Pelican Picture Posing

The Pelican is the Louisiana state bird. You would think they would appreciate such an official designation, but actually all they think about all day is fish, catching and eating fish. I suppose that's all they need to think about, until they run into some sort of oil slick.
 
Taking a picture of a pelican that has been rescued by a local animal welfare group, Clearwater Sanctuary, is an interesting challenge, especially when you have special guests coming in to pose with the pelican.

So here are a few photographs of the pelican posing with some of his friends. Getting him to smile was not easy.

Click on the images to make them bigger. 

Carlton Dufrechou,  Nancy Torcson and Diane Winston

See also:

Clearwater Sanctuary

Facebook Page

 

Lucille Gomez Talks About Talent

In this Talent Bank column, Lucille Gomez talks about discovering, developing and disciplining talent. Click on the image to make it larger. 

     One of the key factors to developing talent is something that most people don't want to think about. Discovering one's talent, developing that talent and putting it to good use takes one character quality that is sometimes in short suppply, and that is patience. It takes patience to envision, plan and execute any worthwhile creative project. 

     Lucille Gomez, a well-known person in the local crafts circles, said that helping people have the patience to finish crafts projects is one of the main goals in her classes. She is currently teaching folk art, painting detailed "country" pictures on decorative wooden items.

     While it doesn't take a lot of talent to do folk art, it does take patience, she said. "Most people look at this and say, my gosh, I could never do that," she remarked. "But if people like what they are doing enough, they'll have the patience to try it and finish it."

     Once her students discover that they can accomplish producing an attractive work of folk art, they learn to have a little more patience while they are doing it. "I've seen people who say they have no patience sit down and begin to enjoy what they are doing, and that gives them the patience they need to finish it," she explained. 

     The pride of finishing something nice helps develop the craft student's patience needed to get it done. The three keys are, first, convince them they can do it, second convince them it will really be worth doing, and third, provoke enough patience at the beginning to get the project started. 

     Lucille said the patience needed to complete anything comes from the interest, the enjoyment, and the desire to creatively produce something of artistic value. Someone not interested in life and the creative expression of it will naturally not have the desire or the patience to finish works of craft art.

Artwalk Musicians 1997

Certainly a key component of the success of every "Artwalk" through Covington, the coordinated exhibit openings of many of the downtown galleries, is the many musicians that provide the entertainment. Over the years, scores of local musicians have provided the musical background for the evening event, either as soloists or as part of a band. 

In 1997, some twenty one years ago, a variety of musicians turned out for one of downtown Covington's "Artwalks" and coordinated gallery openings. Here are some photos. Click on the images to make them larger.

 

 

 

 

Farmers Market Harvest

Farm fresh produce is the key to good health. That's what my father believed, and that's probably why he bought 11 acres in Talisheek and planned to grow organic vegetables and sell them down in Slidell at his shop on Fremaux Blvd. That didn't work out quite as well as he had hoped, but nowadays, there are a lot of farmers in St. Tammany and Washington Parishes doing just that.

On any day of the week, but primarily on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays, you can find farm fresh produce being sold by local farmers, some organic, that bring their harvests in to the several local farmers markets for folks to purchase and pick up. 

Some have even set up programs where members join ahead of time and share the harvest as it comes in later in the season. That helps the farmer plan ahead and spread out his costs of growing the produce.

Stoney Point Farm is one of those places, and they distribute out of the Abita Springs Pavilion Art and Farmers Market on Sunday afternoon. I talked to the owner Tim Roper earlier today about the community-supported agriculture program, and he said demand is growing so more produce is being planted and more members are being sought to take part in the future harvest. 

My mother's family were dairy farmers up near Stoney Point, so I am pretty familiar with that part of Washington Parish just west of Franklinton. It offers some nice scenery and great growing areas, as the nurseries of north St. Tammany testify. I even visited a bamboo farm up there one time, and you would be amazed at the different kinds and styles of bamboo. 

Here are a few pictures of the Stoney Point Farm folks setting up their display at the Abita Springs Farmers Market near the historic pavilion. Click on the images to make them larger. For more information visit https://www.facebook.com/stoneypointfarm/ or call them at 504-717-3812.

 

 

See also:

Abita Springs Pavilion Farmers' Market

Covington Farmers Market

Mandeville Farmers Market

1915 Overview of Parish Resources

In the April 10, 1915, issue of the St. Tammany Farmer, Dr.  W. L. Stevenson gave a personal review of the potential of St. Tammany Parish, particularly in the Covington and Claiborne Hill areas.

He urged continued community improvement, more attention to and advertising of the new food canning facility, and, most of all, a freshening up of the several sanitoriums that treated the sick and diseased who came to St. Tammany, but at the time kept them separated from the healthy population.

He was one of the many outspoken area residents who thought that advertising and promoting the quality of life in St. Tammany would help it progress and prosper. 

 Click on the image below to enlarge it for easier reading. 

PRIDE Right Choice Awards

In the early 1990's, more than 20 years ago, the community organization known as PRIDE (Parents Resource Institute for Drug Education) held a gala awards presentation called the "Right Choice" awards. Numerous school groups were recognized for their anti-drug abuse clubs

Here are some photographs of that event. Click on the images to make them larger. 

 

100 years ago this week

 What was going on 100 years ago this week?

CLICK HERE for a link to the St. Tammany Farmer edition of February 23, 1918. The link is provided by the Library of Congress and its Chronicling America service.

Click on the images below to see larger versions.

Lake Chrysler Dodge Staff 1980

Around 1980, this was the sales staff of Lake Chrysler Dodge on Columbia Street in Covington, and the second picture shows the location of the business. Click on the images to make them larger. 

 

Tammany Trotters Pony Club

Thirty three years ago in 1985, a growing number of young people in St. Tammany turned their attention to the pleasures and responsibilities of caring for and riding horses. The parish had long been known for its excellent horse breeding and training facilities, but as the young folks began to realize the joy and opportunities of living in a rural area where keeping and riding horses was possible, the learning of essential horseback skills was becoming important. Some of the new area subdivisions even had "stables" for the convenience of the residents in the development.

And thus was born the Tammany Trotters pony club, one of many youth-oriented horse organizations that helped provide training for horse lovers and their animals. Click on the images to see a larger version.

Here is an article about the club which was part of my "Talent Bank" column, not only because it takes a certain amount of talent and discipline to ride horses, but also a definite skillset is required for the proper care, feeding, and grooming of horses in-between the riding sessions. 

Mandeville Lakefront Saturated

It was a bright and sunny day with a strong wind out of the southeast. Only a few hardy souls braved the cool breezes on the jogging trail and swingsets along the Mandeville lakefront. Click on the saturated color images to make them larger.