Random Thoughts and Pics from the French Quarter

Bob and I visited New Orleans last weekend. Except for a trip to a nearby rum distillery (more on that below) we stayed in the French Quarter. We hadn't been there in several years. I love to stroll those old narrow brick streets. I love the colors, the non-stop music, the crazy people. Of course, being an introvert, the crowds get to me after awhile. But until I get to that point, it's a blast. Below are some random moments that stopped us to pause, look, listen, taste, or wonder. Basically, like any place of interest, it's people, music, food, architecture . . .

When in the Quarter, I gravitate to Royal St. I love the art galleries, antique shops, vintage clothing, street performers on every corner. One evening out on Royal St., we came upon this shop window. I was completely mesmerized. I wish I'd made a note of the name so I could put a link to their website.

Several street musicians captured our attention. This lady sang, played the clarinet, and was truly amazing. Her back-up tuba player/drummer was pretty good, too.

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We also enjoyed these guys, the Second Hand Street Band.

I guess part of the show is getting ready to perform.

Here's a different kind of performer. "Poet for Hire." For a tip and a topic suggestion, he'll write you a poem on his old manual typewriter. I asked him to write a poem about nature, and he typed a lovely piece about the jungle, insects, Tarzan, and Jane. It was very good, for being on the spot and all.

Naturally, we ate a lot of good food. Po'boys on Bourbon St.

I can't even remember what this dish was (the Quarter can do that to you) but we were at Mr. B's Bistro and it was REALLY GOOD.

We also had some excellent gumbo and muffaletta at  Le Bayou. I must have been too hungry to take photos there.

Saturday morning, we stopped at New Orleans Famous Beignets and Coffee. It's a block from Cafe Du Monde. We didn't want to wait in line.

I love the history and architecture of this town -- the wrought iron balconies, the European flair, hidden courtyards, and haunted hotels.

We met this gentleman, Patrick van Hoorebeek. He owns Patrick's Bar Vin, an upscale wine bar adjacent to the fabulous Hotel Mazarin, where we lodged. Patrick is from Belgium, has led a fascinating life, and is quite the storyteller!

There's an endless list of things you can see and do in New Orleans . . . the zoo, the aquarium, museums . . .  Bob and I were looking for something a little different. We toured the Olde New Orleans Rum Distillery. It's located just a short drive out of the Quarter in this unassuming warehouse district.

They gave us an excellent tour and, of course, samples. 

Their Gingeroo is really unique and delicious, if you like ginger, which I do.

I can't begin to record in one blog post everything we experienced in two short days of visiting the French Quarter. We sure had a great time!

What's your favorite thing to do/see/eat/hear when visiting New Orleans?

Bicycling in Lake Charles, Louisiana

I’ve always enjoyed bike riding. I graduated from a tricycle to a bicycle when my parents bought me a two-wheeler for Christmas when I was five years old. The bike was two sizes too big for me and I didn’t grow into it until I was seven, but then I rode that same bike throughout the rest of my childhood.

Me at age 6; too big for the trike, too small for the big-girl bike.

I forgot about biking through most of my 20s, until I met a guy named Bob, an avid cyclist who re-introduced me to biking and then became my husband. When we dated, I knew I had to get a bike or I’d rarely see the guy. So I bought a purple Trek 720. I love that bike – still ride it today.

When our twin sons were babies, we refused to let kids stop us from bike riding. So we bought a tike trailer and Bob towed them.

When they outgrew that, we bought a tandem bike and attached a tag-a-long behind it.

And then we moved to Louisiana, where biking is different than in the northeast. Here there are headwinds instead of hills. And (at least for me) the riding season is fall, winter, spring instead of spring, summer, fall. Read my post on bicycling in SWLA here.

All that to say I met a cool group of bike enthusiasts here in Lake Charles. They call themselves the Slow Spokes. They ride for fun and friendship more so than fitness, but there’s nothing wrong with that. They meet up most Friday evenings, riding a different course each week that could be considered a pub crawl on two-wheels.

Pre-ride socializing.

And we're off!

Group shot at the lakefront.

Check out this video of our ride last Friday.

They also strive to bring awareness of the biking community to lake area citizens. When you’re on a bike and riding the roads, motorists can be scary. They often are not looking for bikers and tend not to see them. Or they don’t respect the fact that the roads belong to bikers, too. Or they are distracted.  And some drivers are not aware of the rules regarding bicyclists. For example, when passing a bicycle, a vehicle must stay at least three feet away from the bike. If the biker can reach out and touch the car as it passes, the car is probably too close.  For a complete list of Louisiana bicycle laws, see this website. The Slow Spokes will be happy to learn that DUI laws do not apply to bicyclists!

