One of Hurricane Laura's Victims is No Longer With Us

Hurricane Laura was a category 4 storm that hit our area in August 2020.  A little more than four years after Hurricane Laura blew through Southwest Louisiana and we're looking at another one (Hurricane Francine).  This one yesterday showed coming directly for Jennings, LA, where we live.  With the latest update, it appears the storm is projected to hit somewhere around Morgan City at 7 PM tomorrow night.

For Hurricane prep, we always secure things in the yard and barn, make sure we have water and gasoline on hand, tie anything down that can blow and cause damage and prepare for power outages.  We're still preparing, but it looks like for now we are "outside the cone."  That's good news for us but bad news for whoever gets it.  One positive thing is that there is a strong ridge sitting right on the coast from a cool front.  Experts say that once the storm gets closer, wind shear will tear Hurricane Francine apart and she'll weaken in strength.  They project a category 1 storm with 90 mph sustained winds at landfall.

In Lake Charles, one monument still stood for four years as a testimony of the destructive force of Hurricane Laura.  I still call it the Calcasieu Marine Tower, but it changed to Hibernia Tower and I think most recently Capital One Tower.  Whatever its name, it had to come down.  It was an eyesore.  I was last in the building in 2017 when I had to go get a TWIC card for my job.  Other than the communication antennas on its roof, the building was empty.  Here is a photo I took of the building in July.  You can see all the windows that were blown out and had been patched with plywood.

Well, a demolition crew was hired and this past Saturday morning at 8 AM, the building was set to come down.  It was quite a sight.  You can click the arrow below and watch the demolition.  I came down perfectly.

That building was the skyline of Lake Charles, sitting right on the lake beside the Civic Center.  With it gone, it looks totally different.  As I understand, there are plans to revitalize the downtown area.  Hurricanes are a display of the might and destruction of nature.  We hope to not see anything like Hurricane Laura ever again!

Pistol Bridge

The Calcasieu River Bridge is often talked about as the "scariest" bridge in Louisiana.  Our state, because it has a lot of water, has lots of bridges.  This bridge goes over the Calcasieu River in Lake Charles is in need of replacement.  It was built in 1952 and has exceeded it's lifespan.  I drive over the bridge almost everyday.  There is no shoulder, it is steep, and you can count on someone's vehicle breaking down 7on the bridge and causing traffic delays.

Those delays will put you and your vehicle at a standstill while you wait for the wrecker to come clear the vehicle off of the roadway.  While you are waiting, there's plenty to look at.  I'm told that when this bridge was built, the builders were interested in more than simply moving the traveler over the water.  They wanted the bridge to be pretty and have a distinctive artistic flair.  

While I was in a traffic jam the other day, I had the opportunity to look at this "artistic flair" up close and personal.  The Calcasieu River Bridge in Lake Charles has crossed flintlock derringer pistols.  These are the types of pistols that pirates used.  Pirate Jean Lafitte sailed around this area.  Supposedly there is gold hidden in one of the many bayous.  There are 5,286 pair of these pistols on the bridge.

There's probably not that many anymore, though.  Numerous vehicles have hit the railing, knocking the pistols off of the bridge and into the water far below.

From what I understand, they are trying to raise money to replace the bridge (before it falls into the water far below as well.)  As I was looking at the pistols on the bridge, I was thinking that it would be neat to have a pair as a souvenir.  When the bridge is finally torn down and replaced, I'm thinking that perhaps they could auction off some of the pistols to locals who would want a nice conversation piece to frame and hang over the mantel.

A Bridge Too Far

I'm going to start off with great news (to me at least).  The time change we experienced on Sunday has made the days longer.  When I get home now the sun is still shining and it gives me an opportunity to get outside and get a few things done.  The weather is starting to get nice and it just feels good.

Here's the bad news and I don't mean to complain.  The commute is somewhere on the continuum between intolerable and mind-numbing.  Road construction on the I-210 bridge has pushed almost everyone to travel on I-10.  I've discovered some back roads that take me on a long and meandering circuitous route through the country to get home.  It is almost twice the miles, but less time than stuck in traffic.  A 40 mile commute that, prior to construction, took me 42 minutes, now routinely takes 1 hour and 45 minutes to two hours.  Enough of the belly-aching...

Every once in a blue moon, I'll take I-10 just to see if things have gotten better... and quickly find - it has not.  One big, fat parking lot heading eastbound until you get to the top of the bridge.  Here is a big positive, though.  I've gotten to look at the details on the bridge up close and personal.

The Lake Charles I-10 Bridge spans the Calcasieu River as it flows into Lake Charles.  It has a really interesting feature.  Its railings are accented by 5,286 pairs of dueling pistols like buccaneers carried.  Now 50-60 pair are lost or missing due to accidents, but they still look nice and give the bridge some charm.  I read that originally the railings bordered what was a pedestrian path, but the bridge was closed to pedestrian traffic when the bridge became part of the I-10 system.

Image Credit

The bridge was opened in 1952 and the dueling pistols pay homage to the area's pirate history and legends of Jean Lafitte.  It is said that the infamous pirate has chests of doubloons buried among local bayous.  I spend my lunch breaks scouring the banks of Contraband Bayou searching for retirement income.  No success in locating treasure yet, but I'll keep you posted.  Of course I jest.

