Louisiana - Barataria Preserve/Jean Lafitte Park

Barataria Preserve, Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve



Bayou Coquille, quiet, green, but alive rather than stagnant. Bayous are the only bodies of water where still, scummy water is treasured instead of reviled.


More bayous southwest of New Orleans, before biting flies began to attack me. (By which I mean they started flying at my face, scaring me away by intimidation rather than sneaking me up for some sanguine treats.) Bayous can be anything from small, thick ponds, to miles-long open waterways lined by lush vegetation, to a system of rivers and lakes studded with trees and stumps. The key is a lively ecosystem - well, that and being in Louisiana. Anywhere else, a bayou is just a swamp.


A poorly camouflaged dragonfly, not used to dead leaves in May. There were plenty of light green plants nearby where it could have hidden.

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