Crocodilus vs Agkistrodon Piscivorus

It’s quite a drive across the flat cotton field country into the swamp that is Louisiana. I’m not being cruel here, the majority of the lower part of Louisiana is a swamp. It’s got hilly bits you can live on but basically it’s a swamp. I know this because swamp tour guide/boat driver, Charlie, told me and as it’s a sin (sorry once again bible belt) for a tour guide to lie it must be so.

This is my way of saying we did the swamp tour, saw the “gators” and had the free geology lesson. When I say “gators” they were really “gatorettes” at least by Australian standards. We did see a six footer (1.8 metres) which would still be snack food for Australian “salties”. Finally we found something we have a bigger one of in Australia. That’s good syntax y’all. Thinks to self “I fit right in here”.

The alligators in the swamps down here are a bit like our freshwater crocodiles, that is to say they are not as aggressive as salt water crocodiles. Charlie says you can swim with them and the real risk is the water moccasin or cotton mouth snake (agkistrodon piscivorus), which are also found in the swamps down south. Since I don’t have gills or scales, of any significant size at least, I’ll leave the swimming with the afore-mentioned nasties to “Chuck and the kids”.

Les

Les

Cheap Louisiana Real Estate

Cheap Louisiana Real Estate

You Call That A Croc?

You Call That A Croc?

Jen

Jen (looking a little off colour).

Swamp.

Swamp.

Bird

Bird

Log Lizzard.

Log Lizzard.

Turtles.

Turtles.

Floating Fishing Shacks.

Floating Fishing Shacks.

NOLA

New Orleans LouisianA, the land  purchased by the US in 1803 from the French, while “on sale” for fifteen million dollars, invented Jazz the Jazz Funeral and has the mother of all Halloween parties. In fact the New Orleansians love parades and parties so much they rarely look “normal”.

Party Gnomios looking for Juliets. Good luck with that one.

Party Gnomios looking for Juliets. Good luck with that one.

And many others.

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Trivia for the day.

The residents of New Orleans built an earth mound in town so their children would understand the concept of “hill”.

New Orleans thought for the day.

If you are looking for a waterfall the swamp should be your last choice of locale.

 

If “The Ebola” doesn’t get you the lava flow might.

When we left sleepy Chattanooga Jen picked up a copy of the local paper which reported amongst other things that four people had been shot in the two days we had been there. Two a day, not a bad average. Next there’s a lava flow running down the street in Hawaii and people are being evacuated in case of a major volcanic eruption. Excellent, wouldn’t want to miss that on our way home.  Meanwhile the Ebola virus is constant news having “spread” from Texas to New York.

Currently we are in New Orleans, they haven’t had a multiple shooting as far as I am aware since the Mardi Gras weekend so we should be safe till Halloween when the next bunch of ‘nutters” sneaks out of the woodwork. Oh rats, it’s October 31 tomorrow HALLOWEEN.

Not to worry, we’re a day later than you here, so if there was a problem it was yesterday. Whew! That was a close one.

Luckily we survived tomorrow so we could send you some pictures today.

Cemetery Police

Cemetery Police

Tomb from Easy Rider.

Tomb from Easy Rider.

Halloween tonight and the gang is getting ready.

Halloween tonight and the gang is getting ready.

Even the almost live are getting ready.

Even the almost alive are getting ready.

The guys in the bar at nine thirty this morning are also getting ready.

The guys in the bar at nine thirty this morning are also getting ready.