Houma - Madisonville

Man did we like Houma had my cousin Judy and her husband Terry visit on Friday. Wish I would have met him a long time ago. We had a lot in common. My son Chris & Kerry came down Saturday, they took some people we had met on a 30' cat to return one of those portable a/c unites. Then took Karen & I grocery shopping.

Left Houma about 6 a.m. headed towards the Harvey Locks. Got to Lafitte, La and I can tell you this is a place we could live. Just 35 minites to the French Quarter. Lafitte got it's name from the Pirate Jean Lafitte. Humors are that Jean Lafitte has teasure hidden in the canals off from the intercoastal. I think the the gator count around here out weighs the teasure hunting. Nice homes along the ICW with shrimp boats behind them. These shrimpers are not hurting. Most of them are working for BP cleaning up the oil spill. We saw lots of diapers and booms on their shrimp boats. We found out that to work the spill you have to agree to sell your hull to BP after you finished. You can keep everything except the hull.

Saw some old river boats and casino boats. Lots of commercial boats up close to the Harvey Locks.

Lock through the Harvey with no problems. Rose up about 5 feet to river height. They we very nice. Down the Mississippi River past the French Quarter up to the Industrial Canal Locks where there was a red flag tow in front of us. Went around the side of the Lock and tied to part of the Lock that was floating. They called us in with a tow boat with no barge and a light Louisiana boat. Locked us in and Karen tied the rope they drooped down to us off to our mid cleat. Well the guy was on the phone so he did not give Karen any instructions. Water starts going out. The boat starts drooping. The port side of our boat stays up held by rope. I start calling them on the radio and Karen cuts the rope. They drop us down another rope and then we head out the locks.

Stayed at the Seabrook Marina, just before going into Lake Pontchartrain. Karen had some heat exhaustion. But felt better after getting cooled off.

Got up Tuesday after sleeping in. Had a very nice ride across Lake Pontchartrain to Marina Del Ray in Madisonville, La. We will stay here a few weeks. It's Karen's class reunion this weekend in the French Quarter.