00am to 4:00pm. Volunteers are needed to help run the visitor center. Please contact the volunteer coordinator at 985-882-2024.
Less than a mile down the road from Fountainbleu State Park toward Mandeville is the Northlake Nature Center , a four-hundred acre park that is absolutely beautiful.
(click on the pictures below to see the full sized version)
This park offers the opportunity to witness four different ecosystems AND a first hand look at an historic example of crooked Louisiana politicians. A recent archaeological survey revealed the Center site as home to ancient peoples more than 500 years ago.
At the end of the initial boardwalk, you will come to an unfinished “hideaway” club house
As stated in the photo below, this exclusive hideaway golf course initially was the idea of Louisiana Governor Leche in the late 1930′s for his political cronies. This governor has the unique distinction of being the first Louisiana governor sentenced to prison.
Leche and several of his political pasls were indicted in what were termed the “Louisiana Scandals”
The hideaway was destroyed by fire in March 2010 and is not accessible. However, hubby and I took a trip into the park before the fire and got some of the following shots.
Beyond this piece of history is lush, serene swampland and forest.
There are several trails to choose from, all of them pretty primitive, so be prepared to watch where you step!
The boardwalk crosses what is purported to be an active beaver pond
But on this day we only spotted friendly turtles
Lots of turtles!
There are several benches along the boardwalks and paths through the woods.
This area seems to be where they hold nature seminars and is probably used for the annual Great Louisiana Birdfest that happens here.
We spotted this cypress at the edge of the pond.
Notice how the lower branches are bent down as a result of Katrina’s winds.
There are several overlooks constructed throughout the park where you can take in all that this little environmental gem has to offer.
These pictures were taken in February of this year, thus the reason that everything looks muted. If August weren’t so darned steamy, I’d love to be out there right now with my camera.
This photo whispers about the circle of life to me. You can see the victims of Katrina being used to nourish the new growth.
Amidst all that gray stood this proud little tree, all decked out in new green leaves.
Throughout the park are bridges which cross Bayou Castine
I’m not an avid hiker, but I managed to walk around the park for several hours and didn’t feel the least bit tired (with the exception of my bursitis, but that’s a sign of my age 
).
If you ever want to get away from it all and just listen to the sounds of the woods and waterways, make your way to the Nothlake Nature Center to unwind.
I have always been fascinated with sunrise. In my 20′s I would party till after the sun rose and be blinded by the light upon leaving the bar. I can remember watching sunrise from Grand Isle State Park and Cocoa Beach Florida. My daily commute puts me in line with pre-sunrise skies every morning, wishing I had my camera with me.
It’s amazing what goes on in the 30 or more minutes between predawn and sunrise.
Recently – well actually Memorial Day – we decided to climb out of our oh-so-comfortable cocoons at 5AM to travel the ten minutes to Goose Point in Lacombe, Louisiana.
For the locals it’s known as Lake Road, an extremely narrow piece of land that joins the Northshore of Lake Pontchartrain with the lake.
Lake Road taken from the end
Lake Road is not paved and is just wide enough for two vehicles to pass each other. I believe it is part of the Big Branch National Wildlife Refuge. On any given day you can find dozens of people parked along the road crabbing or fishing. In fact when we passed at a little after 5:30 in the morning there were several people already out there going after the early morning catch.
In the few minutes before the sun actually shows itself on the horizon the red wing blackbirds are out playing. This is one of my favorite “common” birds because of its call. There is something about the sound of a red wing blackbird that lets you know you’re far away from the sounds and activity of a normal day at work or in the city. They’re playful little things, too. I had fun trying to photograph them.
What I never knew until this day was how much energy it takes for this little bird to sing my favorite sound. Check out this guy.
Finally the event that we were waiting for began
The sun rises quickly and so many things are happening during this time. It’s difficult to decide what to shoot!
Still singing his little heart out!
I imagine there was once a camp or a pier here
These little plants caught the rays from the sun so well they appeared to be glowing.
I didn’t realize until after I looked at this picture that the plants have little purple flowers on them.
I love the texture of the marsh grass in this picture.
A marsh rose and wild morning glory
Crab boat going out on the lake to lay those crab traps to catch the best tasting crabs around!
This little guy scampered back into the bushes when we stopped to get his picture.
It was a wonderful experience and worth getting up early for. By the time we were finished it was already 7 AM and we headed out for breakfast and then more picture taking. A time well spent!
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