Evangeline Oak

Longfellow’s poem Evangeline immortalized the tragedy of the Acadian exile from Nova Scotia in 1755. This oak marks the legendary meeting place of Emmeline Labiche and Louis Arceneaux, real life counterparts of Evangeline and Gabriel. It served as a rest stop during last year’s Cycle Zydeco bike ride.

Saturday night, we attended a dinner party with some fellow Saint Louis based Zydeco riders. Our hosts, Phil and Mary are within walking distance. It was a great party, with the long and short of it being that we will be doing this year’s Cycle Zydeco bicycle ride in Louisiana. We still have to sign-up for the ride and make ancillary reservations, but I’ll get on that this week. We might checkout the Gulf Shores area too. For those of you who are keeping score that checks off April, filling our travel dance card until September. I don’t think that any future planning is really warranted beyond that point, at least for now. We are already well on our scheduled way to becoming former Saint Louisans.

In other comings and goings, this Sunday morning, Dan and Britt launched back eastward, to NYC. We really enjoyed their visit and this will leave us empty nested once again. I sent them off with my signature avocado toast in their bellies, wishing them and fueling them both, for their safe travels home. It will be way passed our bedtimes before they make Brooklyn tonight.

With Dan’s departure, I declare the Christmas season officially over. Tomorrow, I’ll take down the decorations, but I think that I’ll leave most of the lights up for a while longer. They look so pretty at night and even though the days are supposedly getting longer now, it still gets dark awfully early and a little more light will help. There are no excuses now, for not plunging into the new year.