MURPHYS MUSIC IN THE PARK

My partners in crime and I decided to attend the Music In The Park last Friday,  put on by volunteers from the Community Club, supported by the merchants and alternately by the Arts Council. Above is left to right, Sue, Janice, Becky and Jan. Everyone brings snacks and drinks and networks with friends.  Or, you can buy dinner from a local caterer and buy wine and soft drinks from the club’s “Hut”.

While you don’t have to be a Community Club Member to enjoy the event, the club invited members to a repast of wonderful hors d’ oeuvres and a free glass of wine preceding the music. The food was so scrumptious  and good, I wasn’t sure I should buy dinner. Now that I’m on the road, I don’t volunteer anymore, I only pay my dues.

Small towns in rural Calaveras County have no city services and the Community Clubs step in to provide garbage service, pay for street lights on Main St. and so on. The volunteers provide an excellent service and I love being a supporter. This woman is a smiling ambassador who makes sure every one is happy. I’m forgoing names because I see so many new faces.

The women pouring wine and drinks from the Hut were so busy I had to grab them in a rare moment to get a picture,.

I’ve worked with Peggy before. She’s been a member for a while, but I think I have them all beat. I’ve been a member since 1979 or 80.

These volunteers sell the drink tickets so those pouring don’t have to fiddle with money and change.

Other members are there to enjoy and have worked in the past like myself. Kind of retired, temporarily anyway.

The music was provided by a group called Sequoia. A mix of lovely folk tunes and original instrumentals, great listening music.

Sometimes the bands that play are very danceable. Not this group. But, Walt Marcus and his wife decided that one lively tune was very danceable and they gave us all a show as they did a lively jig much to the delight of the crowd.

It doesn’t get much more fun than that.

It might look like we are a bunch of drunks, but, not true. Jan is a teetotaler and the rest of us didn’t even finish one bottle of wine. We tried, though. To see all 17 of the photos I took, click the link below.

https://picasaweb.google.com/106530979158681190260/2013614CommunityClubMusicPk

MUD ISLAND, TENNESSEE

A place not to miss when you travel to Memphis is the river walk on Mud Island. The best way to do it is park your car at the Visitors Center, walk across the street and take the tram across to Mud Island, so-called because it was at one time a natural sandbar. Dredging mud to deepen the channel made it big enough to turn into a great park.

Enjoy the views from the gondola ,or you can walk over on the walking bridge above the tram. We enjoyed very  much the John Grisham movie The Firm much of which was filmed in Memphis. Particularly memorable was a tense scene from this gondola and the mezzinine where you disembark near the escalators. We decided to re-watch the movie just to see it again.

From the mezzanine, you peer down on a miniature replica of the Mississippi River and its environs as it passes through every state, from its source in Minnesota, to its ending in the Gulf of Mexico. I’ve been here previously and I love this park. Unique, educational, beautiful and stimulating.

The cement floor of the river bed details every little elevation and bank and floodplain. It features the rivers, levees, bridges  and  places where the river has dramatically changed course and no longer flows. The park is only a half mile long. The scale is every 30 inches, one step, is a mile.

When you cross from one state to the next, the border is clearly marked.

All the major cities along the way are plotted in grey slate with their bridges both rail and car built across the river.

An oxbow is a section where the river once flowed and was then cut off and now contains a lake or a dry bed.

At this spot, you can see the miniature river along with the real Mississippi rolling along beside the park and a real bridge in the background. The park offers many places to sit and watch. One couple I talked to had chosen to follow a leaf and watch it make the entire trip just for the fun of it.

Jim enjoyed cities he has visited. Here he stands in Natchez, across from Vidalia, Louisiana. Kids here love to take off their shoes and play in the water or float little boats. There are picnic tables and lawn aplenty.

As you pass from state to state, the plantings along the miniature river match the flora and fauna of that state. Story boards identify the plant life as you pass through each state.

If you’ve ever viewed a major river from the air, you know it resembles this curving, snake-like path. The  river has carved the earth and given life to humans and animals for thousands of years. Some people walk down one side and back on the other. We often stepped over the river to see both sides because it is so easy to do.

