Fried Chicken
Chicken Stew
Field Peas
Broccoli & Rice Casserole
Mashed Potatoes and Gravy
Mustard Greens
Cornbread
We took our seats in a booth and spotted a waitress talking to another lady stirring food on the steam table and called her over. With a stern look, she put her hands on her hips and said, "Can't you see I'm busy?" Then she burst into a big smile, walked over and said, "What can I get for you, sweetheart?" Time slowed to a snail's pace as we visited and sipped on strong black coffee that you could stand a spoon up in. The cup never got half empty before the waitress refilled it with steaming hot coffee.
As we exited the Palace Cafe and walked eastward about 20 feet, I spotted a huge live oak tree that created cool shade for a whole city block. It was the Jim Bowie Oak with a historical marker. The tree is 350 years old. That means it began growing in the year 1667. That kind of makes you scratch your head. If that tree could talk... Jim Bowie likely sat under this tree and enjoyed coffee while he sharpened his famous Bowie knife and told tales of his adventures. Sadly, he never returned from the Alamo. Anyway, I copied the inscription of the historical marker below, if you can't read it.
Jim Bowie Oak
This giant live oak tree is over 350 years old and is named in honor of legendary adventurer and hero of the Battle of the Alamo, Colonel James "Jim" Bowie, who lived in Opelousas for part of his life.
The Jim Bowie Oak is a charter member of the Louisiana Live Oak Society. The Jim Bowie Courtyard, located behind the oak, is built on the site of what is believed to be a blacksmith shop belonging to Bowie.
I've watched both movies of The Alamo, the 1960's version starring John Wayne and the 2004 version starring Dennis Quaid and Billy Bob Thornton. The bravery and valor of a band of heroic men (Texians and a band of volunteers from Tennessee) as they made a last stand against General Santa Anna's men always fascinates me. Those guys seem larger than life... Davy Crockett, William Travis, Jim Bowie...
I love this quote and its message of courage and conviction:
"I am determined to sustain myself as long as possible & die like a soldier who never forgets what is due to his own honor & that of his country. VICTORY OR DEATH." excerpt from William B. Travis's letter To the People of Texas & All Americans in the World
In THIS POST FROM NOVEMBER 2015 I tell of our history with the Alamo. Tricia and I were engaged in San Antonio and that post, if you click on it, tells the sad story of an oak tree we grew from acorns I picked up on the day we were engaged 25 years ago from one of the Alamo oaks and how we are trying again 25 years later with another.
Below is a photo of that oak. While it's not quite as impressive as the Jim Bowie oak, and is only 16 months old versus 350 years old, it is a touchstone.
Surrounded by a world in which everything is disposable, temporary, and fleeting, it is nice to have an oak tree or a marriage that stands the test of time. Remember the Alamo, indeed.
