Down here in bayou country, the March winds have ushered out the last chilly days of winter and have left behind the anticipation of the mild spring days of April, the blooming of the Louisiana wild iris, and the ripening of the Southern Dewberries.

Hanging out with my modern-day, philanthropic pyrate friends is not only entertaining but educational, as well. It was my friend, Capt. John Swallow, who set me straight on the myth of the pyrate’s eye patch. The eye patch was really a trick of the trade so to speak.