Ancient Artifacts

This past Sunday, we left the farm chores for a day and journeyed to Port Allen, Louisiana.  Port Allen is a town on the west bank of the Mississippi River.  Baton Rouge is on the other side of Old Man River from Port Allen.  We were there to watch Laura in a fashion show put on by LSU.  She was modeling clothes designed by LSU college students showing fashions from different eras from the 'flapper' era in the 1920's to the hippie styles of the 1960's.


The Fashion Show

Can I be honest with you and tell you that my social calendar on a Sunday afternoon does not often involve attending fashion shows?  Actually, this was the first one I've ever attended.  Funny what you'll do for your kids, huh?  There's Laura Lee in the middle.  They even sported hair-do's of the era!


Straight from the runway

Here is a close-up of Laura Lee and Tricia.  No, the "ancient artifact" I mention in the title of this post is not referring to my wife.  (Man, I'm gonna be in trouble for that comment!  You know I'm joking, sweetheart.)  Stay tuned - that reference comes further down. 

Two important beautiful ladies in my life

The Fashion Show was held at the West Baton Rouge Museum.  It is a museum that has many exhibits about the plantation days.  It has a model of a 1904 Sugar Mill and explains how raw sugar is made from sugar cane.  It was very interesting and as history buffs, we listened intently until it was time to go watch Laura Lee stroll down the runway.


Raising Cane in Louisiana

The entire process was shown including how black strap molasses is made.  We pour this on our hay in the winter as a sweet treat for our milk cows.

When the fashion show was over, Benjamin was off exploring and looking at exhibits.  I found him near the 'ancient artifact' shown below.  It is the wheel from the Baton Rouge - Port Allen Ferry.  This ferry carried first horse and buggies which later yielded to pedestrians and vehicles.  The "City of Baton Rouge" was approximately 250' long and was a two boat operation that ferried traffic across the Mississippi River until it ceased operation in 1969 when it became obsolete due to the completion of the new I-10 bridge.

I snapped a picture of him 'steering' the ferry because my mom and dad had me aboard that ferry on the day that it made its last voyage in 1969, when I was 3 years old.  They had told me about that story and coincidentally, 43 years later, I find my son turning the wheel on the same old ferry!



Benjamin behind the wheel of the Baton Rouge - Port Allen ferry

Museums are known for housing ancient artifacts.  You know you're getting old when at the breakfast table you hear 'Snap, Crackle, Pop" and you aren't eating cereal.  I guess you also know you're getting old when your son finds the boat you rode across the Mississippi River in in a museum.