This past Sunday was what I think of as a typical Louisiana Sunday. The day started off with an early lunch at Middendorf’s, a seafood restaurant and local institution that opened in 1934. Broiled catfish, shrimp, and oysters, and the best coleslaw I have ever eaten. “No crawfish,” the waitress sadly announced, as the BP oil spill has caused such a price increase that the restaurant can’t afford them. That brief mention of the oil spill led to an hour long discussion of what could have and should have been done to prevent it, to fix it, and what the consequences will be for this magical area.
From there, to the river. I love being on the river. Which river do you ask? The Natalbany, near Springfield, Louisiana. There is nothing quite as magical as the still dark water that looks like glass, the blue cloudless sky, and the tall green trees that seemingly grow out of the water. While this past Sunday wasn’t my first day on the river, every day on the river feels like the first. And Sunday indeed had a few “firsts”. I saw my first live alligator, head above the water, not even afraid of a boatful of people. I saw my first dead alligator too, white belly up floating in the river. And I tried wakeboarding for the first time. Not a pretty sight, but I got over my fear of trying new things that I am not good at. No one laughed. And I did get up for a few seconds. My forearms are still sore, actually!
In my boat bag: big black sunglasses, Jurlique sunscreen to protect my skin, my Diode 1+2 age defying serums to layer under and over the sunscreen, and Aveda Smooth Infusion StylePrep smoother to get tangles out of my hair.
And to end this perfect Sunday, after the ride back to New Orleans, a new episode of Treme. Nothing like watching that show just two blocks away from the neighborhood it is named after.
I love Sundays in DC. But I really love Sundays in Louisiana!
