When you grow up in the Deep South, as I did, you become accustomed to a few things, such as great Jazz and Blues music, smiling politely and saying yes ma'am, and this little bug called the craw fish. Being away from the South, for nearly two decades, leaves this Southern girl feeling a bit discontented at times. This discontentment brews and manifests itself into a longing to get a taste of my childhood on occasion. The perfect opportunity for satisfying this yearning came in the form of the Tall City Blues Festival of Midland.Jesse, Annie and myself arrived at the festival gates around noon on Saturday and were greeted to a beautiful cloudy cover, with the sound of a soulful crooner and a cooling breeze. Within the breeze, music swayed like effervescent bubbles, infused with the smell of spicy craw fish. I knew at this point in time, I was exactly where I needed to be.
The three of us, with our four pounds of craw fish and iced tea, meandered to a spot on the cement under the trees. While sucking the heads and chomping the tails, we listened to a peppy little tune called Slow Down Sugar by John Lisi and The Delta Funk. I noticed a man, dancing away, and well, I wasn't the only one, because John Lisi called out to him, "This music makes you want to jump right out of your flip flops!"For some of us, The Blues remind us of home, for others, it can bring on a certain melancholy, while for a few it may elicit feelings of love and passion. Whatever it brings forth in you, that's what the Tall City Blues Festival was all about, bringing people together to appreciate The Blues.
4 comments:
CT2-----I'm a sorta Yankee boy, though not actually from the Yankee land of the Northeast, instead from the Northwest, which was not actually part of the U.S. at the time of unpleasantness between the Yankees and the Rebels, but I was under the impression I am currently living in the Deep South, seeings how I am in Texas. And since you are also in Texas I thought you were in the Deep South. And now to learn you've not lived in the Deep South for 2 decades must mean I have never lived in the Deep South, and instead have been harboring a delusion that I am.
I tried to consume one of those crawfish of which you speak. It did not go well. I've handled eating big ol' dungeness crabs, horse clams, razor clams, oysters and all sortsa other seafood goodies, but was vexed as to how to consume a crawdad. I decided it was like catfish and the specialness of the flavor was not detectable to me because I was not from the Deep South. But now I've learned the Deep South has nothing to do with my crawfish/dad/mudbug difficulty.
Perhaps when you have the time, you can give me a Deep South seafood consumption lesson. While you sing me the blues.
Hmmm...I'm not sure how Texans view themselves. I suppose they consider Texas as being a part of the South, but is it truly the Deep South? Texas has been described as a Southern state, but lacks a history of Southern settlement and cotton plantations. I'm thinking we've had this discussion before, but I could be wrong.
Coming from where you come from, it would not be wrong to safely assume on your part that you are definitely in the Deep South. But being from Mississippi and Louisiana as I am, it would be wrong for me to assume that I now live in the Deep South. I believe if I were to poll my kinfolk still living down in Mississippi and Louisiana, they would definitely correct me, if I were to claim that Texas is in the Deep South.
Eating craw fish does take a certain pizazz and a taste for the cayenne spice. Whether you choose to suck the heads definitely sets you apart. As in, people will know right away whether you're a novice or not.
If I were to teach you how to savor the scrumptious craw dad...I wouldn't do it with Texas samples, instead...we would have to have the lesson in the Deep South, because then and only then would you be able to experience it in all it's glory.
CT2---We've discussed you living in the Deep South in West Texas previously? I've no memory of this. Not saying the discussion did not happen. I have a very bad memory.
I think Wikipedia has cleared up the mystery as to whether or not you and I currently reside in the Deep South.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deep_South
When I was a kid and we would go to California to go to Disneyland I thought I was in the Deep South. Growing up near the Canadian border warps ones view as to what looks like the Deep South.
As for the crawdads, I guess the next time we are in New Orleans you can give me the head sucking lesson.
Then according to wiki...Texas is in the South, but not the Deep South. I guess it truly doesn't matter, but I'm just thankful I don't have to revise the blog :-)
I'll be in New Orleans August 19th, all day. Give me a call.
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