A TRAIL MUCH LESS FOLLOWED
By Jim Foster
Leaving Caddo Lake, it appeared the tall pines of East Texas would obstruct the sun completely as they closed in from both sides of the highway. Rays of sun darted through the needles forming patterns on the highway.
Sipping hot coffee as I followed directions from my dashboard GPS leading me east away from Texas’ only natural lake. A brief time later I crossed the border separating Texas from Louisiana. Shreveport was in the distance and exploring some untraveled places (for me) was the quest.
Our first stop on this trip was the Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge. My time here was very short and the area offered much more than 25 minutes in a photo blind could produce – especially during the noon hour. In that short time I did photograph several Pie-Billed grebes and of course an American alligator – as a matter of fact several of these large lizards. This would be a place where I could spend more time.
Later that afternoon we spent some time at the Poverty Point State Historic Site learning about the people who built the mounds between 1650 and 700 BC. We spent that evening in the state parks cabins built out over the water – a fisherman’s dream.
One of our sideline trips was to visit the Bonnie & Clyde Ambush Museum in Arcadia, LA where the story of the demise of the dirty duo took place and is retold by descendants of the machine-gun wielding heroes who were hiding in the bushes. I guess the law was a bit peeved because these mental midgets had captured Bonnie and Clyde several time and let them escape. Oh well, them was different times. Weren’t they? Oh Yes, there was that "thing" in Waco.
There was some sad news during the trip. Our group was scheduled to spend the night at the Fairfield Place Bed and Breakfast, however the night before our arrival a fire damaged some of the property causing us to use the hospitality of the Holiday Inn in Shreveport. I do hope the repairs are fast and they reopen soon.
At the next stop I met one of the most interesting people on this and several other trips. A true Creole and a real Lady, Miss Panderina D. Soumas. Panderina a true diamond in the rough located in the river town of Bossier City, Louisiana. Her little shop is a place visitors just don’t want to miss and meeting her was more than delightful.
Her voice was a smooth as a velvet cloth and her stories about her family were interesting, intriguing, and opened new insights into the Creole Culture for this writer.
“I am committed to preserving my family’s history as well as Louisiana’s many contributions from African slavery from the many French and Irish owned plantations, which produced most of the Creole culture and heritage in Louisiana. I have accomplished this by developing a business that respects the many myths and remembrances of my ancestral background in Louisiana’s history past and present.”
Her shop and web site sales offer products, gifts and services, which accurately focus on the Creole culture of Louisiana as well as her family history. This is related on every page of her cookbook titled “SOUMAS HERITAGE CRELOE COOKBOOK”. The book also relates stories of slavery and her family whose photos line the walls of her shop.
“I DO NOT believe in discrimination of ANY kind, thus I do not believe that those persons that disagree with any of the historical written expressions in this cookbook should be denied their constitutional rights to view and express differently.” States Soumas.
My time with her in her shop was cut short by pending appointments but I know I will find my way back to her shop – OH YES, she did brew us a pot of some Creole coffee that was fantastic. Check her out on the Internet at, http://soumascreole.com/mission.htm
Our evening was spent at the comfortable cabins over the water at Poverty Point State Park and a excellent dinner at the
More about Nothern Louisiana in the next installment. Here are a few web sites to keep you busy.
Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge: http://www.fws.gov/refuges/profiles/index.cfm?id=42652
Poverty Point State Park: http://www.stateparks.com/poverty_point.html
If you have comments or news for Jim Foster please email him at: jim@jimfosteroutdoors.com