Here we are at the sprawling contours of New Orleans. To the right is a cafe where you can lunch before heading back. To the left a small lake with a fountain. But the Mississippi doesn’t actually end here.

We chose to follow it to the small deltas where the river is building islands that will one day be one solid piece. We found 1/B, a spot of one of our unique adventures, our trip to Pilots Island.

We hired a boat to take us to Pilottown in 2010.  There isn’t much there, but we enjoyed the  adventure for many reasons.  It was fun to see it designated at the very tip of the Gulf of Mexico where the river meets ocean.  A ticket for seniors at $9 includes the tram, the river walk and the museum.

The museum is very thorough. It gives early Native American History, which we skipped because we’ve seen so much of it. Here is riverboat history. Above are boat builders tools.

Steamboat whistles.

Inside a typical passengers berth on a steam-powered paddle wheeler. The river is dangerous. Awful accidents killed many. There was a film about disasters on the river. The saddest, the sinking of the Sultana.

A  section on slavery and sharecroppers that built the south. And, another section on how the blues developed from the black churches and field hollers from slave days. It gives very interesting lyrics and clips of old-time music. Lyrics and music that Scott Joplin put on paper and saved. His own tragic story is here as well. Ragtime piano, opera, one of his that failed during his lifetime has been produced and put on stage to great acclaim.

I’m still struggling to walk a half-mile even with plenty of rest stops. We go this morning for a second  acupuncture treatment. But, I see signs of wellness and hope.

 

Southaven, Mississippi – Day 9

The motorhome is still parked at VFW Post #10567 in Southaven, Mississippi. The location is about 1/4 mile south of the Tennessee Border and about 10 miles south of the City of Memphis. We are now expecting to depart on Thursday.

Yesterday I drove the Bronco the about 10 miles to downtown Memphis. First stop was at the famous Peabody Hotel. You can read all about this hotel and the equally famous Peabody Ducks by clicking This Wikipedia link…

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peabody_Hotel

In general, photography conditions were terrible with harsh mid-day sun, dim lighting and deep shadows. Nonetheless here are some of the photos that I took yesterday…

As always you may left click upon an image to see an enlarged view and then click once again to see an even larger view…

Up to the rooftop…

Back inside…

The red carpet has been rolled out in readiness for the 11:00 AM March of the Peabody Ducks. They are brought down from their penthouse suite via elevator and march (actually it was more of a dash) on the red carpet to the fountain where they swim until 5:00 PM and then they are returned to their suite…

The Duckmaster explains the history and tradition of the duck march. You read of it in the above Wikipedia link…

I thought I made a video of this grand event…but when I went to look for it…it wasn’t there. Next time I’ll put on my glasses to make sure I properly push the start video button. Sorry about that! Anyways, here’s the five Mallard Ducks swimming in the fountain…

As I mentioned the ducks come down by elevator…

Before we moved on, Mary had to visit the gift shops…

From the hotel, famous Beale Street is only a couple of blacks away. The “famous” portion of Beale Street is only three blocks long. You can read all about Beale Street by clicking this Wikipedia link…

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beale_Street_%28Memphis,_Tennessee%29

We had lunch at The Flying Fish just off Beale Street where I had a grilled chicken salad…

Above the urinal in the mens room…

We sat at the Liar’s Wall… (fisherman’s exaggerated stories about their catches)

Another enjoyable day!

Enjoying interesting historic places is another joy in the life of a full-time RVer!

The red dot on the below map shows our approximate location near Memphis in the State of Tennessee. You may double left-click the map to make it larger…

Enjoying 65-75 degree temperatures most of the year is a primary joy in the RVing lifestyle!

“Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving”…Albert Einstein

On October 27, 2012, I created a two-minute video titled America The Beautiful. The music America The Beautiful is by Christopher W. French. The photos, which I randomly selected, are from the states of Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Montana, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Tennessee, Washington and West Virginia (not shown in that order)…are mine. Yup, That’s me standing in front of the Post Office in Luckenbach, Texas…Y’all!

Click this link to start the video. Make sure you have your speakers turned on and go to full screen asap.

