just rain in the happiest state

A friend of mine said he read an article recently that stated Louisiana was the happiest state in terms of people's state of mind and general satisfaction in life. Comparatively, there is a huge divide between north and south when it comes to happiness, the sun and warmth versus the cold and rain.

My mind was in a state of reluctance upon heading to New Orleans. To be honest I didn't know too much about the city before 2005 – which is sad considering it's history. Everytime I meet someone who said they just went to New Orleans and 'had a blast' I sort of cringe. I mean, do people not know what took place there just shy of 5 years ago? I come from a place where it is mild, it rains, there is sun and sometimes soft fluffy flakes that soon melt and turn in to soft mushy snow.

Some places get rain,
but some places have tornadoes, blizzards, hurricanes, tsunamis and earth quakes...

I wanted to go to New Orleans for a couple reasons, to first see friends, then I recently discovered, yes, I have family there and to see New Orleans – to see the city after the hurricane. Knowing I couldn't do any long term commitment in terms of 'volunteering' but I just wanted to hear stories, I wanted to 'see' instead of reading or hearing (i recognise my priviledge in that) Also, I wanted to see how many black owned businesses there are (the ones left) and support them somehow - by just conversing and buying a meal.

So I arrived in to New Orleans - nervously. My whole trip I have been blessed, it was sunny the whole way, in every single place I went to. For New Orleans, I expected to experience some real southern weather. So I get there and it's raining, but who am I to complain, I didn't lose all of my belongings, I didn't have to stay in the superdome, I didn't lose family members or have to be shipped to an unknown destination with a one way plane ticket or sit on top of my house and watch the world float away. It was just raining. It rains 8 months in Vancouver, so I am cool.

I'm gonna get me a shot gun and kill the first white"$%^E$^@ I see...

Do people remember that skit? Anyways, another first...I went hunting...hunting for rabbits that is. I didn't have any luck though, but I was able to hold a shot gun and shoot it, first time shooting a gun - it was pretty heavy and powerful and well...I like to try anything and everything at least once.

moe and madge

I needed to burn off some food, so walked around the land to the pond, some pear trees they just got the last of the pears a week ago, pecans ripe and falling to the ground. I wanted to meet my cuz's two horses, he used to ride them, but says he just has them as pets and doesn't really ride them anymore.

Madge and Moe, mother and son, some cows and one big bull that I don't trust and he probably doesn't trust me. Brought out an apple to feed to Madge, but she spat it out and then the cows came to eat up the rest.

There is a trick to getting horses to come near you, pretend to smell them...trust me you don't need to pretend though...