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 Esplanade and St. Claude Avenues, and Press Street and the Mississippi River are the boundaries of the Faubourg Marigny District.  Faubourg Marigny is one of the original extenstions of New Orleans.

Directly downriver from the French Quarter, Faubourg Marigny had become a vibrant neighborhood known for its distinctive architecture and great music and restaurants before Hurricane Katrina.

Named for Marquis Bernard De Marigny who subdivided his plantation to create the Faubourg Marigny, refusing to sell to anyone that could not speak French.  Marigny inherited seven million dollars when his father died making him perhaps the richest man in the new world.

Marigny is infamous for introducing craps, the gambling game, to America.  Le crapaud is French for frog, and craps was initially called Le crapaud to describe the players position in playing the game.  Burgundy, one of the streets in Faubourg Marigny, was originally called Craps because of Bernard de Marigny’s addiction to the game.

I’ve checked numerous blogs to get an idea of what is left of Faubourg Marigny and the Big Easy in general.  Information is scarce and I plan to travel there and see for myself.  Stay tuned.

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  Acid trucks on location in Noble County, Oklahoma preparing to acidize a shallow, Herington gas well.  These little gas wells are only about 600 feet deep.

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  I awakened this Saturday morning to a dull day with lazy droplets of rain drizzling from Edmond’s gray sky.  The sight made me smile.  While the 1/4 inch or so of rain will do little to break the back of Oklahoma’s continuing drought, it is at least a reminder that better days are on the horizon.  Grinning as I collected my morning paper, I thought to myself no fires today.  http://www.ericwilder.com   http://energyissues.blogharbor.com   http://ghostofachance.blogspot.com  http://ericwilder.blogspot.com

Here is both the front and back cover of Eric Wilder’s novel Ghost of a Chance.  The book is available on the web at both Amazon.com and Barnesandnoble.com.   You can learn more about the book and author Eric Wilder at his website, http://www.ericwilder.com

Sabine Uplift is a deep-seated subsurface structural feature that lies beneath parts of Louisiana, Arkansas and Texas.  Oil and gas production in this region is directly related to this major structural feature.  The crest of this subsurface feature lies near the center of Caddo Lake in Caddo Parish, Louisiana.

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I drove north on I-35 last week and was amazed at the extent of charred property that I saw.  We are so dry and windy right now that any spark will touch off a rapidly spreading fire.  Edmond got a little rain yesterday and there was actually a rainbow in the sky, so there’s hope that we'll survive.

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 Here is a map of New Orleans, circa 1870, as drawn by an officer in the British army.

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  Opals and quartz are both comprised of SiO2.  The difference is that opal is hydrated, or contains water as a component of its molecular structure.  Quartz has a definite crystalline structure while opal is amorphous.  Opal and quartz are found in many parts of the world.  Monster-sized quartz crystal are found in parts of Arkansas.  Hugh Miser, one of the world’s most famous geologists, had perhaps the best collection of Arkansas quartz.  Some of the crystals are taller than a man and weigh hundreds of pounds.  Miser gave half of his collection to the University of Oklahoma and half to the University of Arkansas.  If you’re ever in Norman, Oklahoma or Fayetteville, Arkansas, I strongly advise stopping for a look.  You won’t be disappointed.

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         Arcadia is located about 10 miles east of Edmond, Oklahoma on historical Route 66.  Marilyn and I stopped at the Round Barn today to take a few flics and soak up a little local culture.  Tour guide Butch provided all we needed.  He kept us laughing during our entire visit to the museum inside the barn.  The little town of Arcadia is near the eastern boundary of the Run of ‘89.  It is also along the route where Washington Irving, that’s right, Beau Brummels and the Headless Horseman, stopped on his travels to Oklahoma.  Arcadia and the area around it are wonderful – yes, there is even a grape vineyard – and you may want to stay for awhile.  http://www.ericwilder.com

  Historical sign in Rodessa, Louisiana telling about the discovery of the Rodessa Field located in northwest Louisiana, Texas and Arkansas.  Today, Rodessa is but a small rural town about three miles from the Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas boundaries.  Once it was a major boomtown.  The sign speaks of past glory but so many stories remain forgotten and untold.  http://www.ericwilder.com  http://energyissues.blogharbor.com

    Cimarron City is a small community about 25 miles north of Oklahoma City.  It lies just north of the Cimarron River.  South of the river is the Kerr-McGee plutonium plant made famous by the movie Silkwood.  The plant has been closed since 1975.  There are no signs on the building but it has a high fence around it and cars in the parking lot that indicates it is still being monitored.