As bikers, certainly we want the  motoring community to be aware of us and to help protect our safety. There are also many things we bicyclists can do to make bicycling a safer sport for ourselves. Here’s a list of tips I’ve learned over 25 years of grown-up biking.

• Wear bright vibrant clothing to make yourself as visible to motorists as possible. And never wear dark clothing if you are biking after sunset.
• Speaking of being visible, make your bike as visible as possible also by adding reflectors and blinky lights. The more able motorists are to see you, the less likely they will hit you.
• Follow the rules. If we can share the road, we also share the rules. Stop at stop signs and red lights. Use proper hand signals for turning. And so on.
•  It may seem counter-intuitive, but if a road is narrow, don’t necessarily hug the side the road too tightly. This invites motorists to pass you even though it may not be safe. If the lane is narrow and you ride close to the middle of the lane, a motorist will simply have to wait until it is safe to pass you in the other lane.
• Always ride WITH the flow of traffic. Physics dictate that you will incur less injury if you are hit going with the flow of traffic rather than head-on. If you want to see what is behind you, get a rear view mirror. I couldn’t ride without one.
• If you are riding with other bikers, communicate and warn them about hazards such as potholes or gravel.
• My number one safe bicycling tip this – Wear a helmet! The law may only apply to bikers age twelve and under, but shouldn’t we adults set an example of safety to youth? Example aside, we need to protect our noggins. In the event of an accident, wearing a helmet can potentially mean the difference between a few scrapes and/or broken bones and a seriously debilitating brain injury or death. I see too many bicyclists in southwest Louisiana not wearing helmets. Yes, I’ve been to Austin. I thought they were crazy, too. I’ve been to other progressive trend-setting cities like San Francisco and Seattle where wearing a helmet is more the norm. Lake Charles’ bikers, let’s be southern trend setters! Wearing a helmet while biking isn’t un-cool. It’s smart.

Southwest Louisiana has terrific bike riding opportunities. Lots of quiet country roads to get lost on. There are a couple bike shops on Prien Lake Road with employees who can assist with your questions and biking gear. Check out Capitol Cyclery and Bicycle Superstore. They sponsor weekly rides and other events. For more information on the Slow Spokes, find them on Facebook here.

Lake Charles has a lot of work to do to make the roads safer for bicyclists, for example building in bike lanes and creating trails. I’d like to think they are working on it. But they need to see and hear biking advocates. Let your voice be heard. Get out on your bikes and ride!

Where is your favorite place to bike ride?

Baby Turtle -- Revisited

Five years ago, my husband found a baby turtle at his workplace. He knows I love turtles, so he brought it home to me. (One of the best gifts ever!)

No doubt, as was usually the case, I needed something to blog about, so I wrote a little story about the plight of the turtle with accompanying photos.

Far and away, it has been my most viewed post, with 27,133 views to date. Why? Because of this one photo.



Google Images, as they often do, picked this up from my blog. And I was okay with that because it brought a lot of traffic to my site. Anytime someone googled "photo of baby turtle" or just "turtle", that image would be near the top of the list. If they clicked on the photo, they went directly to this blog.

But last year, and I just recently discovered this, something sinister happened. Someone lifted the photo from Google Images and put it in a redit post. Now, when you google "photo of turtle", this image will still come up, although not nearly as close to the top, and when you click on it, it takes you to that redit post. No mention of my blog. Anywhere. As the original owner of this photo, I have lost credit for it.

So, I am re-posting this original entry for two reasons; one, to entertain readers who may not seen it five years ago. This was back in the days before I was on Facebook or the Southwest Daily News website. And two, in hopes that Google Images will again pick it up from here and once again bring traffic to my blog.

Thanks for listening to my lament. And for reading. Enjoy this little story!

Baby Turtle Finds a Home

One day, as Bob left work, he spied a baby turtle in the gravel outside his office door.

“How did you get here?” said Bob. “And what are you doing? You can’t stay here at the plant. You’ll get run over by a scooter. Or fall into a bin of silica. Or stumble into a tank of chlorine. I know. I’ll take you home. Angie loves turtles.” So Bob picked up Baby Turtle and put him in his lunch box.

Once home, Bob found a large glass jar and made Turtle a nice home with fresh water and aquarium rocks. He placed a life-like plastic turtle in the jar so Turtle wouldn’t feel lonely. He fed Turtle some fish food.

Angie came home and she indeed loved Turtle. “Oh, he’s so beautiful!”



