Duson, Louisiana (GA416)

Mary is no longer available for RV traveling, but we remain good friends.

Because we have 4,000+ postings, I’ve invited her to continue posting entries on this blog.

I’m currently in my 23rd year of full-time RVing and my lifestyle is changing, For more info click Here

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The motorhome is parked at Thousand Trails RV Resort in La Conner, Washington. I’ll depart here August 13th.

 

 

 

Since my RVing life is changing (see above), I’m starting to re-visit previously visited places. So rather than constantly re-blogging past entries, I’ve decided to do something different.

  In 2011-2013, Mary and I did a 682 day, 12,679 miles in the motorhome and 8,000 miles in the Bronco, circumnavigation of the United States, which I called The Great Adventure. I called it so because other than my oldest granddaughter’s high school graduation in June in Connecticut, I didn’t know where we would be going or when we would be there!

So, unless I do something really different and unusual warranting a new blog entry, I’ll be posting entries from that trip.

This entry was posted March 4, 2013…

If you remember yesterday’s Blog entry http://wp.me/pDCku-7ea

 

 

we were parked in Eunice, Louisiana. We were here in 2010 and had such a good time at the Liberty Theater…we just had to come back since we were in the area.

 

 

Normally it’s two-hours of great Cajun Music and dancing. When we put it on our schedule…we had no idea this weekend’s program was a tribute to Hank Williams, Sr. which you can read all about by clicking this link…
http://www.theadvertiser.com/article/20130301/LIFESTYLE/303010308/Tribute-keeps-legacy-Hank-Williams-alive

 

 

Much to our pleasant surprise three of our new friends from Lake Charles were also there. Ranola, Sue and Cliff…

 

 

Here are some photos that I took…

 

 

 

 

 

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…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I just love the delightful Cajun accent. You can hear Ranola’s by clicking this link…
http://youtu.be/N6hyWDW6zSU

 

 

The program featured the Jambalaya Cajun Band with four performers doing Hank Williams songs.

 

 

The program opened with Hugh Harris…the youngest of the four…and closest to Hank’s death age…29…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To see a brief video of Hugh Harris’s imitation…clicking this link…
http://youtu.be/mAOZU9sj6i8

 

 

Other performers included…Pope Huval…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Steel guitar player Terry Huval…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And 81 year-old D.L. Menard…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To see a short video of all four performers closing the show…click this link…
http://youtu.be/p2plXgBBQwc

 

 

It ended up being a great program which we all  enjoyed!

 

 

Yesterday we drove the motorhome the about 40 miles southeast to Duson only a few miles from Lafayette, Louisiana.

 

 

Along the way we passed through the City of Rayne…Frog Capital of the World! To read why Rayne claims this title, click this link…
http://www.exploratorium.edu/frogs/rayne/index.html

 

 

Here’s a photo of Mary standing next to a 12 foot-high frog seen as you enter the city…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

They have frogs all around the city. Here are a few…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In Duson we ended up parking at VFW Post #9822 where we expect to stay while we explore the nearby area for the next 2-3 days. Sunday Bingo draws a big crowd…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As usual, here’s the dinette window shot…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After a long, full day on Saturday we enjoyed a peaceful and relaxing Sunday afternoon. Back to work today…seeing the sights!

 

 

Enjoying musical concerts 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/

 

 

 

 

 

TWO FOR THE PRICE OF ONE! MARY WROTE A MANY GREAT BLOGS…SO WHENEVER SHE PUBLISHED A BLOG POSTING THE SAME DAY THAT I DID…YOU WILL BE ABLE TO READ HER BLOG BY CLICKING THE BELOW LINK! DO IT NOW!

https://otrwjam.wordpress.com/2013/03/04/liberty-theater-and-rayne-louisiana/

 

 

 

 

I HOPE YOU ENJOYED THE PHOTOS.

Forecast for today is mostly sunny and 73 degrees.

Enjoying nice weather is another joy in the life of a full-time RVer!

