CRAWFISH FLORENTINE / footsteps of jean lafitte

+CLARENCE JOHN LAUGHLIN+

>was like john messina, a very gifted photographer<

>& the three of us gathered in clarence's pontalba<

+(GOOGLE : EUGENE RAY+

+/ CLARENCE LAUGHLIN)+

>attic apartment on evenings to share surrealistic<

>photographs that clarence made at plantations<

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

+JOHN MESSINA+

>yesterday, sent for my birthday a fabulous e-book<

>he has assembled of a very adventurous safari he<

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+JOHN & TANIA MESSINA)+

>and his radiant wife tania made to the yucatan<

>in a small cessna plane way back in the 70s<

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

+GEORGIA CHADWICK+

>also sent a nice email yesterday telling me<

>how much she enjoyed the previous night's<

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+ / GEORGIA CHADWICK)+

>blog based on our recent nola pilgrimage /<

>i am very grateful for all of this kindness< !

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

 >tonight i have selected a clarence john laughlin<
>angel in a plantation ruin to lead our way to<
+(GOOGLE : EUGENE RAY /+
+> / SUPER-REAL VISION)+
>the barataria jungle where we can find our<
>jean baptiste's dish of crawfish florentine<
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 >in this case marianne is tucking into a napoleon<
>house tuna fish salad stuffed avocado and i a<
+(GOOGLE : EUGENE RAY+
+>/ PETER IMPASTATO)+
>scrumptious dish of red beans & rice with<
>italian sausage and an abita, amber beer<
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 >down on bayou barataria, it is saturday & the<
>shrimp trawlers are in as marianne, mary lynn<
+(GOOGLE : EUGENE RAY+
+/ LAFITTE THE PIRATE)+
>plus tommy and i head for boutte's famed<
>restaurant for a much anticipated lunch<
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 >this informative painting by an itinerant artist<
>from new york, captures 2 important activities<
+(GOOGLE : EUGENE RAY+
+>>/ CREOLE COOKING)+
>of pioneer french creole culture, cooking and<
>card playing, (not necessarily in that orfer)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 >a portrait of the boutte ladies look down on us<
>we are startled to find the long arm of the da<
+(GOOGLE : EUGENE RAY +
+/ DA VINCI FLORENTINE)+
>vinci florentine has entered lafitte until we<
>remember several pirates were florentine<
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 >the mise-en-scene of the jean baptiste de gruy<
>/ elizabeth sabine de montaut de monberaud<
+(GOOGLE :>> EUGENE RAY / +
+MONTAUT de MONBERAUD)+
>pioneer 18th century jungle plantation house<
>is absolutely fascinating french drama/vision<
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 >betsy swanson, who i met at tulane graduate<
>school in 1967 has produced two excellent<
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+>> / BETSY SWANSON)+
>books covering jean baptiste clearing the<
>thick cane & palmetto jungle for indigo<
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 >tommy mcintosh, music cinematographer<
>is synchronistically descended from nola<
+(GOOGLE : EUGENE RAY+
+> / KNIGHTS TEMPLAR)+
>templar-masons (our de gruy ancestors of<
>this milieu built the >domed sugar mill)<
>(tommy is a penre scholar, see end note)<
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 >back at the vieux carre ranch, the williams research<
>center is where my louisiana oeuvre shall go upon<
+(GOOGLE :>> EUGENE RAY /+
+METAPHYSICAL GRAPHICS)+
>my death & an important part of this are many<
>metaphysical graphics reflecting our inner life<
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 >during my meeting at the william's research center<
>this year, john lawrence brought out a magnificent<
+(GOOGLE : EUGENE RAY /+
+/> / CHARLES CAVAROC)+
>lithographic print if our great grandfather, charles<
>cavaroc's cast iron facade building / (seen here)<
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

>every village in the old countries possess a<
>special oasis where one seeks refuge in a<
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+/ LA MOTHE, SAZARAC)+
>tropical cyclone to order a sazarac and<
>listen to the music that nurtures visions<
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
                                      
>during my time building the three projects<
>in thé vieux carre, late each afternoon this<
+(GOOGLE : EUGENE RAY+
+> / CLAUDE DEBUSSY)+
>napoleon house milieu w/ its classic euro<
>music gave me much spiritual reward<
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 >a block away one can peer through a shop<
>window and find a painting by henri de<
+(GOOGLE : EUGENE RAY /+
+/de TOULOUSE LAUTREC)+
>toulouse lautrec reminding us of the de<
>gruy link w/ lautrec via the 1st crusade<
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>note: the 2 paintings yesterday are<
>by mike keneally, not wes penre,<
+(GOOGLE : WES PENRE+
+.COM / (WORD PRESS))+
>who researches "mankind, earth<
>universe & multiverse /mcintosh<
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

+IN A"SANSOUCI" FOREST+
+ACROSS THE LAKE OUR+
>(the sound of the jungle<
>night / unforgettable)<
+YOUNG FAMILY IN 1965+
+AWAITED MY RETURN+
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
eugene ray, mfa, architect
professor emeritus, sdsu