From NOLA

It's downright hot here! Didn't bring the right clothes, though I did check the weather before leaving home. Took the girls to Dollar General and found a short sleeved tee shirt with a funny looking snail on it saying "Bad Gary" I asked them what that meant and was told he's a Sponge Bob character... who does bad things. Sounded good to me, then rummaged in my son's dresser for a pair of stretchy gym shorts that might fit and I was properly outfitted for our adventure of the day.

Son and his girls have good bikes and the nearby Miss River levee has a great bike trail which will eventually go all the way around Lake Ponchatrain... the part near us is part gravel and part asphalt... not bad riding in either case. We packed a lunch and the three of us took off. I haven't been on a bike since this same son rode behind me in a baby seat (the girls enjoyed this tid-bit.) Should have taken the time to lower the seat (he's got another 4" on me) but once in place, I quickly remembered all I needed to know... except that the brakes are activated by the hands, not the feet... but relearned that quickly without too much embarrassment.

The levee is only three short blocks from the house... we were soon pushing our bikes up the grassy slope to the trail along the ridge. Wondered if the girls knew what the riverside of the levee is called... they didn't... I once titled a painting Batture , which is the painting shown here. We had lunch at a rest stop complete with bike rack and a view of the river... sometimes you can't see the river for all the trees that grow along the batture so this was a treat. Continued our ride as far as the Luling Bridge... the Hale Boggs bridge is the official name... one of the most beautiful bridges you'll ever see. Had to depend on a disposable camera since I left mine at home and couldn't locate my son's memory stick for his.

Couldn't believe the girls had not been introduced to peeling raw shrimp... well, they have now! They're good at peeling boiled crawfish, but raw shrimp sort of grossed them out. Cajun shrimp pasta! It was yum!

Today we visit the gallery and will take a side drive toward the lake to see what Katrina has wrought. I dread it but it must be done... it couldn't be any worse than the drive through East New Orleans as I came in. Heartbreaking... unbelievably heartbreaking.