Butte La Rose

Bonjour!
Reminder: St. Rita’s Church Fair in Catahoula April 25-26 in the park. Saturday Catholic Mass at 4 p.m. Food, fun and music. Y’all come, visit family and friends. Free parking. Big play area for kids.
A couple of weekends ago the Labordes came to their Camp Fish Tales across the road from my house for a li’l fishing and R&R. I barge in on ’em sometimes. As I was leaving Sunday, sister Anne wanted me to stay for a burger. I excused myself, said I was waiting for company. After a while she walked over with a burger on a plate fit for a queen, Moi!
She came in looking around the living/kitchen area saying, “God I haven’t stepped in here in so many years.” And began telling me they, her husband, Joe Plaice, and David and his wife, Cathy, bought that camp over 25 years ago when still in college.
They’d come out here on weekends just the four of them. Then their children came along. As time passed everyone in both families came on weekends when time allowed. Anne pointed to where the stove had been and dinette set by the window. I said it’s the same paint job. And she kept on reminiscing. Finally she looked at me and said, you know the four of us began coming here alone a long time ago, had families, now they’re on their own, and here we are alone again. Where has time gone?
Hey, they gave me my home 13 years ago. I couldn’t let them pay to move it too. Too kind.
Continued from last week’s: Another station faded out. My, oh my! Staying home will not make a living for my family. My sweet Cajun music will not put food on our table. If my trucking job in Missouri does not work out I know I can come home. I’d cry each time I lost a station. My body was going north and my heart and soul was staying south.
Running Highway 71 through the Ozark Mountains of Arkansas was a beauty. Ran through little towns and wondered how people live up there. What kind of work made their living. I left Steve’s at midday Sunday and arrived in Butler late afternoon. Got directions to the Tiona Truck Line Terminal.
Met a driver there wanting to know what my interest was with Tiona. Said I’d gotten a job by way of the postal service. “Jelly Belly” was nice but I had not remembered his handle. He said they’d hired a woman once to run solo, but she did not work out and quit. I felt awkward as I introduced myself to other drivers in the trucker’s lounge. Said they did not know Tiona had hired a woman driver. And were surprised Tiona now had two Cajuns running for them. Bobby “Little Cajun” Daigle from Loreauville and me. I said, yes, we are from the same area of south Louisiana. Although, our paths never crossed as we ran our separate ways crosscountry.
Tiona had reserved a local motel room for my first night as their newest truck river. Next day I met safety man Gary. He said mine was the cleanest truck driver application he’d ever processed. So after a couple days of road test, DOT physical, pee in the bottle drug test, etc., my job with Tiona was almost sketched in stone.
Gary walked me around the terminal explaining the rules of the do this and don’t do that. Then handed me hardware like hoses, shafts, pipes and other gear I’d need to load and unload the dry bulk tanks I’d be hauling and do my own tank wash out.
Leading the way to Jelly Belly. Keep on trucking!

Cousine Hélène
337-280-1988.
helenboudreaux@juno.com.