Rayne is known as the “Frog Capital of the World.” Each November, they have a Frog Festival. They crown a Frog Queen, have frog races and frog jumping contests. A frog golf tournament, 5K run, carnival, arts and crafts, music and dancing, a parade; the usual festival activities.
I wonder which dogs prefer, the hydrant or the frog?
The frog theme leaped on the scene when Jacques Weill and his two brothers started a lucrative frog export business, shipping frog legs to restaurants around the country.
Rayne is also known as the “Louisiana City of Murals.” I’m not sure exactly how many there are, but they’re beautiful and everywhere in town. We stopped here on our way home from Breaux Bridge, and didn’t have a lot of time to see anything but the murals. But there are a few attractions in town. The cemetery at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church is the only graveyard in the country where the graves face north and south. It’s in Ripley’s Believe it or Not. There’s an antique mall and an old-fashioned five and dime store. Supposedly there’s a museum, but I couldn’t find out any information on that.
I’ll let the frogs tell the rest of the story. Keep in mind, this is only a sampling of the murals. In this first mural, you see the words Fais Do Do. Best I can tell, a fais do do is a Cajun hoedown.
I wonder which dogs prefer, the hydrant or the frog?
I love the way this frog looks like he’s crawling right off the wall.
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5 comments:
"The frog theme leaped . . ." Nice play! I've never been through Rayne, but Frog City is one of my favorite places to stop and eat or visit the ladies' when I'm going that way.
Did anyone tell you who painted the murals? I think they have to be the work of Robert Dafford and crew out of Lafayette. The flood walls in Paducah are covered with his work. I'm with Jan, I have been to use the ladies' but have never explored the town.
bev
I wrote a comment, and it disappeard. The murals are great. I suspect they were done by Robert Dafford and crew. He has done many on the flood wall of my hometown. I haven't seen the ones in Rayne, but will look for them the next time I stop there.
brv
More incredible art work! I thought that "Fais do do" meant "take a nap" or "fall asleep" as part of a lullaby, but that doesn't really seem to fit the art work.
Well, Commonhouseholdwife is right...in her translation, that is!
Legend has it that the phrase became the name for a Cajun dance because the mothers would try their best to get the babies to sleep quickly so they could go dance...thus fais do do...GO TO SLEEP so Momma can dance.
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