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CHAPTER 1
Houston, Texas
CHAPTER 2
Kemah, Texas
CHAPTER 3
Kemah, Texas
CHAPTER 4
Galveston, Texas
CHAPTER 5
Seabrook, Texas
CHAPTER 6
Seabrook, Texas
CHAPTER 7
At Sea - Gulf of Mexico
CHAPTER 8
At Sea - Gulf of Mexico
CHAPTER 9
At Sea - Gulf of Mexico
CHAPTER 10
At Sea - Gulf of Mexico
CHAPTER 11
Port Fourchon, Louisiana
CHAPTER 12
Cut Off, Louisiana
CHAPTER 13
Cut Off, Louisiana
CHAPTER 14
Cut Off, Louisiana
CHAPTER 15
Houma, Louisiana
CHAPTER 16
Houma, Louisiana
CHAPTER 17
Houma, Louisiana
SPINDRIFT - CHAPTER 12
Cut Off, Louisiana
April 2, 2003
Ricky arranged for a friend of us to tow us up the bayou. Other than going aground twice, and taking 6 hours to get there the trip itself was rather uneventful. We arrive in the late afternoon in front of Harris (another of Ricky's friends) house in Cut Off, a little town right on Bayou La Fourche. Because we draw 6 feet, we weren't able to get right up to his "dock" so we stay about 20 feet off, secure the boat, put the dinghy in the water and use it to get to and from shore.
Harris, or Boo Boo as he is called turns out to be just the most laid back and kindest man. He is the town's barber. He seems to know just about everyone, and does he know how to eat! We didn't know it at the time, but the next month for us would be one of trying so many new and glorious dishes such as we had never experienced in our lives!
Our third day there, all of a sudden Boo announces to us that they are going out of town for a few days, and he gives us the keys to the house, "so you can get off the boat for a while" and keys to BOTH their car and pickup truck! They leave to go to Biloxi, Mississippi, and we have the house to ourselves. We do laundry (again, this is our major need) and get to follow the war on cable, take real baths, drive to the grocery stores and hardwars stores - - - aren't we blessed! What precious people Boo and Cheryl are.
When they return we get to know them better. Cheryl has an embroidery shop. Jamie, their daughter lives around the corner with her husband Brent, and James, Boo's son lives in back with his wife. Boo's mother Julia lives on the next corner. We start to realize just how close these people are which is so uncommon nowadays in the big citys sad to say. Boo has his crab traps which he checks every morning, has a tub with fish in the backyard, along with a goat (Binky) and two dogs, Dixie and a no-named stray.
Every day, except Monday, Boo receives into his barber shop (which is in front of the house) his customers, most of whom he has known for many years.
Through them we get a glimpse of how life is here on the Bayou. What kind of people they are. Their cares, their fears.We were invited almost every day to someone's house, for dinner (or lunch) and we soon came to see that the greatest joy for these people was not sitting down mindlessly in front of the TV every evening but rather what they call "soiree". Now, soiree is a French word meaning "evening" but in Cajun its simply getting together a bunch of friends and sitting around chatting and enjoying each other's company!
This may sound boring to some of you folks who live in the city, but we can assure you that we spent some of the most delightful hours, oftentimes way into the night like this listening to so many stories from so many wonderful people. What has the world become that we have lost sight of what REALLY is important!
"O hear us when we
cry to Thee
For those in peril
on the sea."
James Whiting
(1825-1878)
(1825-1878)