Truly amazing day yesterday with Sister Reiddie Harper! After meeting her at the barn we were invited over to the house and we spent the rest of the afternoon and early evening engrossed in conversation and photographing her. For ninety-one she has a steel trap mind and has deep family ties to the Dry Creek, La. area that go back many generations.
She has written and self published four books and has two more to write. We are talken total self publishing here. They are printed on her computer, then cut and put into her home made glue press and glued up. They are bound by hand and she reads each book twice to check for errors. Her dining room, bedroom and small office have books all over in various stages of completion.
The books deal with her life, the early history of Dry Creak, the depression and Hoover Hogs. Her stories entwine history, religion, humor, and The Holy Ghost. They are written in a style that is truly her own. To read them is to be sitting in her kitchen, as the lighting and thunder seem to punctuate her words as she serves up everything from frozen pizza to smoked chicken. Sister Reiddie is a Pentecostal Preacher and just talking to her you feel the power of The Lord. Her Bible is so old and worn; many pages have had to be replaced. You can reach her at: Reiddie@peoplepe.com, I recommend getting all her books!
Sister Reiddie Harper in front of her smoke house
Sister Reiddie at her computer
The author in her “production room”
In Sister Reiddie’s living room
Buller, La
The last few days have been spent catching up on images, running film and fellowship with the Newmans and their friends. But tonight the crawfish arrived…. A real “coon- ass dinner” to quote T Jon. About 5 o’clock I noticed two large burlap bags moving around by the back door. Upon closer exploration I realized they were full of live crawfish (mud bugs to be exact). Seems these critters live in tunnels in the mud that have low areas where the water can settle. They dig cave-like areas to back into out of the water. Then to feed and breathe, they run through the tunnel areas that are under water. I thought they lived under water. Paul, the farmer who raised the ones we ate alternates the fields, one year rice, one year mud bugs.
Anyway T Jon’s Dad got the water to a boiling and in went pounds and pounds of crayfish, with Angie adding onions, potatoes, corn, mushrooms and Cajun spices of unknown quantities. Soon the think swampy night air was permeated by the smell of truly fine mud bugs slowly cooken. . A short time later we ate standing around a wooden table ripping apart the little bastards and sucken up their juices. One really great meal.
Where they come from
gotta clean em first
Dakota likes em hot
T Jon’s Dad serves em up
T Jon and Dixie
A good time was had by all
July 9,2004
Buller La
So after eating pounds of the little guys I began to wonder where they came from. A short drive brought us to Paul Heinen’s crawfish and/or rice fields. Paul’s son Scot and a fella named Red where out in the boats fishing, so I hung out on a levy and watched. It was about lunch time when Paul’s truck drove up and the two boats headed toward me. I introduced myself and talked about making a photograph or two. Paul jumped into one of the boats and said “Sure! Where do you want it?” Afterwards, a portrait was in order. See their portraits and the other images coming soon in the gallery.
The boats and the whole crawfish experience is quite unique. First the crawfish are held up in fields that are flooded with about one foot of water. The boats are driven by gas engine attached to hydraulics that turns a paddle wheel affair at the stern of the boat. The paddle wheel can drive the boat by pushing water or digging into the mud. The boats have rubber wheels about midway so the boats work as well on land as they do in the water. It’s quite a sight to see them navigate the fields, levies and muddy roads around the fields.
The crawfish are caught in wire traps that are baited with stuff you don’t want to know about. One day is spent baiting traps and the next pulling traps. Each boat is manned by one person who drives the boat and pulls traps, dumping the crawfish into a metal tray with 3 funnel like corners that go into burlap bags. As each bag gets full it is tied off and a new one is put in its place.
Crawfishing boat- note wheels
July 10, 2004
Bourg La
Grand Bois Campground
Made a formal Newman Family portrait this morning and after sad good byes and promises to stay in touch I was on my way again. I’ve been so blessed meeting such good people on my travels. The last eight days have flown past and it was good to be grounded, but the wanderlust and road have been calling my name the last day or two and it was time to be heading south. Towards New Orleans (sort-of) and on to Florida. Then up the coast to Maine, unless I head west. Or go to Maine then back to Florida, it’s kind of hot down here right now. Hope to spend a few days in the back country and do some exploring around the bayous. It’s hard to do while pulling the trailer so I’m looking for a place to camp for a few days and head out with just the truck or on the bike. It’s still kind of scarier heading down a dirt road that keeps getting smaller and smaller with 26 feet of airstream behind me and the possibility of no turn arounds in front of me. I believe it is possible to detach the airstream from the truck and using the metal wheel and a come-a-long turn the airstream around in a very small area, but as yet I have not tested this theory and probably should before I take any really small roads.
Hand and a Banana Spider
Spent the last four nights in New Orleans, day trip into the city and around the bayous. Decided that there is a lot of material here to work with but right now it’s too hot and the wanderlust won’t let me slow down enough to really get into the city. This will be a good place to winter and work. Met some interesting folks on my way here. Whitney Dardar, a ship fisherman on the Bayou Lafourche among others. Made a good portrait of him.