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Enjoying 65-75 degree temperatures with low humidity 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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My current travel rig is a 2006 Fleetwood 26′ Class A Motorhome and a towed 1986 Ford Bronco II, Eddie Bauer Model. This photo was taken in the desert at Slab City near Niland, California…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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.
http://youtu.be/FfZUzEB4rM8

 

 

If you would like to see my YouTube videos, click this link… http://www.youtube.com/user/JimJ1579/videos

 

 

There are more than 700 photo albums in my Picasa Web Albums File. To gain access, you simply have to click this link… https://get.google.com/albumarchive/110455945462646142273?source=pwa

 

 

If you have not checked out my Ramblin Man’s Photos Blog, you can do so by clicking this link…http://ramblinmanphotos.wordpress.com/

 

 

For more information about my books, click this link:
http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/panamaorbust

 

 

All original works copyrighted – Jim Jaillet -2018

LIBERTY THEATER AND RAYNE, LOUISIANA

Jim and I often comment how lucky we are. We met Renola Simon and Sue and Cliff Granger in Lake Charles. We had planned on going back to Lake Charles to see them dance. A change of plans put us farther East, and Instead, we met them at the Liberty Theater in Eunice. Renola bought our tickets and we had no idea who was playing.

This is the setting. The narrator on the left, and some members of the Jambalaya Cajun Band. The narrator is also a curator at the Arcadian Museum in town. He, and a local man, the steel guitar player, are experts on Hank Williams. They have put on a Tribute To Hank Williams program for 14 years.

Hugh Harris is one of the Hank Williams Impersonators. He sounds eerily like Hank Williams.  Williams was prolific. He had 11 # one hits between 1948 and 1953. I remember harmonizing his tunes with my sister while washing dishes, “…slipping around on me…your cheatttttttin heart…” Oh, the memories.

Terry Huval, not only plays the steel guitar, but he also sings and impersonates  Hank Williams.

Pope Huval is another impersonator, here with the excellent violinist with the band. She is really good.

Eighty-two year old D.L. Menard is the fourth impersonator. He made a round of the crowds during the intermission. They tease him about his fancy clothes. He doesn’t look or sound as old as he is. He met Hank Williams when he was 19 years old. Hank gave him advice:  “When you sing you got to feel like whatever you are singing about, a broken heart or a party,  is happening to you.”  D.L. admits he didn’t get it-then.

You can see the pain on Hugh Harris’ s face.  Picture taking on a lighted stage is kind of a hit or miss, and they didn’t all turn out well.

Hank Williams band didn’t have a drummer, nor an accordionist. But when the bands accordionist came on stage and played a couple of times, the crowd really voiced their approval. They are obviously very popular in the area. We had a terrific time. All of the impersonators were good. I heard songs of Williams’ that I’d never heard before. I didn’t know that he wrote some of them. He was not only prolific but varied in his style and we enjoyed the tribute as did the full house at the Liberty.

We moved on to a VFW within range of Lafayette and other nearby towns we want to visit. We had no intention of stopping in Rayne, which bills itself as the Frog Capital of the world. In fact, we passed through here in 2010 during a drenching rain. Jim stopped, I ran into a mom and pop grocer and asked why it was called the frog capital of the world?  The guys in the little shop said they didn’t know?  It is personal with me. I’m from Calaveras County, which bills itself as the Frog Jumping Capitol of the World and we take our frogs seriously. My boys graduated High School as Bullfrogs.

The gray frog had an interesting plaque about humanity in a racially mixed Southern town.

We saw cute painted frogs all over town. This one in front of the Police Department.

They are cute, but not as cute as OUR painted frogs. (My kids would call that sour grapes.)

And then…and then…? I found out why they call this the frog capital of the world.  OMIGOD. People in my county would balk if anyone even suggested eating frog legs. That is a no,no. We like our frogs hail and hearty. Of course, I’m playing here. But the truth is, Mark Twain wrote the tale “The Jumping Frog Of Calaveras County.”  People do come from all over the world to jump frogs during the Calaveras County Fair and Frog Jumping Jubilee.  Mayor La Guardia came to the jumps in 1931 I believe was the year. Anyway, Jim looked on a website and it turns out they dress frogs in jockey uniforms and have a frog race during their festival. I’m sure they deserve their title.

They also refer to Rayne as the City of Murals, and they do have many of them. Hey, it is all fun.

Duson, Louisiana

If you remember yesterday’s Blog entry http://wp.me/pDCku-7ea

we were parked in Eunice, Louisiana. We were here in 2010 and had such a good time at the Liberty Theater…we just had to come back since we were in the area.

