Home Again

The day trip to Natchitoches went very well. When we arrived in Natchitoches a local guide dressed in a period costume boarded the bus. She was very entertaining. We went to Melrose Plantation. A descendant of the original owner showed us through the buildings. Her great, great, great, great grandmother had been a slave owned by the commander of the post at Natchitoches. She bore ten of this man’s children. The man was named Metoyer. He freed her and her children. She and her children became the owners of what was to become Melrose Plantation through land grants starting in 1794. The black family owned the plantation until the 1840’s. I had never heard about black plantation owners before.

We then went to Saint Augustine Catholic Church for lunch and a tour. The church was used in the wedding scene of the movie, Steel Magnolias. Natchitoches has been used in several movies and Oprah Winfrey has visited the town a couple of times. We then got on the bus and received a tour of the area and historic part of town. After that it was time to shop. Most of the people including me headed to a coffee shop. Then we got back on the bus and waited for the Christmas lights along the river to be turned on. They really have a spectacular display. After we saw the lights come on in downtown, we drove through residential areas. The people put a tremendous amount of effort into decorating their homes. I was surprised at how many new residential areas with really nice homes there were. There is a college in the town, but I really did not figure out what is supporting their economy. It was sugar cane and cotton in the past.

I talked to the salesman at Classic Acura on Monday. He did more checking on the 2006 models that they are scheduled to receive. He said the cars with the technology package are being allocated and Classic Acura will not be receiving any more in the foreseeable future. He said if I came in and placed an order by the end of the year, it would be delivered during the first part of February. This is the only way I will get the car I want. I am going to take my time to think this over.