In New Orleans we looked up Jeffery Holmes, who runs the Mazant Guest House just north of the French Quarter. We heard about Jeffery from Candice Russell, the writer who did the article on me for the Florida show. She stayed there while she was working on a photo book on voodoo and said that not only was it a great place to stay but Jeffery was a great deal of help in connecting her with people. Well, I agree the guest house is great and I enjoyed Jeffery very much. The house is out of the tourist district in a very old neighborhood that is just beginning to enjoy a revival. I plan on staying there and using it as my base when I go to photograph in the area. Rates are reasonable you can reach him at 504.944.2662.
Have decided that it is a better plan to head up to Maine now and come back down south when it gets a bit cooler. Seems like a plan would be a good thing and it’s a bit backwards to be here now and in Maine in the fall/early winter so tomorrow we head north perhaps at a more rapid pace.
First stop will be Atlanta to meet with a potential gallery. Then follow as straight a path as possible to Maine and the ocean.
Bayou Lafourche
July 16, 2004
Off to a great start to Maine. Drove 190 miles out of New Orleans. Between trailer repairs (minor), an unintentionally long lunch at Mom and Dad’s Buffet in Petal Mississippi and the making of two photographs I didn’t do too bad on my goal of getting to Maine this summer….. Perhaps the biggest hurdle was deciding what road to take. There was interstate 10, then interstate 59 all the way to Birmingham, Alabama.
Looked good on the map but after a few miles on 10 then a few more on 59 with the country side a blur at 70 mph- little route 11, that seemed to sort of parallel 59 on the map, looked much better and off the big road I went. Route 11 meander through old Mississippi towns and great countryside. Traveling at a much more realistic speed of 35 to 55 mph I began to think that perhaps I should deal with the heat a bit longer and get to Maine a bit later. At least I’ll see where I’ve been.
Tonight finds me at Okatibgee Lake, Mississippi. Arrived after dark so no real idea as to where I am but from all the noise there are lots of critters here and the sign says it’s against the law to feed the alligators- you will be fined if caught.
rail tracks and airstream
at work late into the night
Woke up early to great “quite light” and spent the first few hours of the day photographing the lake, cypress tress and soft shadows.
Traveling down more back roads following signs to blues festivals that happened 3 weeks ago- I found instead Fosters Corners and Jonathan Hamm. See his portrait coming soon in the gallery. Driving past Fosters Corners Alabama was like taking a trip back in time. It’s an old wood frame gas station/general store with old gas pumps and a couple of wooden benches by the door. As I pulled by I realized I had to turn around and stop. A few miles down the road I found a large enough area to do a 180 with the airstream and headed back.
As I walked up to the doorway an old black gentleman got up off one of the benches and asked if I wanted to see his snake. Why not, and out came the bucket with a very large Rattlesnake (dead) coiled up in the bottom. Turns out he had beat it to death with a thin plastic pipe while he was picking peas. He was just walking the rows picken when he almost stepped on it. It didn’t mover or rattle and he realized it was even more dangerous, being quite and all so he killed it.
When asked about holding it for a portrait he said he would but only with a large pair of pliers. As I went off to the airstream to get camera and pliers Jonathan came over to me and said he’d hold the snake for a photograph, if I had a leather glove… Somehow this became the photograph and when I look around for the true killer of the snake he had vanished, as all great super heroes do once their task is completed.
I was on our way again. Maine seemed a long way away……
Trees at Lake Okatibee
Lake Okatibee Campground
Arrived at Allatoona Lake, Georgia just outside Atlanta on the 18th.. Huge lake, strange campsite great swimming but it took some time for Henry to get use to me in the water. I think he felt his job of going into the water and getting the stick was threatened when he realized I could get in the water as well. Have spent the time here meeting with David Sheridan and Tom Lamar of the 2000 AD Agency/Gallery very interesting folks and hope we can do some interesting things together. Also had dinner with Joe and Carolyn Rude at a great Italian Restaurant. They have a great house right on the banks of the Chattahoochee River just outside of Atlanta. (Friends of Don Moritz). Had a very enjoyable time and it was good to be “citified” again for a few days, but the road and Maine are calling. Off I go now directly to Maine!
Henery discovers fish
swimming
Spent last night and most of today on Jack and Nancy’s farm in Bernville Pennsylvania. Great place, great folks. Nancy is a friend and my copyright lawyer from the old New York City days, Jack her significant other. Great place to take a breath and relax. Made some great images especially (I think) one of Jack on the swing with his niece. Look for it soon in the work on the road section. I am looking forward to spending more time there on our way out to Omaha.
The dock and Pond
July 26, 2004
Made rush from Pennsylvania to Easton Ct. and have spent the last few days here. Visiting my parents and regrouping for the last haul to Maine. Apologies to my friends in the tri-state area for not visiting but I’m rushing up to Maine so I can do some shooting prior to returning to Omaha to get some printing done and go over the work shot so far on the trip. Will be back again with more time to spend here.
Mom and Dad