But Turtle wasn’t happy. He didn’t like fish food. He couldn’t climb the high slippery glass walls of his little house. His “friend” wouldn’t move and Turtle suspected he was dead. The fresh water soon turned muddy. And Turtle was hungry.

Bob looked online and discovered red-eared sliders are omnivores – they eat anything. So Angie gave Turtle spinach and a piece of sweet juicy peach. Bob gave him a broccoli floret and a chunk of chicken. But Turtle still wouldn’t eat. He wanted OUT!

So Bob and Angie put Turtle and his little house into the car and drove him to Holbrook Park. They found a nice quiet spot along the bank of the bayou. A spot where Turtle could swim and eat and make new friends.


After saying goodbye and wishing Turtle the best of luck in his future, Angie placed Turtle on the sandy ground. Slowly at first, then picking up speed, Turtle scurried to the water and dove in.





A small minnow immediately swam up to greet Turtle, and Turtle made his first new friend. (minnow in right lower quadrant)


“Nice to meet you,” said Turtle to minnow, “but right now I’m really hungry and I must find something to eat.” And off Turtle swam in search of food. (Turtle in left lower quadrant)


Hopefully, this blue heron didn’t find Turtle first.

Arts and Crabs Festival 2015

Bob and I enjoy attending fun festivals and events that benefit a good cause. This past Saturday, we attended the 6th annual Arts and Crabs Fest!

This event raises money for the Arts and Humanities Council of Southwest Louisiana -- a very worthy cause! The Arts and Humanities Council promotes the unique and diverse culture, music, food, and people of our region by offering free public events throughout the year -- Gallery Promenade, Spring Art Walk, Live at the Lakefront. They host art camps, arts awards, and offer grants to other art and culture organizations. I can't imagine living in Lake Charles without the services they provide to the region.

Anyway, back to Arts and Crabs, this event was initiated in 2010 not only to raise funds for the organization but also to bring awareness to the region's seafood industry after the devastating BP oil spill. We first attended in 2011. You can read that post here. The event started out in a banquet room at the Civic Center and has become more popular with each passing year. They soon outgrow venues and this year they hosted the event at Burton Coliseum.

Tickets sell out and approximately 700 people attended this year. Eleven area restaurants and caterers offered samples of everything crab -- corn crab bisque, crab cornbread, crab pasta casserole, crab and cheese dip, to name a few. Our personal favorite was a crab cake (center top, below) by a soon-to-open restaurant called 1910, on Ryan St. Also good was a crab salsa (upper right below in larger bowl) by popular taco truck, The Sloppy Taco, and indeed, they won the people's choice award.

Also fun is that a local brewery -- this year Bayou Teche -- pairs samples of their beer with the dishes. Old New Orleans Rum Distillery was also on hand passing out samples.

Then there's the art. One of my favorite art friends, Sue Zimmerman was there. Love her!

This photo was lifted from my 2011 post. (Why didn't I take a photo of she and I together. I'm her biggest fan girl!)

New art friend, Melinda Antoon Cormier, was also there. She's terrific, too.

Photo lifted from her Facebook page.

And my super-creative jewelry maker friend, Andrea Beck of Tab Typewriter Key Jewelry.


Also lifted from Facebook.

 . . . as well as many other art vendors. And what is any event in Southwest Louisiana without music! Folk singers Thomas and Theresa opened the event, followed by the band Sinners.

Good food, drink, art, and music! What could be better?

Of course, the event was emceed by our ubiquitous man-about-town Braylin Jenkins, aka BrayJ.

What is your favorite festival/fundraiser?

Prime Cuttery

So, there's a new eatery in town, and you know me. I love to try new places. I had heard a few reports on Prime Cuttery, all positive, and was eager to check it out. I'm not a huge fan of hamburgers, but every once in awhile . . .

I had no idea what to expect, but I guess I had in mind something a bit more restaurant-like. It's actually more of a meat market with amazing-looking steaks, sausage, boudin and take out sandwiches. There are only a few tables for dining in.

We arrived at 6:00 for dinner and they were closing just as we got there! But the gentleman who seems to be in charge (I didn't catch his name) was so kind. He re-fired up the grill and fryer just so we could eat there. He said they are extending their hours to 7:00 starting next week.

The burger was quite good and worth the wait. Nearly a half pound of certified Angus beef, lean, but with a small amount of pork belly mixed in for some fat and juiciness. The bun was unique and hard to describe -- firm yet soft, crispy on the outside, but fresh on the inside. Reminded me of a French baguette in a hamburger bun shape. There are three choices of cheeses -- american, swiss, or provolone. And they'll put whatever toppings on you want. I have eaten the exact same variety of hamburger consistently since I was a kid. Ketchup, mustard, and pickles. Period.