Karen Silkwood worked at the plant and died in a one car accident a few miles south of the Cimarron River.  It is a little known fact that Silkwood, her roommate Sherri Ellis and her boyfriend Drew Stephens had all been tested for plutonium exposure at Los Alamos in New Mexico only two days before her death.

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Oklahoma holds the record for the deepest well ever drilled in the United States.  The GHK Co. 1–27 Bertha Rogers located in Washita County, Oklahoma was the former world’s deepest hole.  This well reached a depth of 31,441 feet where it encountered molten sulfur that melted the drill pipe and forced the end of drilling.

It took GHK two years to reach 31,441 feet, a depth of almost six miles.  During drilling, the well encountered enormous pressure – almost 25,000 psi.  No commercial hydrocarbons were found and the well was plugged and abandoned.

The Soviets began drilling a well in Russia in 1970 that is now over 40,000 feet deep.  The well is the deepest hole on earth though the Bertha Rogers remains the second deepest.

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        Some angels in Eric Wilder’s garden.

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"Here I am!"

The boat's approaching wail sounded vaguely familiar to Buck but it was too late to worry about it. As it streaked past, it's wake lifted his boat almost out of the water. The little craft remained afloat but rocked dangerously. Then he heard the other boat turning for another pass.

Buck held on, waiting for the swell to subside. The wake had swamped the motor, stalling it. When the boat stopped rocking he yanked the starter cord but the motor only sputtered and died with a sick sounding thump. He had little time to worry about the stalled engine.

The marauding boat's headlight blazed through the fog, powering directly toward him. With little time to react he abandoned ship, diving overboard before the speeding boat plowed into his own craft with a tremendous crash and an ensuing explosion of wood. The wake of the collision sucked him to the bottom of the shallow lake, pinioning him in the murky ooze for a long, terrifying moment. When the wake passed, releasing the suction, he tried to kick toward the surface, his arms flailing against swirling muck and slimy vegetation. But something had his foot in it's clammy grasp and refused to let go.

The crooked branch of a submerged tree, part of the rotting mass of vegetation at the bottom of the lake, had trapped Buck's foot. He struggled but his futile attempt served only to deplete what little oxygen was left in his lungs. Despite his efforts, he gained no leverage against the algae-covered stump.

Buck's eyes bulged, his head threatening to explode, his lungs desperate to gasp something, even blood-warm water, into them. Just before losing consciousness he felt icy fingers encircle his ankle. Ephemeral hands freed his ankle from the sunken tree and pushed him toward the lake’s surface. Stroking upward in near panic, he belched foul liquid from his lungs as he burst from the black water.

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Triskaidekaphobia is defined as an abnormal fear of the number 13.  Hope no one has that fear today.  Happy Friday the 13th.

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Thousands of books have been written about the Big Easy including many excellent works of fiction, food and travel.  Here is my top 10 list of required reading for those seeking a better understanding of the city famous the world over for its literature, art and cuisine.

10 – The French Quarter by Herbert Asbury

9 – Life on the Mississippi by Mark Twain

8 – A Walk on the Wild Side by Nelson Algren

7 – Awakening by Kate Chopin

6 – Inventing New Orleans by Lafcadio Hearn

5 – Mardi Gras by Robert Tallant

4 – A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams

3 – Fabulous New Orleans by Lyle Saxon

2 – The Moviegoer by Walker Percy

1 – Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole

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    Marilyn and I returned to Lake Arcadia today in search of bald eagles.  We took a different trail this time and it was soon apparent that we were too far from the lake to do any significant eagle sighting.  Still, the weather was awesome.  You can see from the pictures just how dry Central Oklahoma is.  On a trip up I-35 toward Kansas Friday, I saw many charred acres that had already fallen prey to dry weather, high winds and errant cigarettes.

