King Cake and the Baby

A few nights ago, we went to the park clubhouse to play Bingo, and to experience another Mardi Gras tradition…King Cake.  I hear tell, Mardi Gras wouldn’t be Mardi Gras without King Cake; I guess it’s pert near for me like Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without lefse.  Any who, the cake is delicious; it’s a cross between a coffee cake and fruit fill pastry and the top frosted and decorated in the royal Mardi Gras colors of green, gold, and purple.  Inside the cake is hidden a tiny plastic baby, and whoever gets the piece of cake with the baby is declared King for the day and is obligated to either host a party or provide the King Cake at the next party.  Jim got the baby!  He was grin’in like a coon dog chewing on a catfish head.

This morning we picked up the banana cream filled King Cake Jim ordered from a local bakery and will be bringing it to the chili cook-off this evening.   It smells and looks purtier than an angel sent from heaven.

 Here's the wrapped up King Cake.  See the little naked baby toward the back right?  I guess after we cut it, we put the baby in one of the pieces.

Yesterday, we headed west to Louisiana and got back on the Great River Road going down the west side of the river (Louisiana highway 23) and drove to the end of the Mississippi Delta. The levee blocks the view, but we could see the tops of ships cruising up and down the river.  This area is agricultural with citrus groves and cattle farms; further south were several oil refineries, and fishing lodges and fishing charter companies.  We had lunch at a harbor cafe in Venice, LA before heading north again.

We made a quick stop at Fort Jackson, or what remains of it, which is pretty much the brick foundation and tunnels.  The fort was built in the early 1800’s and used for about 20 years to defend the mouth of the Mississippi. In 1960 the property was purchased by a private party and turned over to the National Park Service and is classified as a National Monument. Hurricane Katrina filled the fort with water leaving it and fort artifacts damaged.  Volunteers have worked to repair the damage and the fort reopened last year. 

This picture was taken from the bridge crossing the moat to the entrance of Fort Jackson.  Looking east over the levee is a ship cruising down the Mississippi River. 

At Point a la Hache we left highway 29 and drove onto a ferry which took us over to the east side of the river to drive on the GRR, Louisiana highway 39.  This route bi-passed NOLA (New Orleans, LA) so we were back at the park quicker than a rabbit in a carrot patch.

The devil must be beatin’ his wife with a fry pan, cuz it’s been raining cats and dogs since last night.  Holy shineola, we might need to put pontoons on the RV!