If you have not checked out my Ramblin Man’s Photos Blog, you can do so by clicking this link…

http://ramblinmanphotos.wordpress.com/

All original material Copyright – Jim Jaillet 2013
For more information about my three books, click this link:

http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/panamaorbust

CAJUN JAM AT VERMILLION VILLE

Two days ago, we visited Vermillion Ville and watched part of a three hour Cajun Jam. The way it works is the old masters have a musical jam session with young people wanting to learn. The woman in turquoise is leading this particular song. She has a band of her own. And the students are watching her every move very carefully.

And then the student gets to show what he or she can do. There is a lot of praise for these young kids who come to learn and hope to hold their own with the masters who learned at their daddies knees in a similar fashion. Realize, there is no sheet music to follow.  The girl on the left plays guitar and accordion and sings. She has a lovely voice.

This young man, I believe his name is Jacob, was pointed out as the best young fiddle player of the novices. He has attended jam sessions for quite some time, apparently. The established musicians come to help students EVERY Saturday. Some kids travel long distances to attend these sessions because they are invaluable for young musicians to save this Cajun tradition.

This young man, 21 years old, waited his turn to sit in.

When he got his chance, he sang and played very well. It amazes me that there are five accordions, four guitars and nine fiddlers all playing the same song at the same time with no leader or sheet music.

When August Broussard plays and sings, he has a strong voice, and the students listen and try to follow and sometimes watch carefully every move he makes.

When this young fiddle player played his solo, he appointed himself very well. It’s tough to play the fiddle and then sing with it too.

Then, red-faced and embarrassed, he pulled his hat over his head. The audience is there for him and they appreciate how hard it is to be on the “hot seat”. And he will someday be a great musician.

And this second youngest jammer, I believe his name was Dean Chase. He chose an Appalachian song that no one was familiar with. He played several phrases before they “caught it” and played with him. His ear and face were bright red, but he held his place with the jammers. It is hard to do. Commendable.

I loved the jam and wish I lived close enough to watch it often.  I caught some video and you can listen to it at the links below:

VERMILLON VILLE OF LAFAYETTE, LA.

There are two Cajun Villages nearby but the Vermillion Ville, a Cajun/Creole Heritage and Folklife Park has a Saturday afternoon jam, every Saturday. Greats like August Broussard, Ray Landrey and others I don’t know their names take time to help young students learn their great music. August is tutoring Darrien, above. We ran into them when we entered the park.

The park has about 12 buildings along the river in a beautiful park setting that show the Cajun/Creole way of life on a self-guided tour. Cajun houses tend to be small. People spent most of their time outside.

Most of them have stairs leading up to an attic.

The wattle and twig built fireplace heated the house and provided a place to cook.

In hot sweltering Louisiana, a family may have an outside kitchen, with their garden by the door.

A docent demonstrated cooking in a fireplace with a black pot.

The finished dish, grits and grenelles, I think is the name of the dish. It is beef and vegetables in a roux served with yellow corn grits. No tomatoes. She mentioned that most Cajun recipes do not use tomatoes except for a court bouillon.

At the school-house, where a sign on the blackboard reads, “I will not speak French in the classroom or on school grounds.”  A fiddler entertained us and a big contingent of French speakers from Canada, some were unfamiliar with the punishment and edict that tried to force Acadians (Cajuns) to speak only English. He was a humorous old gent named Merlin Fontenot, two months away age 90.

The Vermillion Ville Park is beautiful and we visited about 12 buildings. While Cajun families lived in small house right on the bayou, more affluent Creoles had fancier houses and furnishings.

Regardless of whether they were Creole or Cajun, furnishings were most often home-made like this beautiful cradle.

Trundle beds with mosquito netting for Louisiana summer nights.

And this rather amazing home-made device. A fan you could operate from bed until your arm fell off, or you fell asleep.

A piece of fancier furniture.

It didin’t matter how fancy you lived, when it was cold, you wore a heavy long cloak.

And you still had to light the candles everyday. (Above converted to electric lamps.)

You still had to pull yourself across the bayou with a hand pulled ferry.

