Tuesday, May 17, 2011

team mango delirium

two little dorks: this is alec the funniest little fella ever invented. im his protege.


mission: organized chaos


sampling team (mango delirium): erica santana, leah murphy, craig tolliver, chris grant, jd smith


sampling spartina marshes for determine the health of the wetlands.


matted oil on mangroves


one of our crew, jd smith, gave up a life as a national recording artist from nashville to be around his family more. now hes in louisiana working away from his family, go figure. anywho every night we would be serenaded by him while drinking beers


what im listening to

a northern irish band: two door cinema club - what you know



disco funk: fitz and the the tantrums - moneygrabber


Monday, May 09, 2011

redfish, bluefish, jazzfest, gluefish

jazzfest is a really neato festival with an amazingly eclectic mix of artists from bon jovi and kenny g, to kid rock and robert plant. the food is so yummy and like no other; we had cochon du lait (suckling pig) po'boy, cajun duck and bananas foster gelato.


my buddy, mike landry got backstage tickets so we got to watch rebirth brass band from behind the stage and out of the heat. i got to see michael franti and spearhead, some swamp grass, zydeco.


during our field days the captains of our boats fish for redfish (red drum) they let me reel this one in. ~30lbs.

me, erica santana(co-lead), ross our boat captain.

Tuesday, May 03, 2011

strange going-ons in cajun country

ive been working out of venice, the bottom of the boot


working in louisiana provides you with opportunities to see things not often encountered by most people;

exhibit A:

drive-thru daiquiris stores are a dime a dozen. providing responsible, thirsty drunks with road beverages. they are served with straws and protected by an impenetrable piece of scotch tape across the lid to deter people from consuming them on the road.


exhibit B:
blessing of the fleet. catholicism runs deep in cajun country. every season the oyster, crab, shrimp, fishing boats are decorated and parade up the bayou and are blessed by a priest to protect them. kinda cool.

incidentally the word 'cajun' is a bastardization of 'acadian' as in french-canadians from northern maine, nova scotia, and quebec who were kicked out of new england in the 1760's and found sanctuary in louisiana. if you say 'acadian' with a silly french accent enough it starts to sound like cajun. fun fact!!

another fun fact: cajuns call themselves 'coon-asses' its thought to be derogatory to some but commonly recognized in the same way as redneck.


exhibit C:
reasons why you dont throw fishing line in a body of water

the skull of a pelican that died of starvation bc of fishing line wrapped around the bill



exhibit D:
enough said


exhibit E:

crazy cajuns - gary o'brien, trina mullen, wayne billiot, alec richardson, austin magnant, aq (team 1


the gang


sampling


marsh assessment



trina and a elephant turd (biomass sample)


dudes


cool dude

easter break with the family at the coast of nc near new bern