DCI

DCI stands for Dixon Correctional Institute, a medium-security prison facility located in Jackson, LA. You might recall from an earlier post that Jackson is where my friend and I opened up a flea market booth called Bayou Belles. Anyway, since Dixon is my last name, I wanted to get some photos of the place. For a prison, it's really pretty!

Along the road are signs that say DO NOT PICK UP HITCHHIKERS. PRISON AREA. Nowhere are signs saying NO PHOTOGRAPHS.

So one beautiful day on my way to Bayou Belles' booth, I tried to take pictures with my iPhone through my windshield. It is a pretty drive and I wanted to share that with you all. (Sorry for the crack in my windshield and bug guts, but if you live in Louisiana, you're going to have that. It's a given).

The road is curvy and I was having trouble driving straight and getting a decent pic, so I pulled off on the side of the road to photograph a huge pasture of cows across from DCI. There was also a nice gate and I was thinking that I could finally link up with TexWisGirl's Good Fences meme. Yay me!

I was in perfect bliss with my phone when suddenly I was startled by a man yelling. "YOU CAIN'T BE TAKIN' NO PICTURES 'ROUND HERE!!! THIS BE A PRISON AREA."

Ooops. :) Photography is always getting me in trouble. At least I haven't been thrown in jail. YET! I made my apologies and skedaddled, praying he wouldn't follow me.

Click the icon to see

fences around the world!

Tiptoe Through the Tulips

These are the last of the images from Afton Villa Gardens around the end of March. I debated heavily whether to post the little girls, so I made a compromise that only the ones where they are not facing the camera directly would be allowed on this post.

A little plug here:
My Etsy store is open for business! I am helping my dad sell his enormous collection of Indian artifacts. These are relics he has found and also purchased over the last 25 years. All are authentic to the best of his knowledge. Some of the arrowheads he fashioned into necklaces. As my dad goes through his collection I am photographing and adding them to the store.

If you're on Etsy I'd love it if you'd follow me and favorite at least one item in my store. I'll be happy to reciprocate. Not sure if there is a market for this kind of stuff, but I guess I'll find out! Thank y'all so much for all your support!

CLICK HERE FOR LINK

Birthday Paddle

The month of May is crazy for the Dixon household. Double D's birthday falls during the first week of May; mine is the next week; and Mother's Day comes somewhere before, after, or ON my birthday. While Double D wanted to kick up his heels in The Quarter for his big day, I was perfectly content to paddle on Lake Martin for my birthday. The highlights for me were the Black-crowned Night Heron and Barn Swallows.

Before kayaking, however, I had to have some nutrition! My grandparents' used to love Pat's Fisherman's Wharf in Henderson, LA. Thankfully, it was on the way to the lake. I had not been there since I was a child, and I'm happy to report that it hasn't changed a bit. The food was as wonderful as I remembered. We got there way past lunch time, so that's why there aren't a lot of people. Just the way I like it.

You can see from my expanding mid-section that I ate every single bite of my shrimp platter.
I was then presented with this delicious, SINFUL slice of doberge cake and serenaded by our waitress.
We pronounce the cake DOUGH-bahj. Some say DOUGH-bearj.
Here is a more thorough history and a recipe of the famous cake.

I made fast friends with Emilean, our waitress. We Facebooked each other right then and there!
She made my day extra special. Not only did she give me extra shrimp AND a piece of cake,
she shared a personal experience that helped me tremendously concerning panic attacks.
It was one of those God-things, y'all.

Now, on to the show!

Water Hyacinth

Double D paving the way.

I learned that when gators are resting with their mouths open, they are cooling off since they
don't have sweat glands. Whew, good to know!

Black-crowned Night Heron

DD was after the Prothonotary Warbler and the Northern Parula

Prothonotary Warbler

So, that was my big day!

Thank you, Anni for hosting

Click the link for more birds around the world!

The State of Louisiana...Belle

Warm greetings from Cajun Country! I'm as happy as a tick on a fat dog. :) Seriously though, I am incredibly thankful for the prayers God has answered after spending 2 years wandering around in the desert. My daughter and I both agree that this is our year, and we are going to enjoy and savor every moment. Here's the "State of Me" bullet points.

• Helping plan my daughter's wedding, though she's so organized, she doesn't need any help. Still, it's fun talking about it with her.
• Making new friends and reconnecting with old ones. (Many, MANY prayers sent up about this issue, as I tend to close myself off when depressed.)
• Displaying my photography in different venues.
• Participating in workshops and photography classes.
• Starting a small vegetable garden.

And the big one...........drum roll..............................

• Opening a booth at a flea market with my friend, B! 

B came up with our name: Bayou Belles. B has been a godsend. She's full of GREAT ideas and we work extremely well together. We have a logo, a Facebook page and a blog!

My cup runneth over. I am so energized every day with all the things I want to do, and there are not enough hours to get it done.

Okay, enough of this chit-chat.

Glimpse into Bayou Belles' space.

A new shrub for my garden: Indigofera

Indigofera with St. Francis statue in background.

Another new shrub: Angel's Earrings.

Planted next to my angel statue. :)

The heart-shaped leaves behind the bird ornament is called Moonflower.

It is vining quickly around my palm tree. I hope to attract hummingbird moths with it.

Bell peppers! Well, a single bell pepper, but the blooms promise many more!

Cherry tomatoes!!

Cucumbers!!

Female House Finch visiting the new feeder.

Linking with

Thanks, Anni!

Muddy Waters

It's not very often I have a chance to photograph the Barn Swallow. They usually hang around marinas and piers, swooping over the waters at breakneck speeds, making it impossible to capture them with my camera. On May 14th, however, several stopped by a muddy area at Lake Martin, giving me ample opportunity for some shots. I assumed they were digging for insects.

More photos from this trip to follow. I hope everyone has a great week!

Anni, thank you for hosting: