Down on the Bayou.

View from the back yard. Yes there are Alligators! 

Southern style feast...fresh fish, yellow rice, cole slaw and corn muffin.

Trying to keep it light...Tom with his "Country Tuxedo on", you, might call them coverall's!

The whole gang!!

We ended our stay at Tom and Sandy's today, man was it tough leaving...these are friends of 30 years you can go 10 years without seeing and in 5 minutes be back in sync. We spent 2 days on what I will call, "Tom's Compound". Yes compound...Tom's house is situated on the Bayou, totally fenced with every device known to man for survival, his 2 daughters live on the same street, but basically live at his house...these 2 young women have 5 children...so...5 adults (including Chester), 5 children and 5 dogs. This place is beautiful...just a few short years ago the bottom half of his house was underwater from Hurricane Katrina, the stories they tell are frightening. But, in regular Tom fashion, he not only rebuilt, but even improved his property. My friend Tom and his family are the type of people that built this country. We make a strange pair, this southern conservative from the Bible belt and a northern liberal hippy with Buddhist tendency's...boy do we have some interesting philosophical conversations. And the best part of this is, in very un new millennium fashion, we can agree to disagree and remain fast friends. Thanks Tom and Sandy for the years of friendship... the southern hospitality was warm, the food was fabulous and being with you again terrific.  Ciao for now...give everyone a big hug from us.