While the bridge is rich in history, lore, and charm, it is poor in other areas.  According to THIS LINK

The state of Louisiana has rated this bridge at 2.4 on the National Bridge
Inventory Rating Scale of 0 to 9 with 0 being "Failed Condition". Therating of 2.4 on the Calcasieu River Bridge classes this bridge at or near"Critical Condition".

Yikes!

Perhaps I should stick to my long, meandering "country" route home!  I mean looking at dueling pistols adorning the railing is nice, but plummeting to my death on my commute home isn't on my bucket list.

Whistling Past the Graveyard

2017 District Livestock Show - Lake Charles

The morning following the Rodeo that we posted about HERE we woke up and loaded Clarabelle into the trailer and took off for Lake Charles.  It is about 41 miles to the Burton Coliseum from where we live.  Check in times for the animals was 8 a.m. until noon.  We arrived and showed the health papers and got settled on the Jeff Davis Dairy Exhibit aisle.  We met up with friends and visited.

Then it was time to get Clarabelle cleaned up for the show tomorrow.  Fortunately it wasn't as cold as in previous years, but it wasn't warm either.  As Benjamin sprayed her down with water at the wash rack, steam rose from her back.  She was shaking.

He soaped her down and then sprayed more water on her.  She didn't like it much and jumped around.

A little soap, a little scrubbing with a brush and she was clean as a whistle.

It was a beautiful day outside the barn and Benjamin found some clover for Clarabelle to munch on. Then it was time to give her fresh water and hay for the night and we headed back for home.  The show starts at 8 a.m. Saturday morning.

Benjamin showed his heifer, Clarabelle in the Burton Coliseum and the judge liked her.  Benjamin got a nice rosette ribbon.

He showed in his Jersey class and then in Showmanship.

It was a full morning of showing livestock.

They didn't release us until after the rodeo began at 8 p.m. that night, so it made for a long day.  But we visited with each other and ate BBQ burgers and then made the long drive home once we were released.

This weekend is the State Livestock Show in Gonzales, Louisiana at the Lamar-Dixon Expo Center and Benjamin will be bringing Clarabelle.  I remember livestock shows when I was a boy and have many good memories of time with friends and my animals.  I'm glad that Benjamin is able to do the same and make some lasting memories.

Southwest District Livestock Show and Rodeo - 2017

Now that the Jefferson Davis Parish Livestock Show is over, it's that time of year for the Southwest District (Louisiana) Livestock Show and Rodeo held in Lake Charles, Louisiana.  The animals had to be in the barn by noon on Friday, but on Thursday night is one of the first nights of the rodeo where all exhibitors get a free ticket.  We never miss it.  Tricia, Benjamin and I attended.

We always enjoy the rodeo, I guess mainly for the fact that it is good, wholesome, family entertainment.  It begins with a prayer and is followed by the Star Spangled Banner.  There is a moving tribute to our veterans and those who sacrifice in order to preserve our freedom.

The emcee on horseback gets everyone involved as he rides around the arena, welcoming folks to the greatest show on dirt.  Then bareback gets underway as cowboys attempt to ride the bucking horse for 8 seconds.  What a rough ride!

Then team roping where one cowboy attempts to rope the calf's head and the other tries to get the rope around the calf's back legs.  That must take lots of practice.  If they got it or not, the crowd sent them out with a good handclap.

Then there is a fun event where 4-Hers take part in the Calf Scramble.  The officials take a rope and make a big square in the arena.  Calves are set free and a number of 4-Hers with halters run after the calves and attempt to put the halter around their necks.

The first three youth to pull the calves they caught into the square win $1,000 to go toward the purchase of an animal that they will show in next year's livestock show. The kids give it their all and it is quite entertaining to see them catch an animal and pull it into the square or be pulled around the arena by the calf.

Then there's the calf-roping event where a cowboy must rope a calf, jump down off his horse, run to the calf, throw it down and tie up three of its legs.  The one who does this in the least amount of time wins.

Of course there is barrel racing, but the most fun is the buddy barrel event where one barrel is set up at the end of the arena and a cowboy on a horse comes racing as fast as possible toward the barrel.  Another cowboy or cowgirl is mounted on top of the barrel and as soon as the horse turns, the one atop the barrel jumps onto the horse as they race back for the lowest time.  Sometimes the jumper falls off the horse - sometimes both fall off the horse.

Finally comes the last event - Bull Riding.  Tricia watched and commented that she felt sorry for all the cowboy's mommas that had to worry about their boys riding a crazy bucking animal.  Sometimes the cowboys were able to ride for a full 8 seconds...

Sometimes, however, they ended up in a crumpled pile on the arena floor as the huge bull angrily chased the bull fighters.

As soon as the swinging gate opens, it's on.  The bull is slinging spit, dust is flying and the rider is hanging on with everything he's got.  The bull is trying with everything he's got to get the cowboy off his back.  This is not for the faint of heart. Cowboys are pretty brave, though, and they are chasing a monetary pay-off for trying to ride this wild beast.

Not only would I not want to try to ride them, but I wouldn't want to be a bull fighter.  Look below as this bull fighter is chased by the bull to the fence.

Nope, nope, nope.  Ain't no way I'd do that.  It was thrilling watching someone else do it, though. Tomorrow the animals have to be in the barn by noon, followed by the show on Saturday morning. We'll show you some of the sights of the days in tomorrow's post.