There was church on Sunday, work, family and music. Fish in the bayou and herbs in the garden. The park tells its story and we enjoyed it very much.

In the church, a docent was making rosaries from “natural beads.”  Joabs tears. The seeds are picked green, they already have a hole to string them. They need no coloring or preservative.

The finished product.

There is a good French restaurant on the grounds and before going to the jam, I enjoyed a last bowl of gumbo before heading for home.

These two young boys and other older players were learning from the greats. It was fantastic, but we’ve had signal problems on and off all morning. We drive to Baton Rouge today, so I’ll finish blogging the jam tomorrow. I got some good video as well.

SWAMP POP AND CAJUN MUSIC

Folk Music has an honored place in the music world, but somehow, Swamp Pop is ignored. It came up out of Southern Louisiana, where it was born, and spread unevenly in popularity all over the U.S. The flags show in the millions. As a teen in California I remember many of the songs I saw and heard in the Swamp Pop Music Museum in Ville Platte. Great memories and traditions. I just didn’t know much about the individuals and how it developed.

French Cajuns had some strange-sounding words and names. Tongue twisters for radio announcers, so they developed suitable compilations of their names, shortened, easy. There was also some hesitation from the performers because of their unique language, a blending of English and French and some African lingo thrown in. It suited the community from which it sprung and grew but they were punished for it when they attended school.

Some of these great performers were on the charts along with Elvis Presley. I just look at Dale and Grace and hear “I’m leaving it all up to you.ooh.ooh..you decide, whatcha gonna do…”

“Graduation Night”  TK Hulin. I did not remember his name until I came here. They have a huge collection of 45′s you can listen to.

They sell out a Swamp Pop Reunion every year here in Ville Platte. Wish we had made it. All the living greats return. I hope PBS revives their music like they have the old rock n’ roll groups and folk singers. I’m going to call Sacramento PBS and see if they have plans to do it and point them to Southern Louisiana, the berceau of Swamp Pop.

They have artifacts and autographs and other things to enjoy. It is a small museum. But, it is the music that you remember.  Freddy Fenders, “Until The Last Teardrop Falls..” Warren Storm’s “Wasted Days and Wasted Nights”. Tommy Mc Clain’s, “Sweet Dreams.”  Such fun.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swamp_pop

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swamp_pop

Wikipedia has an in-depth  article on the origins of Swamp Pop (above).

We moved on to Mamou to catch Fred’s Lounge in the morning. Jim  just happened to meet Tauntie Sue coming out the back door. Jim asked if it was okay to park on the side street. She said,”No, come park at my house, I just live down the street. I can hook you up with power.”

She is such a sweet and generous soul. We visited Fred’s Lounge in 2010 and Sue was still tending bar in the lounge she and her husband opened in 1946. Fred died in 1992 and Sue has kept it going for all day Saturday, drinking and dancing to a live Cajun band that is broadcast live on radio.  She told us she quit tending bar, but she goes every Saturday, sets up and enjoys the music and the patrons. The popularity of the place started when Charles Kuralt stopped there and made a segment  about the bar for his television show. It has grown and grown ever since.

This historical plaque is posted on the building.

Jim’s visited Mamou several times but had never walked around the town. We found a square put up by the local rotary club, honoring the Cajun Music Capital of the World.

A huge mural lines one wall of the square. This is a wedding scene. I love the little boy clacking spoons to the music on the porch. Very realistic beginnings for some Cajun musicians. Making the table in the yard  ready for the food to follow. (You can double-click pictures to make them larger.)

And, on that same wall, twelve people honored for promoting and identifying the passion and spirit of Cajun music that have made Mamou the Cajun Music Capital of the World. I tell you, Southern Louisiana  is all about good music and good food and friendly people. Taunte Sue is the only woman on the wall.

We walked Main St., which isn’t very long. Manuel’s Bar across the street from Fred’s Lounge started the same year, 1946. We talked to the son of the original owner who we met on the street. This sign was on their window. I liked the “drama” part.

