I want to go home now!

Matchi at home grazing in Los Alvarados pasture. It's time to go home. Yes, New Orleans is also home - especially to the old sod. But El Tigre is really home. Home, home to perfect spring-like weather, rainy or dry, it's always the same, 70 - 85 Farenheit. Home to the forest. Home to our dogs - I can see them now, racing over to the car as we arrive, barking and jumping all around and plunging right inside as soon as I open the door; Spotty landing on my lap, licking my face and then jumping over to Gerald. Gerald sputtering but smiling. Now Flopsy's inside. The others wait outside but surround us when we finally emerge, small dog under each arm. Now the big dogs have their chance to greet us, leaving dusty paws all over our clothes.

Janet and the kids will come out and help us with luggage. We go inside to her kitchen and find the cats, all meowing and wanting to get petted. I walk over to the stables where the horses have already settled down in their stalls for the night. They knicker when they see me. Did I bring them a banana to eat? The barn cats are out and about, meandering with any stray chickens who managed to ignore the evening call to the hen house. Some of them prefer to face the predators than to sleep inside at night. They mostly survive, thanks to the stable cats and dogs. I hang out at the stable for a while, talking to Jose. How are the pastures? Fencerow repairs? Gardens doing okay? Nice way to spend many hours. But all too soon, I hear Gerald yelling at me to come back to unpack.

Then the walk to the house. Will it be done? Of course not. I know for a fact that they haven't even started the kitchen or any of the closets. Will at least one bedroom be ready for us to sleep in? Most likely yes - Janet will have seen to that. But will the bedroom actually be 'done' as in renovated? Quien sabe! The endless renovation is not something I see in mind's eye here in New Orleans. It's better that way.

Back to reality here in New Orleans. It's cold here. I'm sleeping in late - yes, I've been thoroughly GRAK'ed! I do get in Taiji practice but not much else. We do feast like kings. Regularly. Visit delightful new friends and spends hours wandering the old city. The street car returned to St. Charles a few weeks ago which connected us back to friends uptown. At this point, the city very much looks the same as it did before the storm. The conventioneers have returned, filling up the Vieux Carre with merry makers. Music is everywhere. Life is good in the Big Easy.

Some people wonder why we moved to the United States. Gerry's from London and has made his opinion of the States quite clear over the years. But we don't live in America - we live in New Orleans! There is no town quite like it anywhere in the world. That's why Katrina evacuees still pine to go home, even after finding jobs and settling their families in places all over the country.

That's how I can tolerate being away from El Tigre so long. Not sure if I could handle it anywhere else. Time for dinner. We're going to Emeril's new casual place called NOLA.