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It was a gorgeous January day in Central Oklahoma and Marilyn and I went eagle-watching at Lake Arcadia, near Edmond.  You can see by the pics just how dry it is here.  We didn’t spot any eagles but did see many ducks, crows and gulls.

Lake Arcadia was formed by damming one of the deeply incised valleys in the hills surrounding Edmond.  Rock at lakeside is red, pisolitic sandstone that dates to the Permian.  One of the pictures is an old, abandoned threshing machine.  How old?  Who knows?

Yes, there are eagles populating the area around Lake Arcadia.  Bald eagles.  Tomorrow we will try again.  If we’re not too sore to get out of bed, that is.

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The official colors for Mardi Gras were chosen in 1872 by that year’s King of Rex.  The colors he chose are purple, green and gold and these colors stand for justice, faith and power.

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    Folded strata at beautiful Lake Catherine in central Arkansas.  http://www.ericwilder.com  http://energyissues.blogharbor.com 

Saturday night ended a strange weather year for the United States. The same held true for Oklahoma. Oklahoma City saw its first 100 degree day in May, a month that is usually cool and rainy in the Sooner State. 2005 saw a continuation of the drought that began in earnest in 2003 and ‘05 was one of the driest years since Dust Bowl days.

The first day of 2006 found many grass fires burning out of control and spreading rapidly in winds gusting to 35 mph. With the advent of the new year Okies are praying for rain but the skies are clear.

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Eureka Springs lies in the lush Ozark Mountains of Arkansas near the intersection of Highways 62 and 23.  The scenic little town was founded July 4, 1879.  Many mineral springs emerge from the ancient limestone hills and travelers were drawn there after hearing of the spring’s healing properties.

The town of Eureka Springs is nestled in a valley deeply incised in the surrounding hills.  A single street with several names makes a loop beginning downtown.  Other short streets intersect the loop.  The town’s location is so steep that many buildings have as many as three ground floor entrances.

Eureka Springs is now a tourist destination and home to many artists and writers drawn to the little town’s eclectic lifestyle.  I first visited Eureka Springs as a child but have returned many times because of the serenity and atmosphere.  There is nothing more relaxing than sitting on the balcony of the Crescent Hotel and enjoying the scenic panorama that has changed little since 1879.  Pay the town a visit.  You’ll be glad you did.

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Happy holidays to everyone.

  Two photos from the Vivian Caddo Citizen that shows early pictures of Vivian and Oil City, Louisiana.  http://www.ericwilder.com  http://energyissues.blogharbor.com

  It is widely held that the first modern era New Orleans Mardi Gras occurred in 1857.  The 2006 Mardi Gras, if one takes place, will be either the 149th or 150th, depending on who you ask and how good a mathematician you are.  I think that 2006 will be the 150th anniversary of Mardi Gras, but then I’m mathematically challenged so what do I know?  This may be irrelevant anyway because some historians think the first Mardi Gras in New Orleans started in the 1700’s.

It’s widely accepted that the first Mardi Gras doubloon was thrown from a float during the 1960 Rex parade.  Since then, the various Krewes have minted their own throws made from metals ranging from aluminum to almost pure silver.  These throws are dated and have become collector’s items.  While I can’t swear to my math, there is one thing that I am sure of.  2005 doubloons and 2006 doubloons will quickly be scarfed up by collectors because both years represent a milestone in New Orleans history – the end of one era and the beginning of another.  http://www.ericwilder.com   http://energyissues.blogharbor.com   http://ericwilder.blogspot.com

  Here is another picture of Jeems Bayou taken this past October.  Some of the vegetation had begun to turn even though it was in the 90’s on this particular day.  Jeems (pronounced James) Bayou begins in Cass County, Texas.  This picture was taken very close to the Texas border and not far from Trees City, Louisiana.  http://www.ericwilder.com   http://energyissues.blogharbor.com

In 1833 Captain Henry Miller Shreve, Superintendent of Western River Improvement, began dismantling the 165 mile long log jam known as the Red River or Great Raft.  Shreve had earlier invented the snag boat and his creation had a jaw-like bow that could yank snags and tree trunks out of the water.  The trees and snags were then cut up with a saw mill on the boat’s deck.