The fries were good, too.

We were told the menu will soon expand to include fresh seafood. They also offer several poboy sandwiches. The restaurant has only been open a few weeks, and like most brand new places, they're working out the kinks. Located at 3505 Country Club Rd., it's a bit out of the way unless you live in South Lake Charles. Maybe wait a couple weeks, then give Prime Cuttery a try. If you like big burgers, you won't be disappointed.

Have you been to any new restaurants lately?

Heckhaven Wildlife Rehabilitation Center

Several years ago my family and I attended a harvest festival at Sam Houston Jones State Park. Music wafted through the trees and crafts entertained the kids – all pretty low-key. What I remember most about the event was a woman who came with several wild birds and animals. I was fascinated by the owls and spoke with her briefly. Her name is Suzy Heck and she runs Heckhaven, a wildlife rehabilitation center south of Lake Charles.

After that festival, Suzy and her organization were always in the back of my mind. I wanted to know more and finally satisfied my curiosity yesterday when Andrew and I went to visit Suzy and her menagerie of injured animals and abandoned babies. What this woman does out of her love for animals is nothing short of amazing.

A young black vulture.

Litters of baby opossums and raccoons, squirrels, foxes, and rabbits, from tiny pink infants the size of your thumb to temperamental adolescents and birds of a myriad of species – wading birds, raptors, owls, many with broken wings or legs or injuries from gun shots or car accidents. Suzy also takes in abandoned exotic pets such as ferrets, chinchillas, reptiles and cockatoos. They are all welcome at her wildlife sanctuary. Many of the animals arrive via Animal Control or the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. Some are brought by people who find injured animals in their backyards. Her goal is always to rehabilitate them and release them back to the wild. But if an animal is permanently injured or for some other reason cannot survive on its own, the animal becomes a permanent resident.

Baby opossum.

A very talkative and charming cockatoo. "But he'll bite your finger off," says Suzi.

Suzy does not consider any of the animals, even the permanent residents, as pets. “They’re wild animals. You can’t pet them or snuggle with them.” But I suspect she becomes attached to them (and they to her) nonetheless and she cares for them like family. She does, after all, name the animals, at least the permanent residents. During Hurricane Ike in 2008, her property flooded. Her home filled with three feet of water. Suzy, her elderly mother, and “five dogs, three cats, two raccoons, and a pot belly pig” escaped to the attic. For three days!

Young curious raccoons.

Heckhaven sits on a mere five acres, but the property does not feel overwhelmed by animals. The acutely injured and very young reside in the “hospital” which is the back of her house. She has no idea how many animals live on her property at any given time, but there are hundreds. Over 100 are permanent residents. Ducks, geese, and other wading birds live by the pond. A baby goat, chickens, and other birds hang out in a large fenced-in area beside the house. Many animals such as her treasured golden eagle, several owls, older raccoons, foxes, a monitor lizard, and more live in large enclosures in the back yard. A herd of deer roam the nearby woods. Six peacocks have free rein of the property. And she single-handedly cares for them all! She receives no federal or state funding, but relies primarily on donations from the community.

Calcasieu, the golden eagle. Shoo-shoo, for short.

With the help of several of her permanent residents, 67-year-old Suzy goes on the road locally to festivals and other events, schools, and the Children’s Museum to educate people about ecology, wildlife, and what to do if you encounter a wild animal. (If it is injured, call Animal Control or Wildlife and Fisheries. If it appears to be an abandoned baby, it probably isn’t. The mom is likely nearby, so just leave it alone. If you are certain it is abandoned, call the animal authorities.)

This little guy was brought in by Animal Control while we were there.

Suzy came to Lake Charles from the Dallas area in 1986 and started Heckhaven at that time. She had done some wildlife rehab in Texas, and according to her mother, Suzy has been “doing this all her life.” Only God knows how many animals she has helped over the decades, but she says she takes in approximately 1,000 animals a year.

 Great-horned owls. Rather comical. Reminded us of Laurel and Hardy.

Geese finding shade by the pond.

Heckhaven is a 501c non-profit organization and completely self-supported. Suzy says it is the only wildlife rehab center in southwest Louisiana. The public is welcome to visit the center, but legally they must stay behind the fences. She gladly accepts donations of money, feed, and materials (cage wire, lumber, fencing, roofing, cages and pens). For more information or to make a donation, call 337-477-6129, email heckhaven@aol.com, or see her website, www.heckhaven.com.