Behind The Levee

Some time ago I googled "birding Baton Rouge" and found a place about 20 minutes from my house behind the levee. The write-up said this was private property, a working sand and silt pit, but that the owners were fine with birders as long as permission was obtained. So I emailed the Baton Rouge Audubon Society for the contact information of the property owner and finally called him on Sunday. Turns out he is my 3rd or 4th cousin on my mother's side! He was very nice (of course!) and said to explore to my heart's content. So I did!

One of my first shots was a yellow-billed cuckoo! According to allaboutbirds.org, this is a very secretive bird.
Most people only hear them, so I was elated to get this one and only image.
They eat large insects and some berries and seeds.
They work a caterpillar back and forth between the bill, possibly to remove hairs, before swallowing.
They develop very quickly—17 days from egg laying until fledging.
Both parents build the nest, incubate the eggs, and brood equally during the day. The male takes the night shift.
These birds like open woodlands with clearings, and dense, scrubby vegetation near water.
Listed as endangered in California where development is disrupting the areas in which it likes to live.

A pair of eastern bluebirds

Crimson clover

Red-winged blackbird, female

Great egret

Top of levee

Behind the levee

Peek-a-boo view

At Odds

I had a very long post written, but decided not to bore you all with the details, so here is the condensed version: Once again I am at odds with the Catholic Church. It all came to a head last week when the parish priest informed us that we could not be accepted into the church until our prior marriages were investigated and annulled. Not willing to open old wounds, fill out paperwork that amounted to an IRS audit, and a $500 administrative fee, we walked out of the cathedral office with me in tears. But not before Double D had some choice words for Fr. Paul about the church being filled with pharisees. I wish he hadn't said that. I'm just sick over the whole mess. Sick I tell ya!

After the meeting, and still in a daze, I took off in my car driving up and down River Road. As I drove along I noticed beautiful pastures filled with yellow wildflowers. The earth really does laugh in flowers, and God's creation still brings me great joy. This was like a postcard from God, reminding me that His world is still a beautiful place despite my feelings of rejection and disappointment with the church.

This blurred frame is compliments of Steve Rich.
Thank you, Evelyn, for the link so many months ago.

The Catholic Church may find our 22 year marriage unworthy, but we know better, and we thank God that His mercies are new every morning. (By the way, I still love my Catholic brothers and sisters, and have talked to many who feel that the church's requirements are completely over the top, including Sister Cynthia!) Sorry if I've offended or made anyone feel uncomfortable. Sometimes I just need to vent.

Lamentations 3:22-23

Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed

for his compassions never fail.

They are new every morning;

great is your faithfulness.

The Cottage

Happy Halloween, y'all! Are you ready to be spooked?

An old sugar plantation, The Cottage, now lies in ruins along the River Road, just six miles south of Baton Rouge. The plantation burned to the ground when it was struck by lightning in 1960. Frances Parkinson Keyes, the author, lived there for a time.

As with most Louisiana plantations, this one is allegedly haunted. According to legend, one of the spirits is Angus Holt, who had taken care of the family that lived there during the 1800s. After the Civil War he returned to find the family scattered or dead and took it upon himself to care for the property until his death in 1880. His apparition has been seen walking the halls since that time.

At some point, the steamboat Princess exploded on the Mississippi River as it headed towards New Orleans in the 1800s. Seventy people were killed instantly and more than 100 swam to shore, ending up on the lawn of The Cottage. White sheets covered in flour were brought out to help care for the burn victims, yet they all perished. To this day it is said that white powder can still be seen rising into the air on any given evening, as well as bloody sheets.

I could not get too close because large, bold signs warned of jail and prosecution.
At my age, this is just not an option, so I respected the signs. :)

Thank goodness for the zoom lens. Focused on the foreground to get a little blur in the background.

This vintage "hand tinted" processing is from a free tutorial given by Georgianna Lane. Of course her stuff puts my effort to shame. 
It's one of the easiest tutorials using masks that I've seen yet. You really should check it out.

Original of above shot

Focusing on the tree limbs in the foreground again. I think I detect a slight haze. Hmmmm....

Wishing everyone a safe, candy-filled evening! I will be spending it with my cousin, his kidlets, and a big bowl of gumbo. Boo!

Edit: Below are postcards of what the plantation looked like, which might help answer questions about the columns.

Photo credit

Photo credit