Sometimes life on a hay farm feels like a cross between Winslow Homer and a Norman Rockwell painting. Like one Saturday not long ago … (Cue swirly flashback sequence.)Mathew and Andy BienvenuMelissa Bienvenu photographI’m at the wheel of our battered…
In this election year, listening to the words of the candidates has influenced me to change my life. I want to be a “Good Ole Boy.”By the ways that some candidates decry the Good Ole Boys I can only assume…
Scotty Rogers proudly puts on a new uniform. After a career in the U.S. Air Force as a fighter pilot and a few years flying for a major commercial carrier, he understands the importance of professionalism. He respects his previous…
Northern LouisianaJuly 1. 6th Annual Monroe Jacee/Ryan Chevrolet Water Front Festival & Fire Works Show, Forsythe Park Boat Launch, Monroe, (318) 325-9018.July 1-8. American Junior Brahman Association Show, Ike Hamilton Expo Center, West Monroe, (318) 325-9160.July 4. 4th of July…
“So be my guest, you’ve got nothin’ to loseWon’t you let me take you on a sea cruise?”Frankie Ford, “Sea Cruise,” 1959DONN YOUNG PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY PORT OF NEW ORLEANSIf Frankie Ford is willing to foot the bill for a cruise…
The best thing about living in Louisiana is the variety of destinations for easy summer travel. From the picturesque wetlands to the vibrant urban areas to the epitome of small town America, Louisiana has it all. This summer, with gas…
Few states even come close to Louisiana for offering so many water activities. Abundant waterways across the Sportsman’s Paradise naturally draw people to engage in recreational options, including fishing, canoeing, water skiing, swimming or boating. Of course, no list could…
The story of Stewart and Juli Juneau is part hometown-boy-makes-good tale, part Jungle Jim adventure and part inspirational account of one family’s urge to share the fruits of their labors with underprivileged and inner city children. The saga begins and…
Marie-Joseph-Paul-Yves-Roch-Gilbert du Motier de La Fayette, called simply Gilbert by family, was born Sept. 6, 1757, at the Château de Chavaniac in the Auvergne region of France, 250 miles south of Paris. He showed an affinity for the colonists’ cause…
Our family calls it “La-La Day” – Louisiana Purchase/Louisiana Statehood Day, April 30 – and this year’s was a good one. My Louisiana belle was off on a sister-sister getaway but our (ahem) doc and juris-doc sons Paul and Matthew…
A s the early morning fog lifts from the river and settles on Jackson Square, an eighteen-wheeler grinds its gears to beat the stoplight on Decatur Street. The musty smell of the Mississippi River and roasting coffee from upriver fill…
Located on Bayou Teche near Jeanerette in St. Mary Parish, Albania was built between 1837 and 1842. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.Imagine owning two Louisiana historic plantation mansions and an 1873 upstate New York mansion…
Barbecue is so deeply ingrained in the psyche of the South that natives from North Carolina to Texas will argue heatedly and endlessly about the merits of their local barbecue traditions. But Louisiana usually gets left out of the conversation.…
Ed. note: With this issue we introduce a new column, “The Rural Life” by Melissa H. Bienvenu. Ms. Bienvenu (no relation to food writer Marcelle Bienvenu), lives with her husband and family on a farm near Franklington in Washington Parish.…
A sign on the edge of the fairgrounds announces that Mansura is La Capitale de Cochon de Lait. That claim has remained unchallenged by other capitals including London, Moscow, Rome or Paris. Nor is it questioned by El Mansura, Egypt…
When most people meet Lawrence “Football” Badeaux, they assume he’s carried that nickname for most of his 75 years because he’s a fan of the game. The truth is, he isn’t called Football because he likes football, he’s called Football…
It’s no wonder that the largest of the contiguous states has a long list of vacation options including both big city cultural attractions and charming small town getaways. However, you just might be surprised by the huge variety of travel…
Now is the time to start making travel plans for spring and summer, and fortunately, if you live in Louisiana, you do not need to travel far. Louisiana offers some of the most tempting travel destinations in the country. From…
My principal interest in crawfish has always involved cooking and eating. I’m not alone on that score – crawfish have been considered a delicacy in Europe for centuries. However, the story in Louisiana is a bit more complicated.American Indians consumed…
Blessed with nearly 300 miles of coastline and fertile river deltas feeding some of the most productive ecosystems in the world, Louisiana anglers can almost always find something biting. Off the coast, sportsmen can fish thousands of square miles in…
Studio, gallery and guest house, Turtle Cove is located on the banks of Bayou Fuslier. Owners Toni Daigre and Sue Billet find the back porch is their favorite place to create art and share a cup of coffee with other…
Snowy EgretShhh,” she says suddenly. It’s early March and wildlife photographer Nancy Camel is at Lake Martin, surrounded by the woods and waters of Cypress Island Preserve in St. Martin Parish. That’s not news; she’s there most any time, with…
Frank Kelley Jr.’s “The Power of Jazz.” When painter Frank Kelley Jr. discusses his art, he talks about opportunities, stories, decisions and spiritual journeys. His images of the northern Louisiana landscape or jazz musicians suspended silently between riffs are about…
The exterior of the Southern Living Idea House 2005 has a distinct French flavor with high-pitched roofs and large columns.What happens when Southern Living magazine comes calling? No, not the subscription folks but a member of the top brass asking…
