baton rouge architecture

Every time I pass by this gigantic, mysterious old house in Baton Rouge's garden district, I think about what a great co-op it would make.

baton rouge weekend

Ah, weekends are such sweet nectar. This one began with a huge thunderstorm (as seem to occur just about daily in these parts). Thunder, lightning, downpour. A welcome excuse to stay in bed a little longer, watching and listening to the meteorological spectacle. Weather here is extremely local, and this particular storm seemed to pass directly through this neighborhood. Some oak branches fell, but no other damage was evident. I'm continually amazed that the the earth can generally absorb all the water that falls from the sky here.

The weather is extremely local both in space and time; an hour or two later, the storm had passed, and Baton Rouge was back to its steamy subtropical self (which so far is altogether agreeable). I met up with Kate for breakfast/lunch and what started as a bike ride around the block turned into a tour of this neighborhood and then the garden district, and then all the way to the capitol and spanishtown, me taking pictures of garden swings and houses that caught my fancy (some posted already). At the center of Spanishtown is the old Capitol Grocery, where I am seen above with a rootbeer.

swimming in the mississippi

I enjoyed this story: "Swimming across the Mississippi river" (Outside magazine, October 2007).

I wonder, how poisonous is that river? I put my toe into it last week, and am still here...

baton rouge picture tour

Here's a pretty house at the corner of Olive and Park in Baton Rouge's garden district. If you look closely, you'll notice the centerpiece plant on their porch table is a pineapple! It makes me want to grow one.