Those Cotton Fields Back Home

   Cotton fields were such a part of Louisiana’s landscape in the 60’s and 70’s that I admit to taking them for granted. Everyone had their photos made in the fields growing up. They went on for miles and miles before schools, universities, and shopping centers took their place.

Shreveport's Once in a Millennium Moon

   If you drive through northwest Louisiana via I-20, keep an eye for downtown Shreveport. In addition to our mixture of ornate old buildings and modern architecture, you will see the largest publicly funded art murals in the country. The Once in a Millennium Moon mural is on two sides of the AT&T building at the corner of Cotton and McNeill Streets. It is an incredible 30,000 square feet mural and was the brainchild of artist Meg Saligman.

The Long Winding Road or How To Move Across the Country With Your Dog

*I am proud to share Barking from the Bayou’s first guest post. It was written by my son, Dustin Clinton and recounts his experience moving across the country. He was joined in the moving van by our BFTB Weather Lab Paisley while my husband drove their truck with our daughter-in-law and granddaughter. I hope that you enjoy his story.

A Dog-Friendly Visit to the American Rose Center

   On the outskirts of Shreveport, Louisiana you will find the 118-acre Gardens of the American Rose Center. It is the nation’s largest park dedicated to roses. June is National Rose month, so I 'picked' this time to share our local attraction with you.

Sunflowers, Cotton Fields, and the Cairo Plantation

"Don't freak out Pierre, but I think we may be in Oz."

Back in June, we visited a stunning sunflower field on the outskirts of Shreveport.  It is in the small community of Dixie, Louisiana.  The entire area surrounding the sunflowers belongs to the Cairo Plantation.  That’s right, it’s the south, and we have a lot of plantations.  Most of them are antebellum homes reminiscent of Gone with the Wind.  This one isn’t that style, but it is a very lovely home nestled amongst giant oak, weeping willow, and southern pecan trees.

Barking from Where?

Have you ever wondered where we are when we say that we’re 
Barking from the Bayou?

We are in Louisiana!

We Were Walking in Sunshine

Happy Hump Day!  Over the weekend, we visited the Sunflower Trail in Dixie, Louisiana.  It was an amazing sight to behold all of the gorgeous sunflowers.  We truly felt as if we were walking in sunshine.  If you missed our first post, please check it out here.  I hope these photos make you smile.

Sunflower Fun

   Few things say “welcome summer” like the sunflower.  Its bright petals and huge “face” are easily recognizable.  I love everything about sunflowers from admiring their beauty to chomping on their seeds.  It seems that every part of this magnificent plant is usable.  Even the stalk can be dried and used for kindling during the winter months.  While Kansas is “The Sunflower State,” here in Bayou Country, we have an impressive trail of sunflowers.

   The North Caddo Sunflower Trail is located in and around the small town of Dixie, Louisiana.  It began back in 1996 when John Sloan and a friend decided to plant sunflowers for their fall hunting expeditions.  Mr. Sloan said that one day it was just the quiet of his fields and the next day he saw painters, photographers, and sightseers stopping to admire his field of happy flowers.  Neil Johnson captured the magic of this field in his book, “A Field of Sunflowers.”  The massive twenty-acre field is located on the Cairo Plantation, although there are rows of sunflowers along a thirty-mile stretch leading to Gilliam, Louisiana.  The friendly people of Gilliam hold a one-day Sunflower Festival to honor this brilliant bloom.  This was the festival’s fourteenth year and it is gaining in popularity drawing visitors from near and far.