I think by now everybody knows that I am a city boy at heart. I miss the hustle and bustle of an urban existence. I also miss the convenience of having just about everything I could ever need just a moments drive or walk across the street away. That being said I have to admit that the peace and serenity that living in a small town provides is very magical indeed.
On a foggy Saturday morning like today it is really nice to be able to take a quiet and relaxing walk around town without being bothered by people or the noise of traffic passing by. At this time of the morning Lecompte was all but a ghost town. On a day like this you could easily imagine that you are in one of those post apocalyptical movies in which mankind has disappeared and all that is left are the decaying remnants of his creations.
That is the rather sad part of the experience of living in a Louisiana town like this. It's not so much about how things are but how things were. All around you are the decaying remains of a town that used to be active and vibrant. It was a town with stores, restaurants, beautiful homes and an active logging railroad. Sadly those things are all but gone. The stores all closed up decades ago. Lea's Pies is the only place left to eat in town. Many of the homes are either abandoned or in need of major repairs. The location of that old logging railroad is almost impossible to find anymore. It's the site of a really interesting past that unfortunately has an all but bleak future.
The eye is treated to a visual spectrum that ranges from the true beauty of God's natural creation to stark examples of mankind's failure to take care of his own creations. It's hard to ignore the fact that what man neglects, nature will quickly reclaim here in Louisiana. Man is in a constant struggle to fight back nature here. Fail to mow your yard for a couple of weeks and the grass will grow waste high. Walk away from a home or business and you may not be able to find it again a few years later.
But, lets not focus so much on the down side of things. There is true beauty in a place like this. The lovely trees and flowers along with the serenity of a slow moving bayou can truly touch the soul. A person can really breathe in a place like this. It's the kind of life that really adds perspective to things. It can be a real blessing if you open your heart and soul and just soak it all in.
Here is a map:
Here are my photos from this morning:
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