New Orleans' Sauvage sky

Bayou Sauvage National Wildlife Refuge is the big sky wildlife area in New Orleans East. When I walked out on the board walk off of Highway 90, I found myself thinking "What a marvelous place to have a sunrise. This expanse of marsh and swamp is Madere Marsh of thethe 23,000-acre refuge. Bayou Sauvage was directly in the path of Hurricane Katrina and took a real pounding. But, nature heals itself and the beautiful greens are returning.

There were just a few birds out the day I stopped by. Three Great Egrets, some kind of duck that scooted off into the sky the moment I stepped on the boardwalk. I am not sure who was the most scared, him or me. What looked like it was a Tri-Colored Heron was off in the distance just sitting there soaking in the sun.

I had never really done a panorama but the scene filled my eyes with so much, I thought it just must be my calling for the day to capture this immense beauty.

The refuge has a couple of board walks to make it real easy to get views over the swamps and marshes. This board walk is on the right side of Hwy. 90 as you head out of New Orleans. The other, the River Ridge Trail which is little longer, one is on the left side of the highway. Both have offstreet parking and the River Ridge Trail has restrooms and cold drinking water. However, both are east to miss. When you see the brown National Wildlife Refuge sign, slow down, the River Ridge Trail is just a few hundred feet on the left (just past Folgers' plant on the right).

--steve buser