BUMBLE BEE TO COVINGTON / pilgrimage 2014

+FELICIANA JUNGLE RADIANCE+

>entered my metaphysical life as a young boy<

>during summer weeks spent w/ our staigg<

>cavaroc grandmother in the sleepy town<

+(GOOGLE : EUGENE RAY+

+>>/ SANSOUCI FOREST)+

>of covington where in 1959 i opted to<

>settle, open an office & build my first<

>structures that formed our foundation<

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

+OUR MOTHER & FATHER HAD+

+MET AT A DANCE ONE NIGHT+

>(the dance pavilion is still<

>there down in the park)<

+ON THE TCHEFUNCTE RIVER+

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

>tonight's blog is is based on a series of<

>photos taken in the southern hotel at<

+(DEDICATED TO BROTHER+

+WALKER & WIFE DELLA)+

>the end of our pilgrimage this week<

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

+WE WENT TO CELEBRATE THE+

+82nd BIRTHDAY OF LORRAINE+

>(wife of cousin, friend &<

>architect neal pendleton)<

+PENDLETON, CREOLE BEAUTY+

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

>this photo was taken last year at anabel's cov.<

>restaurant / (r. to l.) walker & della, marianne<

+(ANABEL'S RESTAURANT+

+ CLAIBORNE HILL, 2013)+

>& i, neal & lorraine / ( friend robin lobdell<

>beeman's childhood home is nearby )<

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

                                     
>the aboriginal people of st tammany jungles<
>possessed great organic & cosmic abilities<
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 >choctaw indian villages were important in the<
>thick forests (jungle) of st. tammany parish &<
+(GOOGLE : EUGENE RAY+
+>/ MAYAN INFLUENCE)+
>it pleased me to see this wooden "chief" at<
>the side entrance of the grt. southern hotel<
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 >the steamer josie w/ captain dudley weaver<
>at the helm was one of our dad's favorite<
+(GOOGLE : EUGENE RAY+
+>>> / STEAMER JOSIE)+
>early memories of employment and his<
>introduction to nola's new basin canal<
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 >mature trees are prolific in the ambience of<
>old covington village along the tchefuncte<
+(GOOGLE : EUGENE RAY+
+>>>/ COSMIC VISION)+
>river where i built the first structures of<
>my oeuvre w/ intense cosmic vision<
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

>tuggy's bar was a favorite watering hole in the<
>southern hotel & tuggy himself an institution<
+(GOOGLE : EUGENE RAY+
+>/ COVINGTON OZONE)+
>who i remember well for his good humor<
>some wives were not enthusiastic at all<
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 >the "bumble bee" interurban train was a very<
>popular sight for my youthful eyes around<
+(GOOGLE : EUGENE RAY+
+/ CAVAROC MEMERE)+
>the time of my summer vacation in 1937<
>it became legendary in my early years<
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 >the new orleans new basin canal was a few<
>steps from storeyville, the red-light district<
+(GOOGLE : EUGENE RAY+
+/ "THE JAZZ WORKSHOP")+
>where louis armstrong and other famed<
>dixieland jazz musicians got their start<
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 >when i opened my office in covington<
>h.j. smith & sons was still in business<
+(GOOGLE : EUGENE RAY /+
+>/ COVINGTON DESIGN)+
>& actually furnished some material<
>for constructing my early projects<
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 >it was heartening to see this sign in a hall<
>of the second floor in honor of one of my<
+(GOOGLE : EUGENE RAY+
+>>/ WALKER PERCY)+
>favorite covingtonians the great southern<
>writer who developed a cosmic vision<
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

>saint scholastica academy is where my<
>beloved first wife, marian went for her<
+(GOOGLE : EUGENE RAY+
+>/ MARIAN OLSEN RAY)+
>early schooling from new orleans by<
>commuting on greyhound weekends<
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 >this egyptological photo in lorraine pendleton's<
>family collection is my favorite and reminds me<
+(GOOGLE : EUGENE RAY+
+>/ KING AKEHNATEN)+
>of one in our childhood living room at 430 8th<
>st., baton rouge which inspired a life research<
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 >after photographing the southern hotel graphics<
>walker, della, marianne & i met neal & lorraine<
+(GOOGLE : EUGENE RAY+
+/ CREOLE GRAPHICS)+
>for lunch after which we visited their home &
>found these two wonderful family graphics<
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
+APOLOGY+
>i apologise to our covington friends who<
>i would have liked to have seen during<
+(TEN YEARS DEVOTED TO+
+OUR CREATIVE OEUVRE)+
>this journey but there was a mistake in<
>thinking we would not visit covington<
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
+COVINGTON IS VERY SPECIAL+
+W/ ITS ARTISTIC STRENGTH+
>(ambience of pine forests<
>and >fine multiple rivers<
>(inspiring organic ideals)<
+(ATTRACTING TALENTED+
+PEOPLE TO ITS JUNGLES)

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

eugene ray, mfa, architect

professor emeritus, sdsu