In 1835, the Shreve Town Company was formed by eight businessmen at the site of Captain Shreve’s camp.  When a rival group started a nearby town they called Coates Bluff, the Shreve Town Company hired Captain Shreve to divert the river slightly.  He did so, leaving Coates Bluff without access to the Red River.

Today, Shreveport, named in Captain Henry Miller Shreve’s honor, is Louisiana’s second largest city and Coates Bluff little more than a faded memory.

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  A wooden oil well, circa 1915, Trees City, Louisiana.  The man on the right is Big Jim O’Rear, Great Uncle of Eric Wilder.  http://www.ericwilder.com   http://energyissues.blogharbor.com

 Eric Wilder’s grandmother, Dale O'Rear Pittenger Rood, 1918, Caddo Lake near Trees City, Louisiana. Overlooking an early-day oil gathering facility.

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  Antimony ore was discovered in southwest Arkansas shortly after the Civil War.  Ore was mined until 1947, not because the mines played out but because the veins were narrow, sinuous and hard to follow.  The mines were often entered by vertical mine shaft and these were hard to keep from filling with water.  The area is in Sevier County near the small towns of King and Gillham.  Above is an old map of the area from a University of Arkansas Master’s Thesis entitled Geochemistry, Geothermometry and Mineralogy of Copper, Lead, Zinc and Antimony Deposits of Sevier County, Arkansas.  http://www.ericwilder.com   http://energyissues.blogharbor.com

Jefferson, Texas is a sleepy East Texas town not far from Caddo Lake.  The town is historically significant because it was once the largest port in Texas, even larger at the time then Houston.  Michener devoted an interesting chapter to Jefferson in his book TEXAS.  During the 1800’s as many as 35 riverboats a day brought goods from New Orleans and returned with Texas cotton.  In addition, they brought along the celebration of Mardi Gras.

During a recent trip to Jefferson, I kept noticing Mardi Gras posters in many of the myriad curio, souvenir and antique shops (all dated, and collector’s items, I presume).  I soon learned the town celebrates Mardi Gras every year the weekend before Fat Tuesday.  It even has its own local krewe, the Krewe of Hebe. 

The water level along the route to Jefferson is no longer deep enough to support large boat travel, but more than 100 buildings are still recognized as historically significant.  Tourism is the main gig and the town reminds me of Branson, Missouri before it was converted by country music into a mega-tourist attraction.  The same could happen someday to Jefferson and I heartily recommend you check it out before then.  At least if you’re in the neighborhood.

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 Here are first-ever pictures of the extremely illusive Oklahoma Corn Dog.  http://www.ericwilder.com   http://energyissues.blogharbor.com

People born in New Orleans were called Creoles to differentiate them from white French immigrants. The Colony also attracted immigrants from Spain and the Caribbean, along with their African and Haitian slaves. Soon, anyone born in the Colony, be they white, black, Indian or mixture was considered Creole. Today, the word is often used to describe not only the people, but also the cuisine and architecture of New Orleans.

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In perhaps the most unusual weather year ever, the National Hurricane Center in Miami reported yesterday a new record for hurricanes in the Atlantic Ocean.  Epsilon, this year’s 14th hurricane, has maximum sustained winds of 75 mph.  Epsilon is only the fifth December hurricane reported in more than 120 years.  1,115 miles west of the Azores, the storm poses no threat to the U.S.  http://www.ericwilder.com   http://energyissues.blogharbor.com