Normally it’s two-hours of great Cajun Music and dancing. When we put it on our schedule…we had no idea this weekend’s program was a tribute to Hank Williams, Sr. which you can read all about by clicking this link…
http://www.theadvertiser.com/article/20130301/LIFESTYLE/303010308/Tribute-keeps-legacy-Hank-Williams-alive

Much to our pleasant surprise three of our new friends from Lake Charles were also there. Ranola, Sue and Cliff…

Here are some photos that I took…

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…

I just love the delightful Cajun accent. You can hear Ranola’s by clicking this link…
http://youtu.be/N6hyWDW6zSU

The program featured the Jambalaya Cajun Band with four performers doing Hank Williams songs.

The program opened with Hugh Harris…the youngest of the four…and closest to Hank’s death age…29…

To see a brief video of Hugh Harris’s imitation…clicking this link…
http://youtu.be/mAOZU9sj6i8

Other performers included…Pope Huval…

Steel guitar player Terry Huval…

And 81 year-old D.L. Menard…

To see a short video of all four performers closing the show…click this link…
http://youtu.be/p2plXgBBQwc

It ended up being a great program which we all  enjoyed!

Yesterday we drove the motorhome the about 40 miles southeast to Duson only a few miles from Lafayette, Louisiana.

Along the way we passed through the City of Rayne…Frog Capital of the World! To read why Rayne claims this title, click this link…
http://www.exploratorium.edu/frogs/rayne/index.html

Here’s a photo of Mary standing next to a 12 foot-high frog seen as you enter the city…

They have frogs all around the city. Here are a few…

In Duson we ended up parking at VFW Post #9822 where we expect to stay while we explore the nearby area for the next 2-3 days. Sunday Bingo draws a big crowd…

As usual, here’s the dinette window shot…

After a long, full day on Saturday we enjoyed a peaceful and relaxing Sunday afternoon. Back to work today…seeing the sights!

Enjoying musical concerts 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

Picture A New York Subway Train At Rush Hour Crammed Full Of…

Very friendly people and a French Cajun Music Band out in the middle of Nowhere, Louisiana and you’ve got Fred’s Lounge in Mamou, Louisiana…the Cajun Music Capitol Of The World!…at least that’s what the sign on the outside of the building says.

Inside a sign says…

The sign says it all!

Yesterday (Saturday) morning, Mary and I left the motorhome at 7:00 AM for the about 20 mile drive to Mamou, Louisiana. You’ve got to arrive when they open the doors at 7:30 AM if you want one of the 12 seats at the bar. In addition the lounge sits an additional 25 people and about 150 with standing room only. At 7:35 AM, Mary ordered a scotch and water and I ordered a Miller’s Lite Beer. The band starts at 9:00 AM and plays wild and crazy Cajun Music non-stop until 1:30 PM and the lounge closes at 2:00 PM.

To see the other 14 pictures I took, click this link…
http://picasaweb.google.com/jimjrver/MamouLA2010#

For a great history and more pictures of Fred’s Lounge, click this link…
http://web.lsue.edu/acadgate/mamou.htm

We left a little after noon and returned to the motorhome to work on our Blogs and get some rest for the afternoon/evening activities which were…

Mary had been craving Crawfish and finally was fulfilled at Nick’s Restaurant…

Mary finally gets her Crawfish!

Then on to the big weekly Saturday Night event at The Liberty Theater…The Rondez Vous de Cajuns…

This was the 1,158 performance of the Rendez Vous de Cajuns at the Liberty Theater.

We had front row seats and sat next to a French-speaking couple who have been married for 60 years. They have attended this event for every Saturday night for more than 20 years and have the only two reserved seats in the place! She reminded me very much of my Mother who passed away April 3, 2003 at the age of 83.

This couple has been attending the Rendez Vous de Cajuns every Saturday night for more than 20 years.

One sad comment as it relates to current times… I was last here in the year 2000 and the place was jammed-packed…standing room only! Last night it was only about 10% full. It appears to be a combination of tough economic times and lack of heritage interest by younger people. According to this older couple…the younger people are not attending because they are out in the bars drinking and doing drugs. A really sad statement about the world we live in!

The Liberty Theater has been there since 1927 and has been hosting the Rondez Vous de Cajuns for more tha 20 years…Here’s their website…
http://www.eunice-la.com/libertyschedule.html

This completed our second and last day in Eunice, Louisiana. Today we’ll depart by 10:00 AM for the about 175 mile drive to New Orleans for a two-week Mardi Gras stay.

All original material Copyright – Jim Jaillet 2010
For more information about my three books, click this link:
http://www.panamaorbust.com