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| I had a job in the great north woods Working as a cook for a spell But I never did like it all that much And one day the ax just fell. So I drifted down to New Orleans Where I happened to be employed Workin' for a while on a fishin' boat Right outside of Delacroix. But all the while I was alone The past was close behind, I seen a lot of women But she never escaped my mind, and I just grew Tangled up in blue. (Bob Dylan, you knew that.) |
| When a writer wants to create a certain mood, maybe exotic is the word that fits, he chooses Louisiana. You say "Louisiana" and pictures of dark bayous, our bit of Europe, the French Quarter, and the Creole Culture are some visions that come to mind. Dylan knew. I've been to the Quarter, I absorb the Creole Culture and I live on a bayou, but I didn't know Delacroix. |
| Delacroix |
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| Another visit to the Lake Pontchartrain area would set me up to cross the outlet of the lake, called the Rigolets. (ri-go-leez) The bridge is so narrow it is posted at 25mph and obeyed. Yes, that's US 90. The bridge was built for Model A's. |
| Rigolets |
| It's a long one. The movable part is at right. It is what you see way down there in the above picture. I didn't check out the mechanism. Gotta go back. Immediately after you get on the New Orleans side of the bridge, you will see Fort Pike. Fort Pike could take up pages. It does, other's pages and I will direct you there at the end of the article. It is a wonderful place to spend exploring. Below is a shot I got with the camera lens positioned between the hurricane fence wires. A Hurricane Fence does not stop a hurricane. It lets it through and remains standing. I don't know what y'all call it? |
| You know I like bridges, but not very high ones that I have to go over. This is a high one. I had to go over it. The wind blew. It was gusting. Visions of being lifted over the railing passed as I gripped the handlebars squeezing them flat. Enough drama? It is over the Intracoastal Waterway between East New Orleans and Chalmette. This is I-500 which goes south form US 90 and turns into La. 47. Take a left or south on La. 46 and head out of Chalmette. The Battle of New Orleans was fought here. The battlefield and museum are located to the right or north off La. 46. But, we are going to Delacroix. No more distractions. |
| Louisiana is about to pull another one on you. The boats below are above you. The river, even at its low stage, now, floats these big boats above the base of the levee, above the tracks, and above me. The levee is just dirt and concrete. I'm not even going into the possiblities. |
| Hang in there, we're getting close. Wonder if Bob's working on Sunday? Gotta "keep on keepin on", ya know. |
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