Tauntie Sue’s rules are No Swearing, No Fights, No dancing on the tables. We stayed all day last time, and everyone danced, drank, ate from the jambalaya cooked up out back by some volunteers, and had a great time. No one got drunk and out of line. Tauntie Sue suggested a great restaurant, right across from her Lounge. But, they weren’t open when we were hungriest and we ate Tasso stew at home instead. And some shrimp with Jack Miller’s cocktail sauce for an appetizer. Good stuff!

LAKE ARTHUR SOCIAL LIFE.

We are parked next to the American Legion in Lake Arthur, Louisiana, waiting for good weather. The patrons here told us we have to stay through Thursday, because they cook jambalaya for everyone for lunch.  The cooks arrived about nine. Flys was cutting cabbage for the coleslaw.

Norman was taking a break while Mark cut up the pork meat.

Most of the fat comes off, but not all of it. Then it is set to brown.

When it is almost browned, the sausage is added and it gets stirred some more.

In another pot, fresh crowder peas cook. And still another pot holds rice.

Sally added water and seasoning and took her turn stirring.

Norman gave it his approval and Sally began loading styrofoam trays with the free  lunch for everyone in the bar.

We bought a round of beers for the cooks and others did the same. Julia, the bartender is  very able and practically runs, she is so busy.

We finally met the Commander of Post 403, his name’s Don. He says he doesn’t like crawfish which is a sin in this part of the world. His father told him he wasn’t a true cajun. We laughed.

The patrons here depend on the friendships they’ve developed. It is their social life and joy to get together, drink and eat. The bar always has peanuts, pork  rinds, or something to nibble on. Beer here is lite and only comes in 10 oz cans.  The man standing closest to Jim, is Shannoo. He owns the LA Bar downtown. Everyone has dictated that we HAVE to go to the LA Bar and after we had lunch and a beer, we did.

It is in an old historic building and according to some of the pipeliners, it is well-known outside Louisiana.

It is one of those places that has jokes and stuff and a big horned deer head hanging on the walls; dollar bills pinned to the ceiling, and 75-year-old whiskey. Shannon, doing bartender duty,  is the owner’s wife. Her husband is also named Shannon, so he removed the n, added an o, and goes by Shannoo.

We were told the LA Bar serves the very best bloody mary money can buy. It was different, spicy and delicious with a green bean, carrot stick and okra pickle, an olive and lemon slice.

When the previous owner died, the bar was closed for four years. The locals are appreciative that this young couple in their thirties rescued their famous icon. Shannon told me some of these bottles are 75 years old and have never been opened. They are no longer for sale.

I enjoyed taking pictures of  humorous signs.

Some are as old as that whiskey.

Wry humor.

This one is barely readable. It looks like politicians were just as popular 75 years ago as they are today.  Politicians and drunks not permitted on premises.

We walked toward the boardwalk at the lake. A beautiful oak greeted us at the end of Main St. Then the winds and rain suddenly started up again, and we had to abandon our walk.

We read for most of the day. Then back in the American Legion bar for a nightcap. Mark and Marlene were back as well. Mark will take us out to net catfish in his boat this morning if the weather isn’t too wet and too windy. Everyone seems to like everyone in this community. You never hear them grumble and complain about their neighbors. Fine salt of the earth people who know how to have fun. Tonight there will be a dance with a DJ.

Lake Charles, Lousiana – Day 8

The motorhome is parked at the 1,086 acre Sam Houston Jones State Park about 12 miles north of the city. We have been here enjoying Mardi Gras which ended Tuesday. We had planned to depart here today, but we are still weary and need to rest some more. We now expect to leave tomorrow..

You can read about Lake Charles by clicking this Wikipedia link…

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Charles,_Louisiana

You can read all about the history of Mardi Gras in Southwest Louisiana by clicking this link…

http://www.swlamardigras.com/about/history.cfm

LAISSEZ LES BON TEMPS ROULER!

You see this slogan everywhere in Louisiana. In French it means… LET THE GOOD TIMES ROLL!

And roll they did on Fat Tuesday, the last day of Mardi Gras this year.

Our day started with a 30 minute drive to the small town of Iowa (pronounced locally as I-O-WAY) to witness the chasing of the chickens. If you do not know the history of this tradition, reading this Wikipedia link will take care of that…

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Courir_de_Mardi_Gras

The event was scheduled to start at 10:00 AM. We were late getting out of the motorhome and did not arrive until 10:30. They were late getting started and said they would begin at 11:00. But we could not stay because we had other obligations elsewhere. So we took a few pictures and departed…

As always you may left click upon an image to see an enlarged view and then click once again to see an even larger view…

Here’s a short video of another Cajun tradition. Just click the link…

Another about 30 minute drive brought us to the home of Renola Simon (pronounced SEE-MON in French) where the Krewe de les Cajuns float is stored. We’ve been invited to ride on the float during the final and biggest parade of the Lake Charles Mardi Gras!

The first two hours was spent getting to know everyone, eating and making the float ready…

Renola served spicy deer and pork sausages that were really yummy…

Here’s the float…

And the back of the jacket of the Krewe de les Cajuns…

The float was towed by this truck…

On the way to the parade assembly point, it started to mist lightly and Mary was ready with her garbage bag raincoat…

The parade assembled right along the shore of Lake Charles. It threatened to rain, but never really did…

We took a walk to see some of the other 50+ floats…

Here’s Mary with 80-year-old Renola Simon…our hostess. She was a founding member of the Krewe de les Cajuns 26 years ago and has done this every year since…

Here’s the others with whom we rode the float…

We had a three-hour wait for the parade to begin and Mary really got into the mood…

Click this link to see a short video…

With the French Cajun Music blaring loudly, at 5:00 PM we started rolling down the main drag of Ryan Street in Lake Charles…

The object was to throw as many string of beads and plastic cups to the begging crowd as fast as possible. We guesstimate the Krewe threw 25,000+ during the 1.5 hour parade route…

Into the night we continued. It was amazing to see how a string of beads or a plastic cup brought a beautiful smile to the face of the recipients…

We just had a blast! Thank you Krewe de Les Cajuns for inviting us along. We will never forget you!   LAISSEZ LES BON TEMPS ROULER!

Enjoying a Louisiana Mardi Gras is another joy in the life of a full-time RVer!

The red dot on the below map shows our approximate location in the State of Louisiana. You may double left-click the map to make it larger…

Enjoying 65-75 degree temperatures most of the year is a primary joy in the RVing lifestyle!

“Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving”…Albert Einstein

If you have not checked out my Ramblin Man’s Photos Blog, you can do so by clicking this link…

http://ramblinmanphotos.wordpress.com/

All original material Copyright – Jim Jaillet 2013
For more information about my three books, click this link:

http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/panamaorbust

GUMBO COOK OFF, PARADES, CAJUN DANCING

The gumbo cook off was a tasty, wonderful, loud mob scene. We went late and spent about two hours. This is outside the Civic Center which had gumbo booths we didn’t ever get to.

From above, you can see what it is like. You pick up a bowl and taste and walk to the next booth.

Inside the building, it was the same, gumbo booths around the perimeter with about 30 booths and every one tasting different.

The Krewes compete for best gumbo and they don’t stint on ingredients. Sausage, chicken, ham, bacon, duck and at this booth a hock in every bowl. OMIGOSH! Everyone I tasted was better than Steamboat Bill’s gumbo. You can’t describe the flavors, and how they differ, but I was in foodie heaven. We would beg them to give us one SMALL bowl, then Jim and I with two spoons would  taste. Everyone throws what they didn’t eat in the garbage. I quailed at the waste.

These ladies are from Le Krewe Du Le Originales Et Les Enfants. Toni, on the right,  has a son in the State of Washington at McCord Airforce base, Jim’s old stomping grounds. We may be going to their ball and chicken run.

This Sasquatch looking guy, a big guy, poses so you can’t see a bit of his flesh. He was very proud of his costume and wanted to show us how he can become very small.

Can you tell we are having fun.

While you taste, the band plays and people dance.

This character, we assume from the winning Krewe in the parade the night before, walks around holding this scepter?, or whatever it is,  with his entourage. He makes a swing periodically through the crowd to much applause and noisemakers, and hoots.

