Best Hunting

The Man at 5-1-1

As this is written, State Highway 820 near Ruston is closed temporarily because of construction. I know that because the man at 5-1-1 told me so.I first discovered 5-1-1 totally by accident. Driving along the somewhat-monotonous stretch of Interstate 10…

Robby Albarado & Calvin Borel

Horse racing stories usually focus on a single horse’s feats, rivalries between horses or the relationship between a horse and its mount. But the story of 2007, centers on two Louisiana jockeys from Acadiana. On the first weekend in May,…

Around Louisiana

Northern LouisianaCAUSE TO CELEBRATEThe power of graceMissy Crain, artistic director of the highly acclaimed, Monroe-based Louisiana Delta Ballet, was sitting in a church service one day when the preacher asked the congregation, “What do you have to give in return…

Women on the Run

By January, rural communities on southwest Louisiana’s prairies are busy preparing for their local Mardi Gras runs, or courirs de Mardi Gras. Women begin stitching baggy pants and matching shirts, adding layers of fringe and building tall hats called capuchons…

Milk it.

I’m standing in a concrete pit, eyeball-to-udder with a big black and white lady named No. 418. In my hand is a device resembling a robotic spider. It has a palm-sized, stainless steel body with four black rubber tubes extending…

Andouille to Z'Herbs

A  definition.Gumbo: Spicy, thick Creole soup composed of fish or shellfish, poultry, game, meats and vegetables in any of a great variety of combinations. Gumbo is thickened with either okra or filé powder and is served ladled over rice. The…

Traveling Gournet: Radical Gumbo

Not long ago, four couples were having drinks before dinner, chatting about this and that while nibbling on almonds roasted with smoked paprika and homemade bread with cheeses. As often happens, the discussion turned to food and cooking, and from…

TRAVELER: Back on Track

This year, along with the usual azaleas and Spring Fiesta home tours, spring promises St. Charles Avenue in New Orleans an even greater gift. Streetcars. First, some terminology: It’s crawfish, not crayfish; parishes, not counties; neutral grounds, not medians; and…

Home: A Mansion on the Avenue

Our favorite movie is Gone With The Wind,” says Jack Lyles, as he sits on his wicker porch swing overlooking St. Charles Avenue in New Orleans, “And this is our Tara.” His wife, Pam, adds, “I grew up in New…

John T. Scott

Spirit House,” “Circle Dance,” “Middle Passage,” “Dance for My Father,” “Spirit Gates” – all are but a few names the nationally acclaimed New Orleans artist John T. Scott gave to a remarkable lifetime of art that gained him a name…

The Rural Life: Raising Kids on the Farm

One morning I found a crumpled sticky note on which our 7-year-old son had scribbled this ardent petition to God or Santa Claus or most likely, me – the parent perceived to be the biggest pushover:“I wish I had a…

Louisianian at large

Alexandria eyes moviesCarved from the retail vacancy of a former Alexandria Super Kmart store is a soon-to-be located film production studio and medical business incubator.The development, supported by the state through a capital outlay award of $1.7 million for renovations,…

Barometer

WHAT'S HOTRoll out the barrels. Hannah Pittman, 12-year-old daughter of Matt and Jane Pittman of Bogalusa, recently won the title of 2007 National Barrel Horse Association 2-D Youth World Champion at the competition in Jackson, Miss. Pittman and her gelding,…

Women and Rings

What surprises me is that I actually have two stories on the subject of women fighting each other in Avoyelles Parish. The first is from my youth when, so the family story goes, an uncle who was a justice of…

Troy Peloquin

Like so many other residents of New Orleans, Troy Peloquin lost everything in the fury of Hurricane Katrina. The only possessions he salvaged from his flooded home were his college diploma, passport, his father’s dog tags, a set of cufflinks…

Autumn OCT. 1 - Dec. 31

Abbeville's Giant Omelet Celebration, Abbeville, Nov.3-4. Information, (337) 893-0013.Northern LouisianaOct. 5-6. Robeline Heritage Festival, El Camino Rio, Natchitoches, (318) 472-3405.Oct. 6. Lake Claiborne Car and Bike Show, Lake Claiborne State Park, Homer, (318) 927-2976.Oct. 6. Indian Games, Poverty Point State…

Quirky Texas

You know Texas for the Alamo, the theme parks, the Texas-sized malls and the miles of beaches. But even for long-time travelers to the Lone Star State there are plenty of attractions that you just might’ve missed. Have you examined…

Feeling the pulse

Call it a side effect of the Baby Boomers going gray. Or blame it on financial pressures squeezing adults of all ages. Whatever the reason, more and more people in the U.S. are worrying about health care. They fret about…

A Guide to Hunting and the Season

Called the Sportsman's Paradise for good reason, Louisiana offers hunters diverse habitats ranging from salty tidal marshes to piney hills where they can pursue various species of game. Nearly 300,000 Louisiana residents hunt, spending more than $500 million a tear…

Pigskin with Spice

National Football League camps opened with 123 players from Louisiana. Nearly half of these professional prospects and veterans competed at a Louisiana university. As the 2007 collegiate season unfolds, fans will see a new batch of talent emerge from the…

Undertaking a Tour

Historian, author and attorney Payne Williams of the Natchitoches Historic Foundation is already recruiting spirits to make gravesite appearances during the town’s popular Sacred Places Tour in mid-March. South Louisiana towns are preparing for the All Saints Day whitewashings and…

Serious Fantasy

A young woman in a flowered dress floats dreamily across the canvas in a dark blue sky. Her blond head rests on one shoulder. Ducks fly by while in the distance mosquitoes seem to swarm in a swirl of white…

Above the Store

Overlooking picturesque Cane River along the main street of  Natchitoches’ business district, this  amazing apartment was created by architectural designer James Hearron several years ago from a space that had endured life as a storage area over a hardware store.…

Louisiana pies

If you bake pies you may have experimented with different recipes to find your ideal crust. I know I have. I can’t begin to remember how many ingredients, combinations of ingredients and techniques I’ve tried over the years. I’ve used…

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