Two Times in One Day....

Well..... its rare that I post twice in one day.....

I got out on the bike this afternoon, did a 7 mile lil' tour of the Lil' City by the Red.. rode through my neighborhood and around.


There are three main bayous in the Lil' City by the Red. Bayou Roberts, Bayou Hynson, and on the outer limits Bayou Beouf (pronounced Beth).

Bayou Hynson meanders  through my neighborhood, there are  very large cypress trees and knees in it. The City maintains the bayou, keeping it clean of debris, But But (Always a But) They Do NOT Disturb break the ground... Thats a no no... just clean the litter out, and this operation is performed by hand... somewhat labor intensive.

There is a big Controversy  brewing on the substructure of our utilities and our brick streets.  There are folks that do NOT live in the Brick Streets part of town, they couldn't care less about them.

The folks that live on the brick streets and the connecting streets .... adore, cherish, to a point worship the Red Bricks...., say they are Zin, ..... and some folks sweep the bricks in front of their homes each day... total devotion!!!!! I can truly state... there is a Love Affair with those Red Bricks by the citizens that Live in those Red Brick Neighborhoods

The Utility substructures, i.e., sewer mains, etc, all were place there between 1898 to 1907.  They tend to cave in and sink a lot.

The City's budget is up for review and ratification by May 1st.  A Huge Fight is brewing, to fix the sewer and restore the brick streets or to fix the sewer and pave over the brick streets after the work is completed......

The Sewer Main runs down the middle  of all the Brick Streets.........

So here is a photo of Bayou Hynson

 Here is a photo of Marye Street.... (pronounced Mare Ree) with it's Red Bricks

Sunday.....

Yesterday, the Yard Guy, returned to work in the backyard.... He comes around beginning in late February and works in the yard to about late October...  He's a young man from down the street.  He usually has most of the yards on the street.

Yesterday, I decided to hang the kayaks on the fence, part to make them easy accessible, part as Yard Art.  After we hung them on the fence, I cleaned them ups... sure made it easy.  I went on to hang the rest of the fleet,  all five of them.

So here is a photo of the new yard art.... hanging in their  new positions.

Its Raining

The weather in Louisiana in  February is either sunny or raining... all the leaves are gone from the trees and underbrush.  You can travel along the highways and byways and see remarkable houses, barns, and interesting sights.


Today, Its raining in the Lil City by the Red,. .... so in honor of 23rd of February.....

Here's a photo of today.....  Looking from the front porch, onto the Red Bricks and down 18th Street

Spring is Here

I said last week that the Swamp Maples were about to burst into Color.... They Did.  If I go out to the country side I will try take a photo of one of them, if it is not too late.


Down the Street, there is a Japanese Magnolia (Magnolia liliiflora) not to be confused with the Egg Magnolia (Magnolia liliifera).  I've never seen an Egg Magnolia tho.

So, as I walked by yesterday, down to Joe Betty and Dick's house, for the routine after Mass, 5 O'clock Drink, I took a photo of the tree in full bloom.

I've been working so tooooo much in the past couple of weeks..... terribly toooo much... my body is showing signs of stress..... but that is another story....for sure...

Here are the Japanese Magnolia photos, commonly known in Louisiana as the Purple Magnolia.

And....Its Crawfish Time... I need to trot down to  Swamp Daddy's and order a platter or two.

Tic Toc... the Clock is Running

Yesterday, I celebrated ... ... actually more acknowledged the fact that I have been here in the Lil City by the Red for 25 years.  Yep, the better portion of my adult working Life.  I was a wee lad of only 37, when I pulled my pick up truck into 2014 Jackson Street.... and rented from Matilde B... the oldest lesbian in Town.....

This month also, says that I have been here in my home for 19 years... this lil bungalow, on this lil brick street, in this Lil City by the Red.

Hmm.... time flies..... and Time is flying Faster Now...

On other matters, my gym, which I have not worked out in 4 months... my mid section indicates this if I turn sideways... is beginning to have 24 hour access.... which means....... Cameras Everywhere.

Productive on a Sunday

From time to time, I do get productive around the house.  My Dear Best Friend, Bradly, who can do anything from install a toilet  to hang pictures at the museum is the Best....  I'm just not that talented... but I can do some things.....

Yesterday, I decided to install my old Polk Floor Speakers in with my Sonos system.  When I returned to this home, from the flip I did on the next street over, I brought the Polks with me.  I had them in my upstairs master bedroom at the White Street house.....

