TEN DAYS, TEN POUNDS

There are certain words, names and images that come up when I think of the State of Texas.  Thinking positively, there was Molly Ivins, the great newspaper columnist and political commentator, Ann Richards, an outspoken feminist and the 45th Governor of Texas, the movie Giant, an epic portrayal of a powerful ranching family starring Rock Hudson and Elizabeth Taylor,  Big Bend National Park,  my first birding experience with Lynne Aldrich when she lived in Houston, and the Tex-Mex town of El Paso, where my mother-in-law used to live. 

Big Bend National Park (with thanks to National Geographic for the photo)

 Unfortunately most of my negative thoughts about Texas are politically based:  George Bush, Rick Perry, Ted Cruz, Ron Paul, legislation to ban gay marriage, and a hardline stance on immigration, gun control and abortion.  Just typing these words gives me the heebie jeebies.

And yet, when I get on a plane tomorrow, I'll be heading east and landing in Texas.  We are not staying long.  Just time enough for a quick breakfast in the state capitol, see and photograph the famous Blue Bonnet wild flowers made famous by Lady Bird Johnson, give a big hug to Lea, an Australian friend, who is riding her bicycle across America and just coincidentally will be in Fredericksburg, Texas the same night we will, and to have dinner in San Antonio with a wonderful friend I went to high school with in Maine.  

Blue Bonnets of Texas

After Texas, we'll fly to the Big Easy,  the famous city of New Orleans, Louisiana where, along with good friends, we will see as many sights as we can cram into two days, eat as much shrimp, oysters, crawfish étouffée, jambalaya and beignets as our stomachs will hold, listen to great music like lil Red and Big Bad at the Balcony Music Hall, Marcia Ball banging away at those keys, and checking out the NO Music Exchange on Magazine Street.  

And after NOLA, we'll drive north along the Cane River to a city whose named is spelled Nachitoches but pronounced Nakateesh, where they are known for their amazing southern hospitality and their empanada-like meat pies.  We'll find time to tour the famous Tabasco factory on Avery Island, attend the annual Strawberry Festival in Ponchatoula, and a blues festival in Baton Rouge. 

I'm telling you this now, so you can keep an eye out for some photos and descriptions of what's to come.

Stay tuned.  The adventure continues....................