"Whatever story you're telling in Louisiana, the landscape is going to become a character in it." ~ Nic Pizzolatto
Jean Lafitte and his best friend, Gator.
My current book project with Angela Porter is set in the little village of Jean Lafitte, Louisiana. If you consult a map, it sits southwest from downtown New Orleans in Jefferson Parish. Nestled in the Barataria Preserve, it is full of stories of the pirate Jean Lafitte.
Angela once taught at the elementary school and has wonderful memories. Several weeks ago, she suggested we take a swamp tour to aid in my illustrations as book two in her series is full of the swampland in Jean Lafitte.
Naturally I agreed, and she made our reservations for this past Saturday. Myself, Angela and one of my best friends, Clarissa, hit the road entirely too early for our 10 a.m. tour. No matter, it was the perfect fall day, and the perfect time for a pontoon ride in Louisiana. You do not want to go during the summer months if you have issues with the heat. (Who doesn’t??)
On this day, there was a cool breeze, and it was like floating into another world. Actually, it is. It is the place of rich culture, great food, stories and hidden treasure. And yeah, a few gators too.
The captain of our pontoon grew up in the bayous of Jean Lafitte. His family owns quite a bit of land and knows the landscape, water and critters like the back of his hand. He was able to point out a few of the gators living in the area. He knew their ages, where they typically rest, what fights they have been in and with what gator, and on and on.
We saw several types of birds that live in the marshes, a couple of snakes, turtles and a glorious bald eagle nest high in a cypress tree. Guys, it was magnificent! The size will take you by surprise. A typical bald eagle nest is around 4 to 6 feet wide and 3 feet deep.
The enchantment of the vegetation was also a real highlight. Floating all around were clumps of greenery with beautiful flowers. I immediately thought they were lotus flowers, but our guide shared that they are wild orchids. They grow and spread floating in the water. No dirt or potting soil needed.
The tour lasted 90 minutes and I encourage anyone that visits the area to take a swamp tour. The whole time I was singing the old hymn, “For the Beauty of the Earth” in my head.
The Creator gave us a planet full of such beauty and life. How do we forget to go outside each day, look around and soak in the living art that is in every glance?
Jean Lafitte had a great eye for beautiful spaces. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to experience his wonderland of gators, turtles, and floating orchids.
Now if I could just find his buried treasures!
Sounds wonderful!
We took a swamp tour the last time we were in Louisiana. It was great and so interesting !! Glad you had this experience !!
How awesome to experience one of Mother Earth’s gifts. It sounds amazing!