So, I got them out of the closet.... put them on the Sonos..... and Opened them UP...  Wow... such an incredible sound..... especially playing the Doors, Black Sabbath, Jefferson Airplane, CCR, SteppenWolf .... I think I was reliving my Youth yesterday...

Now the Polks are in the Office now, not the 1100 sq foot bedroom of the other house... they are in the lil bungalow...that I have had since 1997.... the house on White Street was my venture into Flipping houses... which was ok.... didn't loose any money.... but didn't make any money either...

I Did Get the Polks from that deal.....

Forgiveness . Its Lent

Well, I was at the weekly dinner meeting (dinner in the South is Lunch), at the usual cafe.

We meet each Friday to have our discuss the politic outcomes of everybody's week.

The table had cleared and I was discussing a legal case that I had referred to an attorney, not naming the attorney.

The other occupants at the table were 3 lawyers, all my peers in the city govt.  Two of them begin to harangue me on why I didn't refer the people to their friends..........

That really got to me..... I jumped up and told them Fuck Y'all, Go to Hell.... 

Certainly, there was no excuse for my bad, inappropriate behavior...!!!

I have to deal with Lawyers every day, they can be some of the rudest folks I know... each making known her/his abilities to "provide great legal counsel"... Most of them are Smart Asses....

I had had enough for the week... ... So there came the OutBurst.....

I am Not Sure where it came from.... but it spelled deep frustration on my part and to lash out... in such a non gentleman way....  took me back as I was in the parking lot....

Well its Lent..... so I sent all a group text this morning ... Apologizing for my behavior and statement..

Asking for Forgiveness is sometimes the Correct Thing to Do...

Thinking and Working Cause Tomorrow .... It's Ashes Ashes...

So tomorrow.... I will travel down to St. James.... just a block down the street, to receive my Ashes....

BCP:  Remember that You are Dust, and to Dust You Shall Return.

Certainly it is a Time for Me, as an individual to reflect on my transgressions, But also It is a Time for me to think of the Goodness of Life.... .. and Where I am at on this Journey.

In the St. James newsletter this week.. it had this notice.......

And today on this Fat Tuesday.... deep in the heart of the lil City by the Red..... I am having my afternoon Domaine Beeson Chablis .... from the Mother Country ..France.... not my Mother Country.. but those Cajuns, CoonAsses,maybe a few...  Fe'Pee Tan thrown in, cause they are those republican CoonAsses.

Evening Time in the Lil City by the Red

Last night.....................

I was spending a quiet evening out by the fire pit, taking in the night air.  I was thinking to myself how lucky I was to be living in a time of expanded realism. That only 25 years before, no one in this lil town was surfing the web, would even had thought we would have an African American President, that we would have a Woman running for that Office, that a White Democrat would win a Louisiana Senate Seat in a predominantly African American District, that our lil city by the Red  which is 57% African American would have a White Mayor, that our neighbor city across on the other bank of the Red would have an African American Mayor in a predominantly 73% White city.

I went on to realize that the governing body of this city has Three Top Administration Staffers All who are Out and About with their Lives...Out Gay Staffers...  one being a senior advisor to the Mayor,  one being a city Attorney.. ... and then a  a host of other OUT GAY Employees... who work in the civil service jobs for... our lil City by the Red.

That WE are truly becoming diverse, breaking the molds of Long Time  Unwritten Rules... .......  ....

I am sure some folks would argue with this, some would agree with this.... .... ..... .......

But isn't that what is all about...... .... ..... Each having her/his Say.... ....

I turned to notice that the Camellia in the corner of the Yard was in full bloom and illuminated by the back porch light....

It was an Evening in the Lil City by the Red.............

Going Going ... Keep on Going

Traveling today, made it to the Upper Part of the Red.... 122 miles from me, North..Well Horace Greeley was credited saying Go West Young Man....

I went North  ... to see the dermatologist, the good lady Dr B.  .. its seems that my lil skin condition, genetic based, is getting worst with age.... I have had it since I remember....over the years I have learned to live with it... but in the last four or five months it has become worst... So, last in December the good Dr gave me a shot of Kenalog... I can take the shot once every four months.  I use a topical cream called Triamcinolone 0.1%.  Very Potent !!!!

I was talking to my friend today BT, we were discussing getting older... he's leaving for MDA on Monday to contend with   several aliments, its a 210 mile drive ... at lest he is going West...

May Be he might run into the ghost of Horace Greeley...

O btw.... Horace didn't coined the phrase . ... he just got credit for it......

John Babsone Lane Soule used it in an editorial in 1851according to Wikipedia, when you Google the phrase.