The tour lasted roughly 2 hours, and got pretty tough for the girls about halfway in. It was hot, but not as it typically is this time of year for the region. We often would cruise underneath a deep canopy created by the cypress, refreshed by the shade and breeze. Piper, in particular, took full advantage of the snacks that dad had packed, and the girls were constantly reaching for the water. 2 coats of 50 spf (ridiculous) for Samia over the course of the trip saved her fair little hide.

What surprised me is just how many gators I had the pleasure of seeing, while things like turtles were rare and extremely shy. A telephoto would have been so nice on this trip, as well as maybe timing it around sunrise/sunset. It amazed me how many species could fit in a given 100 square yards. I think the same thing about even the suburbs of Louisiana.

Tiredness...pic by pi.

a duck blind called the Hilton. Nice enough for wi-fi

our brave and knowledgable captain

shocked at what I saw here

swamp hair

before we embarked

one of the girls took this one. They bring out the smiles in people.

spirits high at the beginning of the voyage

large gator

display model

amazing trees

hard to see, but this was a diverse crew of birds, just prior to a low fly-by of egretty cormeranty things.

12+ ft according to snout. Shy enough to grow that large. It was as close as we could get to the largest animal on the tour.

This is the bayou, a channel where water exits and fills the wetlands

Atchafalaya Basin

samia took this one. Pi keeps her tongue in when the sister is shooting apparently.

turtles were rare. Gators common

So far, we’ve spent much time outside, at playgrounds, by the poolside, and at restaurants. Yesterday, we paid a visit to our second cajun and seafood restaurant. In the last 8 days or so, we paid a visit to La Fondas, which was a restaurant we loved in the 80s, still with the same mediocre Mexican food, which becomes *fabulous* upon consuming their top-notch limey sour power margaritas. Also, there was sashimi at Wahada, Catfish covered in crawfish etoufée at Ralph and Kacoos, a surprisingly sophisticated Jambalaya at a California Pizza Kitchen located in the posh Perkins Rowe, and a ruby-red pile of mudbugs (for me) to peel for the twins at Mike Anderson’s Seafood. They both love crawfish now it turns out, and I love whatever’s left of the labor-intensive little crustaceans once my little feeders are full.

I have a few more things I really want to do at this point to complete my visit down here. I’m in frantic tourist mode with 2 days left. I want to get out of the burbs to see the wildlife, and I think tomorrow’s bayou boat tour should fit the bill.

Following that, I’m going to visit my old neighborhood, and an old friend who still lives there, right next door to one of my favorite mudholes on Magnolia Woods. From what I’ve seen, the neighborhood itself has changed little, other than for, regrettably, the occupants (with the exception of said friend of couse). Here I am, nearing 40 years old, hoping that life is cryogenically frozen from my childhood, a play-set I can pull from the attic to enjoy at my convenience, to be pristine, and match my memories in every white-bricked and popcorn-ceilinged detail. I’ll show the old toys to my own children though, and at this young age, they’ll be the most able to appreciate it like all things. It’ll be a pleasure to bring them along.

Maybe Next Time