Bayou Teche Brewery

We made some new friends this weekend which was really by accident, but very fortuitous. We have plans to go to Acadiana (Louisiana)  for my birthday trip - I was offered a present or a trip and mostly I choose trips to be with MotH* and away from work. Well, MotH found out about a brewery in the area - Bayou Teche Brewery - so we decide to see if there was any beer from their brewery anywhere around here - guess what, it was at *shock* Wisteria. So we went there Friday night and I'll be damned if two of the brothers from the Bayou Teche Brewery came by - damn skippy. We had a great chat and explained our boudin trip to that area and they had great ideas and we were told to get in contact as we get there next week. It was excellent meeting locals. They have the low down on where to go and what to eat. 
Now you have to understand the Wisteria. It's a bar in a totally residential section of town, but since it's been a store since before the time of Moses, it's allowed to still be a bar - the grandfather clause is a wonderful thing.  Well, we like it. And it's homey. So ... 
This whole thing started with a Garden & Gun magazine article that just got inside my head. It's like the Mississippi Tamale Trail (do your homework people), but even closer to home. And boudin is created in an area that we've been in before, but only because we were bugging out because of Hurricane Dennis (which was slightly meh compared to Hurricane Ivan which we didn't bug out for ... you pick your battles, don't you?)
It was great fun to hook up with Dorsey and Byron Knott with our friends Lindsey and Carey from Pensacola Bay Brewery - yes, our favorite place to be in town.  Can't wait to see Dorsey, Byron, and their brother Karlos, the brewmaster, this week. Really great people in a part of LA that we really like and want to get to know better. More details to follow. Let the hunt for the best boudin begin. 


*Man of the House - watch Quiet Man, you'll get it. 

Garden Update - Wisteria

Boy, March is such an interesting month in the garden. Everything takes off. Leaves sprouting, bulbs blooming, everything getting greener. Here is an example. On March 14th the wisteria was just in buds and then by the time I returned from my work trip - guess what, the blooms had started.

Wisteria buds - 14 Mar

It seems one day the buds just appear - like out of no where. It's pretty cool really, but it will only get better as time goes on, and my sneezing will get worse, but I'll gladly pay that price for open windows and flowers blooming. When the cluster of flowers start to open it's well worth the show. This is what reminds you why it's worth it to keep the plant around all year just for these few weeks.
Besides that, it's damn near impossible to kill the thing. This vine was in a pine tree that was taken out by Hurricane Ivan (2005) and even though we had the stump ground and I expected the wisteria to be a casualty of the grinding too - nope, not to be, happily for me. We have had to give it something to grow on though. It has a re-bar frame underneath everything that you can only see in the depth of winter. It's my version of sculpture. It's pretty cool.

Wisteria bloom - 19 Mar

Wisteria from bud to bloom 

Wisteria

Weather today:Temp: 79˚

Humidity: 48%, breezy and lovely.