Spring Time this Weekend

Our first 80 degree day happened last year on March 3^rd.   We could see that kind of warmth this weekend with highs Friday through Sunday flirting with 80 +.   But don’t start planting the tomatoes yet as much colder air returns next week.  The rule of thumb is, wait until after March 15^th (South Shore) before planting those tomatoes.  Even then, there has been light freezes into early April, but that is very rare.    I’ll be trimming my bushes and getting the leaves away from my plants this weekend just because I want to believe the freeze threat is over.   I know better, but I just love to work in the yard and watch things grow.    Our next rain chance arrives Monday with the next front.  There could be another round of strong storms much like the last front.  Stay tuned!

 

All right, I arrived from Dayton, Ohio back in April 1978.  I worked in Tampa before that, but the only seafood I ate there were shrimp & fish.  When Alec Gifford found out I never had eaten an oyster, he got a cameraman, Buddy Diliberto and me and we headed to Casamento’s on Magazine St. for oysters.   With cameras rolling, Buddy quickly whipped up the sauce of horse raddish, ketchup & who knows what else.  Within minutes, Buddy gulped down a DOZEN.    Alec turned the cameraman on me and said…”your turn”.   What I didn’t know was Buddy & Alec had gotten together before hand to set me up.  The Giff gave me an oyster the size of my ego (Big) and I had no clue what was about to happen.   I took this mammoth oyster, dipped it into the sauce and put it into my mouth upon which Alec said…”you know you can’t chew it!”   With the camera rolling, you could see the tears flow down my cheek as I tried to swallow the dang thing whole.   With several gulps, I got it down and passed my first test on how to be an “Orleanian”.     Though I didn’t enjoy my 1^st experience, I love raw oysters & now the Char broiled ones from Drago’s.  it’s how we let the good times roll.   Tomorrow night,  I’ll remember my 1^st Seafood Festival in Lafitte.