Swinging gently in the breeze

  Hammock.  That's it.  Says it all

Right?

Swamp life

Swamp: bog, fen, mire, morass, quagmire. Mottled and unkempt, it has a place in our mind that conjures up evil, disease, and danger. But on our tour of the Barataria Preserve (Marrero) of the Jean Lafitte National Historical Park, we found a lot of beauty and alot of things you just wanted to know more about. Cypress trees were plentiful here, but a few hundred yards down the walkway, marsh grasses became dominant. This was one of my favorite spots -- a clearing in the leaf-covered shade-darkened water. Surprise, the water was as clear as you have ever seen.

There is order, and a natural cleansing here. Nature gets her way here.

-- steve

Rooted in history

This old Live Oak tree in City Park in New Orleans lays out its wrinkles and age spots -- it's a form of character that seems to invite young kids to climb on. I'm supposing that it is over 100 years old.-- meaning it has seen a lot of the history of New Orleans pass in front of it. Probably most of the leaders in this community climbed on it as children or on one of its neighbors.

--steve buser