At one point, a member of a different crew stole the prize and everyone hooted and yelled.

When the band identified a Krewe, they all hollered and made sure you knew who they were.

Members of the Entourage from the winning Krewe, danced along with everyone else. The Krewe is the Madelaines.

These two women were the best dancers on the floor. The woman on the right  moved so fast, it was hard to get a picture of her.  Cajun and Zydeco tunes are  jumpin’. It was wonderful to watch the dancers.

This woman was, I think, trying to help the band play and dance at the same time. I might mention that this fun fueled event is not fueled on alcohol. Beer is available, but people don’t seem to swill and get drunk. We enjoyed the spirit, the mobs of friendly people and hated to see the end of all that good food though we could eat no more.

Then we went to the children’s parade. Many cars carried “winning, elected” children honored for something.  A local event of some type  decides who rides an honor, from very young like this tiny girl on top of a car throwing candy to teen-aged kids.

Everyone loves a good band.

This little girl was standing next to me.She and her mom kept offering me candy the kids picked up. I gave her my beads before we left.  Kids are so photogenic and responsive.

We weren’t sure where the dog parade was; we were told two different sites. So, we followed these dogs.

This little puppy is only seven weeks old.

The dogs have to be registered, and this great dane could hardly stand still. It took five people to get her dressed for the parade.

It looked worth the effort.

These two ladies were pointing at me, trying to get their sweetie to face the camera.

Like a true princess,  she did!

Beautiful.

A handsome brace of…, well, whatever they are.

This woman was hugging, and cooing and comforting her baby who was shaking and reluctant to be part of this mob of dogs.

She finally got brave enough to peer away from her mom’s knees.

There were cute kids everywhere. This little girl was peering warily at Jim as he tried to get her to smile.

Little brother kind of waved at me and moved closer to his sister. Shy, but he wanted his picture taken too.

And this little girl too. The kids love the camera.

This little fellow wasn’t sure he wanted his green glittered spike photographed. I told him I had a redheaded grandson and then…

…he gave me a big smile and showed off his missing tooth. I love it when kids respond like that.

After the dog parade, we went to the second floor in the Civic Center where a Zydeco Band was playing.

All these bands play “modern” washboards, two of them. Quite a difference from the first Cajuns who used a washtub, washboard or whatever made sound to get their joy and spirit across.

We watched the dancers for about an hour. This couple were outstanding dancers. For a big guy, I’m guessing, 6’6, he could really move in those heavy boots. And, her too, dancing in boots. Fantastic.

Sitting next to me, Pam, a 65 year old nurse who still works. She was originally an entertainer in Columbia. I loved her hair and she was obviously very proud of her beautiful tresses. Oh, that I could have hair like that. I’d show it off  too. So much talent and beauty in one day. Wowzer, baby, wowzer!

Littlefield, Texas – Day 3

Mary remains at home in California tending to medical issues.

The motorhome is still parked at the Waylon Jennings RV Park. I expect to leave here tomorrow.

Yesterday I drove the Bronco the about one mile to look around Waylon Jennings hometown, population about 6,300.

You can read all about Waylon Jennings by clicking this link…

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waylon_Jennings

As always you may left click upon an image to see an enlarged view and then click once again to see an even larger view…

There is a by-pass highway that goes around Littlefield. On the main drag roughly 50% of the storefronts are boarded-up. Even the Chamber of Commerce looked closed…

Littlefield is basically out in the middle of nowhere Texas. Muleshoe is about 30 miles to the north and Lubbock is about 30 miles to the south. It’s hard to imagine what life was like for a young Waylon. Born in 1937, dropped out of school in the 10th grade and moved to Lubbock when he was 17 in 1954. Other than his music, picking cotton was a way of life here.

You can read all about Littlefield, Texas by clicking this link…

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Littlefield,_Texas

Enjoying the interesting places is another joy in the life of a full-time RVer!

If you have not checked out my Ramblin Man’s Photos Blog, you can do so by clicking this link…

http://ramblinmanphotos.wordpress.com/

All original material Copyright – Jim Jaillet 2012
For more information about my three books, click this link:

http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/panamaorbust