The Rural Life

The St. Gabriel, LA area (actually Sunshine) is where my maternal grandparents lived and where I spent many of my formative years. It's located about 15 miles south of Baton Rouge. Whenever I'm feeling lonely or melancholy, I often take long drives there, sometimes remembering days of my youth, or simply to clear my head.

Below are photos from one of my drives on 3/31/13. First stop is usually St. Gabriel Cemetery to visit my mom, sister, and grandparents.

I took two different versions of this statue and couldn't decide which one to post.
So you get both. :)

Following along River Road I make frequent stops. As I'm driving, the levee is on the driver's side, and opposite are homes and pastures. Since Hurricane Katrina, Baton Rouge has become a little too crowded, and with the increase in crime, many are building very nice homes in rural areas such as St. Gabriel; however, I prefer the more rural structures. The unassuming, unpretentious life is how I was raised, and I hope that never changes.

I so wanted to get on the other side of this barn, but I was relegated to one view.

An enormous ditch and a barbed wire fence kept me from crossing over to get more shots.

As a youngster I ate meat from my grandparents' cattle and vegetables from their garden.
Maybe that's why I was so healthy.

Levee with an unusually large patch of grass below.

A unique live oak tree that looks like it's been knocked down by a hurricane or two.
Despite its challenges, it's still growing and thriving. Kind of like me!

I have updated my About Me page; the last paragraph in particular. Check it out if you have time.