Our next travel took us to the Frog City Campground, which was close to Lafayette, Louisiana. It was not an overly large park, close to Highway 10, which meant an easy access.

We met with another field supervisor (who shall remain nameless) promoted at the same time as Jim. In fact, he started his training as a tech about a week after Jim, so they were taught and trained by the same person in Mississippi. Every time I say that or type it, I remember from school the trick to do so correctly. M, i, double s, i, double s, i, double p, i and you are never wrong.

Okay back to the story. They were to provide the basic two week training class and then walk with and supervise the new workers. Success was a given.

After this task was completed it was decided that the two of them would also fill in for some of the tech work. This meant that they would each go out and walk an area. They did this for a couple of months. It was their way of helping the new techs out, they could walk faster and knew the equipment so well.

With everyone staying at the same park, it provided some interesting evenings and weekends. Most of the new techs were single men, so it seemed like there was a nightly congregation for beer drinking. Every other weekend we would all have a potluck dinner. It was ironic that these meals consisted of pork n beans, Kentucky fried chicken, tubs of potato salad, rolls and whatever I chose to cook, which was usually meat of some sort and a gluten free dessert. One weekend, I just got some takeout ribs and store cookies. From the looks I received, one would have thought I committed a serious crime.

There were lots to see in the area. We visited the Tabasco plant and gardens. In the gardens there were flowers everywhere. The gentleman who established Tabasco, E. McIlhenn and his son Ned had been gifted a large sculpture of Buddha- a fantastic centuries old statue. Wild peacocks roam the grounds as do other amazing birds. Tabasco was founded on a salt island named Avery Island. The whole process was both interesting and entertaining, so much so that we went back for a second visit while we were in the area as well as again the next year.

That first Christmas, family received gifts purchased at the gift shop which was rather large and contained everything imaginable made from or related to Tabasco. The second year we also ate at the restaurant on site, yep bottles of Tabasco everywhere, and so many different flavors.

I also had the opportunity to enjoy and experience crawfish eating. Not a big item back in Canada at the time. Jim had told me the proper way to eat a crawfish and I wanted no part of it. Anytime it meant that I was supposed to snap off a head and then suck the brains out was not my idea of a meal. Now of course you were also supposed to eat the meat of the rest of the body, but not me.

Apparently, Jim was pulling my leg. I saw a couple a few trailers from us with a table covered with these amazing little things. The gentleman asked if I would like a taste, which I declined.

"No thanks, you go ahead and enjoy. I am not partial to sucking brains out."

"Oh child, you don't have to eat the heads if you don't want, my wife here, doesn't but she sure likes the rest of it," he laughed, and his wife chuckled, "come here and I will show you how it's done."

He explained that the crawfish was snapped just behind the head, which in my case would be discarded, then he showed me how to pull out the meat and enjoy it.

Jim was in for a surprise when he got home, actually I waited two days, until it was Saturday and a non-potluck weekend. Then I announced that I would like to go to a local, hard to find crawfish shack. It was literally in the middle of nowhere and if you didn't have someone tell you or show you how to get there, you were then lost. For anyone in the area, message me and I will tell you how to get there from where you are. After a couple of months in the area, I definitely learned where things were, lol. It was called 'Hawks'.

We arrived, and I casually commented on the number of people with disposable nonlatex gloves on. Then I noticed the plastic bibs. This place was prepared for messy eating. Now I do have to warn you that five-pound platters of crawfish looks like a lot but when it is shared between two people it really is not. You can order your side like boiled potatoes, corn on the cob halves and rolls. Given that only two days ago I was shown how to snap and eat I was an expert. Jim however had not had any for several years, in fact before I met him, so he was rusty. When we were finished our meal, I confessed and told him of my lesson, he was just glad that I had learned and enjoyed the experience. Crawfish are like mini lobsters.

The other place that was enjoyable was in a town called Scott, the diner which was only open Monday to Friday from 5:30 am to 2:00 pm for breakfast, their daily lunch special and fantastic burgers. Of course, they have other things but to us it was the last two that were impressive. Wednesday's special was my favorite: a one-inch thick deep-fried breaded pork chop with coleslaw, rice, red beans and Texas toast. Jim to this day has a Dixie burger with fries. The burger has grilled onions, cheese, bacon, lettuce, tomato their chipotle mayo, it is divine. He is willing to suffer the next day from his celiac intolerance. Thank goodness it is a once a year experience, but they are both oh so delicious.

Okay now I am hungry. So is Jim after I read this to him. So, since we are in the area and it is New Years Eve, we decided to go up the road to a local crawfish place, not Hawks but I am sure it will be great.

Have a Happy New Years and blessings to all for 2019.

To be continued..........