Rice Festival Time

From "Three Men in a Boat" by Jerome K Jerome (a dry humor British book if you're looking for a fun read in the line of Wodehouse):

"'.... you get the grocery catalogue, George, and somebody give me a bit of pencil, and then I"ll make out a list.' That's Harris all over - so ready to take the burden of everything himself, and put it on the backs of other people."

Harvest time!

We are harvested as far as the eye can see. It was an extremely dusty year for everyone. You can see the smoky-looking dust plumes from combines for miles. 

Harrison and Phillip have been throwing the baseball. 

I took pictures through the bedroom windows...

Phoebe and Ainsley went out on the town in Jeff City the other night.

This large monarch was hanging around. He was gorgeous! 

Though I couldn't capture a picture with his wings open.

A trip we've been planning for a while ~ Harrison and his friend Silas and I heading down to Louisiana to see my parents. The traditional McDonald's breakfast after getting all the way through St. Louis.

My dad is so great ~ he gets everything ready and sets it all up for whatever adventure we plan.

Our first day, we went to Rutherford beach. It's funny ~ when we told people we went to the beach, just about all of them said, "What'd you do? Did you go crabbin'?" 

Nope. 

We went to the beach and sat on it. The boys jumped in the waves and dug around in the sand. Just beach. We watched a lot of people fishing though.

We picked up some boudin from that good shop close by the beach. I ate a whole piece and brought home another for Phoebe. It's too spicy for my parents these days, but Phoebe and I like it spicy.

Speaking of Cajun food, one of my goals in Louisiana is to get all the Cajun food I can while I'm there. I had the boudin, Crawfish étouffée (at the festival), Jambalaya (festival), Turtle sauce piquante (homemade from a friend), my mom's Taco Pie (not Cajun, but soooo good), and a fried fish taco salad. We were too busy to have time to cook alligator, but I brought some home to cook at some point. I have to say that my stomach suffered for it! But it was only three days.... I can handle a stomach ache for a few days to eat some good food.

Back to the beach.

The next day we went to Gator Chateau and the boys held the baby alligators.

Silas was surprised how soft they felt.

Then the Rice Festival. This was actually the reason we went in October this year. I miss the Rice Festival! I don't think I've been since I was a kid. 

It showered for about 15 minutes at one point, but we were under an awning. The shower seemed to cool things down.

The boys rode rides. Harrison probably rode more than he wanted to and Silas rode fewer than he wanted to. But hopefully they both had a little bit of fun.

A Zydeco band was playing (washboards and accordion), but the shower sent them scurrying and then they didn't come back. I was so sad! I love all the music they have going on at the Festival. 

The parades are so active down there! And people were saying this one wasn't as good as usual. It could be that the threat of rain sent some entrants away. There are usually more bands, and this year there were only two bands, and we only saw one of them stop and play. 

There are lots of floats with the queen and runners-up for the Rice Festival and lots of other festivals around the area. A few tractors (we have many more tractors in our Vandalia parades!). And lots of floats from other businesses. I have no idea how they do it, but some of these floats are three levels high! My dad said some of the floats are made from old buses that they cut up and put risers in. Anyway, all these people are towering above you as they pass by and they throw things down on your head! Lots of candy, but also moon pies, beads, and other toys and cups. It's dangerous! :-) But fun.

And the music. They have sophisticated sound systems on these floats. I noticed none of them played country music. They play Cajun music or some kind of dance music. And the crowd responds. Lots of dancing and cheering and shouting. 

Uncle Gerald took us out for lunch after church on Sunday since it was my dad's birthday. To me, Uncle Gerald and my mom look the most alike of all the seven kids ~ they look their dad.

I also got to see my cousin Misty at church and my cousin Dana at her mom's house when we went visiting. The three of us are probably the closest in age of the girl cousins on my mom's side. Dana has a neat charcuterie business called Lagniappe Boards and Misty works with her husband doing physical therapy work.

After lunch on Sunday. 

I took a picture of my mom's photo of her parents when they were either just married or dating. Momo was married at 16. Look how adult they look!

The boys sitting around in the rocking chairs the night before we left.

It was jam packed and we were tired, but it was a very good time.

It's about a 13 hour drive. We're home now. 😴