Wednesday, April 1, 2015

BLOGGING A TO Z CHALLENGE APRIL 2015: LETTER A


AVERY ISLAND


Avery Island is my birth town. It is a salt dome located in Iberia Parish, La. about 3 miles inland from Vermillion Bay which in turns open into the Gulf of Mexico.

I was born and raised most of my childhood years on top of the dome. When they would blast the salt underground, we would hear and feel the blasts.
Our home we lived in.

Behind the garage you can see the hoist where my Dad worked. He started working down the mine and worked himself up to Hoist Engineer. He had the responsibility of bringing the workers up and down the salt mine.  
This is the view of the International salt mine (Now called Cargill) office from my house on the island.
Avery Island  also includes McIlhennyTabasco Factory. Yes, the best hot sauce in the world!

It's also home of the Jungle Gardens which is a huge garden of flowers, birds, plants and wildlife.

We were a small community of people living there. It was one of my best childhood memories. We all knew each other and watched out for one another.

I always wished I could have raised my child there. It was safe and fun!

There was a post office, store and school so we didn't have to get off the island. However, for what my mom used to call "major" grocery shopping, visits to the doctors, movies etc we did travel about 9.02 miles to the next biggest town, New Iberia.

The school only went to 6th grade. We had to take a school bus to go to high school.

Avery Island is a  tourist attraction. I remember sitting in my front yard on a lazy hot humid afternoon watching the cars go by. Most were residents and workers. However, I enjoyed reading the licensed plates of the tourists. I couldn't believe people from Canada and every state in the US would came see where I lived.

 I didn't appreciate the beauty and opportunity to live there as I do now. There are great memories.

They have closed off most of the island except for the Jungle Gardens and Tabasco Factory for tourists. There are not many people living there anymore.

Avery Island holds many of my fondest childhood memories. As a child I didn't appreciate the beauty and grasp of how great an opportunity it was to live there. But I do now and I long to have a place like that sometimes.

If you ever travel to my wonderful state of Louisiana, I suggest you drop by for a tour of the Tabasco Factory and Jungle Gardens. They give tours at the factory to show how Tabasco Sauce is made.

16 comments:

  1. Hey! Loved the old photos! Living in Maine as a child, the same type of thing would happen...people from all over came in the summers to be in cottages, campers and tents. They weren't so keen on the winters. Came back to live the life I had as a child. Small town, one little grocery store, post office and small school, on an island (though it has a bridge!).

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    1. I am glad you were able to live the life you had as a child. I yearn for same sometimes. Thanks for dropping by!

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  2. So cool! You could actually feel and hear the blasts? But then that shows your age, Ms. Lisa. Haha.

    My aunt and uncle used to live on Avery Island, but then their house flooded during a hurricane. I know they were working on their house a few years ago, but I don't know if they still live in it.

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    1. Hannah, yes I recall you saying your aunt and uncle lived there as well.

      Watch that now, your age is only a number and wait another 28 or so years and you'll think I can't believe I said that to Ms. Lisa lol.

      I hope all is well!

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  3. Oh, wow. I always wanted to live in a small community. Living in the big city is too...loud sometimes. =) thanks for the info

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    1. Thanks for dropping by. Yes, I lived in the city as well but there is nothing like a small community!!

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  4. Hi Cajun
    I have indeed been close to your neck of the woods. I even knew that Tabasco sauce was made on Avery Islands. As a mere lad in college, we even looked at the salt domes you write about in terms of the geology that made them. Neat stuff, but methinks not as neat as living there, like you did (are?)
    Good luck with this A-Z stuff! you are now 3.8% of the way there!

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    1. Jeff, it is a small world. You're one smart worldly man if you know where Tabasco was made. I no longer live there as they pretty much shut most of it down as far as living there. Thanks I need all the luck I can get.Good luck to you too, although it doesn't seem like you've done this before. :)

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  5. That's a cool piece of history. Glad you appreciate it now and have those pictures.

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    1. Thank you Susan! I don't have many pics but glad I have the ones I do :) THanks for dropping by.

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  6. That's sad so few people live there. You will always have your memories - and those photos.

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    1. Yes, it is. Change is hard. But my memories will always be with me. Thanks for dropping by!

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  7. That is so cool, I am going to look up Avery. My grandpa was a miner for Alcoa in Arkansas. tough business.

    Pam

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    1. You can find a lot on Avery Island. Was he a coal miner or salt miner?

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    2. I Alcoa is owned by Reynols so whatever makes foil. lol They also mined Bauxite.

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    3. Oh okay Pam, that is interesting!

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