Catching Up

As I write this entry, we are beginning our week stay near Gilroy, California.

We jumped ahead to write about our aunt Margaret's birthday celebration in and around Sun City, CA, so today we are returning, in the literary sense, to Louisiana to get back in the sequence of our travels.

One Saturday we attended a Farmers' Market in Lafayette. We were among the early arrivals, but even then, the grills were being fired up and the food truck--Freetown Fries (home cut fries topped with a vast array of items), Rice Kings (hibachi rice, korean tacos, and sushi), and Mad Luann's (Boudin Biscuits and Sausage, Buffalo chicken sliders), among others--were open for business.

As we made our way among the booths, we found a different focus to this market. Rather than a variety of farm produce, such as these peppers,

we were more likely to see prepared foods. This vendor had containers of hummus, basil pesto, tzatziki, and eggplant dip.

Pickled vegetables and some samples were available at this table.

At other tables, the works of non-food artists caught our attention. It was hard to imagine these beautiful cutting boards actually serving in the role for which they were designed.

We marveled at the craftsmanship and variety of designs in glass at this booth.

We made one trip into Baton Rouge and took these pictures on the return trip to Lafayette. The structure of the Horace Wilkinson Bridge on I-10 over the Mississippi River was eye-catching.

The clouds above I-10 expanded the beauty of the scene before us and

complemented the natural mystery of the Atchafalaya National Wildlife Refuge.

Before crossing the border into Texas, we took a last look at some of the small scenes from Lake Arthur, such as these sunflowers against a garage wall and

this "housing development" in one of the city's neighborhoods.

We came upon this gathering of every festival's essentials, awaiting their next call.

This sign is a reminder of another "visitor" to the city. Looking left, right, and down may strike a humorous note--but then again, there may be a somewhat serious advisory inherent in this sign.

I believe this is all that remains from a 400-year-old live oak tree that was a huge part of the community. Many folks in Lake Arthur used the tree as a back drop for many portraits, picnics, and family reunions.

Onward to Texas.