Fourth of July Market Week!

Stars & Stripes blue ribbon pie
baked by the sweetest pie baker.
If I lived in New Orleans,
I would annually bless the lives of my nearest and dearest,
and whomever might need a boost,
by purchasing these multi berry beauties
and delivering them with love and a patriotic smile!Ohhh...love the beans,

all of them.

Unique, but so good.

Quail eggs...I don't eat them but think they are beautiful.yum.

Isabelle's homemade tamales--a weekly purchase;
each of the four varieties is sooo good.
Maybe I have delivered these to you?

A little friend and her Mom that I see every week at market.
I also bumped into them on one of my excursions
down to the French Quarter.
{Notice her alligator pull toy.}

Making sure her mama is buying a few of those
fresh Alabama peaches.

{Coincidentally, the woman on the right 

was purchasing peaches last week in the photo, too!}

Amanda, the juice lady.
She is soooo nice and makes
such interesting juices and Popsicles from
fresh fruit.

I had purchased the strawberry or raspberry fruit bars
I deliver to my favorites,
when Amanda sliced pineapple bar tasters.
Wow--I might have purchased one for myself,

could even be the one you see in the photo;

I will deliver fresh pineapple bars next week for all!

We arrived home from the swamp tour about midnight Friday night. Saturday morning our alarms were ringing at 5:30 to awaken us to go on a safari in the heart of Cajun country. When the temperature is in the triple digits, with near the same percent humidity, one more willingly unfolds oneself from the comforts of ones pillows and dreams to beat the heat.

We purchased a bucket of feed to share with some of the

3,000 endangered animals from around the world.

It is fun to be on the first wagon train of the day as the

animals are very eager to fill their tummies!

We were given four souvenir cups from which to feed the animals.

We were clearly told the animals will try to grab the cups--

hang on tightly.

Now whose cup would that be...?

The nice man next to us gently wrestled it from the animal so

J could still have fun feeding the animals.

"Good morning!"

Such a sweet camel!

I love the hopeful, stretching up

of the deer trying to be

to be tall, tall, tall enough

to be included in treat time.

Long horned cattle.

They have mighty large horns,

mighty long tongues

and might hearty appetites.

Earl had the animals lined up,

practically eating from the palm of his hand.

These babies were my favorite.

A few would leave the group of babes their mamas

had placed them, in the shade of a tree,

and would cry, calling for their mamas.

So sweet!

Elegant giraffes.

Beautiful girls!

As the sun was setting in the horizon,
Emily, Jessica, Earl and I were on a
sunset swamp tour.

So many components make up this hidden wilderness world
but we were mostly interested in one...
alligators!
It is amazing to be in an area accessible only by water
to discover these reptiles in their natural environment.
Insert "Jaws" music...
as Jessica was taking a few alligator photos,
notice the 'gator coming straight towards her
in the photo above.
The driver, perched high on his drivers seat of the air boat,
calmly but firmly told J to put the camera down as the
reptile thought it was food.
The driver then shone a large spotlight on the 'gators eyes and
explained this is what we would soon be seeking..
red eyes in the dark.

Before the suns rays had totally set, he showed us this...

"thing".
Any guesses?
An alligators nest!
He asked if any of us wanted to get out for a look.
I like "safe" adventure;
getting out of an air boat with a mama alligator
lurking somewhere close to her nest is waaaay
beyond my safety zone.
One daughter hopped right off the boat onto the bank to peek inside.
Notice the layers and layers of approximately fifty eggs,
none touching,
as the mama has carefully distributed dried marsh material
between each individual egg and layer.

American lotus plants,
not to be confused with water lilies,
as lotuses do not have a "cut";
rather, they have very large, circular, umbrella shaped leaves.

Acres of lotus plants.

Then we were travelling at speeds between 50-70 mph,
in total darkness,
traversing marsh lands,
looking for red eyed reptiles.
Our guide caught a two year old baby 'gator and
Jessica stood on the bow of the boat displaying it.
He explained each tooth is razor sharp and
the alligator will turn mid air and try to snap you
as you throw it back into the marsh.
You can bet your bottom dollar her skills throwing the
discus came in handy.

And then we were back at the dock.
Two sistahs in the air boat.
The whole swamp gang.
It was a way good time!

Upon arriving home after picking up both girls from
my afternoon wanderings,
we discovered a box perched upon a chair
on their front porch...
and they declared it was for me.
I knew I was not awaiting a delivery
nor had I forgotten anything from home.
It was a love package from Mr. R!
I felt like I was at camp receiving a care package
from home filled with fun things to do-
so very, very thoughtful, Mr R.
Thank you!
Love, love, love.
Kiss, kiss, kiss.

While one daughter was out,
Jessica, Taylor, Earl and I,
for about the price of admission to a movie,
ventured to play B-i-n-g-o.
For each round, each player has 15 cards!

{yes, those are all my cards from one,
two hour session of Bingo!}
They call the numbers fast--
I discovered bingo takes a lot of concentration.
Each round seems to have different
rules and requirements.
One needs to know which round is currently playing
before confidently shouting, "BINGO!"
It was very quiet (shhhh) in the non-smoking room in which we were ensconced.
Once in a while one of the four of us would comment
which was usually responded to by laughing;
it was not embraced well by our bingo neighbors
focusing at the surrounding tables.
A few times, our group was the recipient
of the "eagle eye"--
I did not realize we must be
on our reverent behavior.
After the two hour session was up
I also realized my brain is
on summer vacation all right!

These are the bedazzled daubers J and I used to
mark our cards--
note to self:
great potential Christmas stocking stuffer.
What a way good day!

Late in the afternoon,
as I was leisurely strolling downtown,
taking photos in the triple digit heat,
it was a recorded 104 degrees on Tuesday,

I chanced upon these workers

who know how to clean up

and cool off!

Wednesday was another meditative evening
as we participated in an hour long Vinyassa yoga class at the
Newcomb Art Gallery.

The current exhibit is
In Company with Angels:
Seven Rediscovered Tiffany Windows.

Yes, we did yoga amongst these huge, seven, amazing,
Tiffany glass angels
which were inspired by passages found in
Chapters 2 and 3 in the Book of Revelations. As I struck this warrior yoga pose,
with a daughter flanking each side of me, I was at the feet, directly in front of,

looking up to this angel.
It was magnificent!

This evening found us at the
New Orleans Trinity Episcopal Church for
"Organ & Labyrinth".

During the hour-long event,
the 5,000 pipe organ,
on the left is played by Albinas Prizgintas,
their Director of Music Ministries,
with music ranging from classical baroque to Yankee Doodle Dandy. The organist's wife, who organized the walk after Katrina,
kindly said, "This is your hour.
View the stained glass windows,
walk the labyrinth in the sanctuary or
simply sit and enjoy the music.
Again, this is your hour."

When I completed my walk
I thoroughly enjoyed contemplating the scriptural experiences from
Matthew, Mark, Luke and John
portrayed in the stained glass windows.
It was a way good meditative hour!