Sunday, August 05, 2007

Photographer Neil Johnson in the great Atchafalaya Basin: what they eat for breakfast


POM-8-07
Originally uploaded by trudeau11
It is always a pleasure to get a reminder of What They Eat in the Atchafalaya Basin. Especially from someone with a 900 mm lens and decades of experience in lighting and composition. This catch is from one of the best: author-artist-photog Neil Johnson.

Once the Atchafalaya brought a full smile to our faces. It was, like, crawfish and catfish, gators and crusty Cajun trapper-fishermen. The greatest riverine basin in America.

Today we are aware of the loss of this marsh to saltwater incursion. We are aware that tampering with the Mississippi's outlet route - the Atchafalaya is one of those - is part of the problem that faces New Orleanians and people from Barataria Bay to Lake Charles. The swamp has turned problematic and complex.

The Atchafalaya is something like the last half of a bowl of gumbo on a cold day. All of a sudden you're not simply filling the belly; you're going to savor it. Get your children to taste it. Talk about it between spoonfuls.

When was the last time we visited the Atchafalaya?

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