Before interviewing by telephone for the job that brought me to Louisiana, I had–like a smart job candidate–done some research about the place I hoped to move to. I had found photos online of the campus of the University of Louisiana at Monroe and so when the interviewers asked me if I had any questions, being a somewhat avid fisherman, I asked, “Are there any fish in that river that flows through campus?” When my interviewers stopped laughing, they kindly explained: “That’s not a river, that’s a bayou.” And when I asked about the difference, they further explained: A bayou…

Yes, I truly did go there a lot this year! It is well worth it. Out of town photog friends, if you ever come to Louisiana, Black Bayou Lake NWR is one of the places I will definitely take you. And, back in my kayak. Here’s one of the great values of a kayak for a photographer like me: You can sneak up on birds better with it. For some reason, a human paddling a kayak is less threatening to birds than a human on foot. Or so it seems to me. I don’t know how close I got to…

Allen Acres is one of my fave places to go. I hardly know how to describe it. It’s a garden, a natural area, a butterfly refuge, and a B&B–all developed and run by retired botanist Dr. Charles Allen and his wife Susan. It’s located in the southwest corner of the state, just south of Cravens, La., on the edge of the Vernon District of the Kisatchie National Forest. I did not go this year as often as I normally would due to Covid, but in August I went down for the annual butterfly count. Dr. Allen knows what to plant…

In July, I did a thing. After several years of thinking about it, I bought myself a kayak. The challenge in making the decision was that I knew it had to be a kayak I could handle by myself. That is, if taking out the kayak meant I had to have help loading, unloading, etc., it would rarely happen. I’m the kind of person who picks up and goes when I find a little time to do so. Happily, my local outfitter had the answer! So… July 17 I took my new kayak to Black Bayou Lake NWR for our…

I am fortunate to have multiple natural areas within relatively easy driving distance of my home. Each has its own character, and Tensas NWR is know for Louisiana black bears. But in June of this year, what captured my eye were the patterns created by the ubiquitous dwarf palmetto. Palmetto is not an easy plant to love. It’s spikey and kind of mean looking. Indeed, the points and edges of the leaflets when dry are quite sharp. The fans of leaflets jut out of the ground on short petioles and at odd angles to each other. I have spooked deer…