SEE ANOTHER PERSON.

WE BUILT OUR OWN HOUSE ON THE WATER WITH A LADDER A LOWER OWED HAMMER AND A HAND SAW.

WE STAYED THERE ALMOST TEN YEARS.

OUR LIVES PIQUED THE INTEREST OF STRANGERS FROM ALL OVER WHO READ ABOUT OUR SIMPLE HOME AND WONDERED HOW WE SURVIVED OUT THERE.

THIS PROGRAM IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE FOUNDATION FOR EXCELLENCE IN LOUISIANA PUBLIC BROADCASTING AND BY VIEWERS LIKE YOU.

ATCHAFALAYA.

IT'S THE NAME THE CHOCTAW GAVE THIS MEANDERING LOUISIANA RIVER ALMOST 300 YEARS AGO.

IT SNAKES THROUGH MORE THAN A MILLION ACRES OF AMERICA'S LARGEST AND MOST FERTILE RIVER BASIN.

TIME IS MEANINGLESS HERE, THE PASSAGE OF LIFE FLEETING.

IN ALL MY YEARS HERE IN THE SPRING OF MY LIFE, I HARDLY LEFT A MARK ON THIS WILD LANDSCAPE.

BUT THIS PLACE LEFT ITS MARK ON ME AND CHANGED MY LIFE FOREVER.

IF YOU CAN SEE THE END OF THE ROAD, I THINK I FELT WHY BOTHER GOING DOWN IT?

WE ONLY HAVE ONE TIME WE CAN GO THROUGH LIFE.

AND MY FEAR WAS THAT I WOULD NOT LIVE, GETTING TO THE END OF THE ROAD IN THE OLD FOLKS' HOME SITTING IN A ROCKING CHAIR WONDERING WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED IF.

I GOT THIS MESSAGE THAT SAID DID YOU KNOW THIS IS ON NEWS STANDS?

I OPENED IT UP AND HAD NO IDEA RIGHT AT FIRST WHAT I WAS LOOKING AT.

I NEARLY FELL OUT OF MY CHAIR.

AN E-MAIL TELLS ME THIS IMAGE IS BEING PUBLISHED IN A NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC COLLECTION OF ITS 100 BEST PICTURES UNPUBLISHED.

IT IS ONE OF THE HUNDREDS, PERHAPS THOUSANDS, SNAPPED BY MY FRIEND C.C.

LOCKWOOD DURING HIS MANY VISITS TO OUR HOME IN THE ATCHAFALAYA BASIN IN THE 1970'S.

THE FIRST THING I DID RECOGNIZE WAS THE LIGHT AND I THOUGHT I HAVEN'T SEEN LIGHT LIKE THIS SINCE, 30 YEARS AGO IN THE SWAMP.

AND THEN I RECOGNIZED THE BED AND THE MOSQUITO NETTING.

THERE WAS SOMETHING ABOUT THOSE TWO FACES THAT I COULDN'T LOOK AT THEM.

IT WAS TOO PERSONAL BECAUSE IT WASN'T MY LIFE ANYMORE.

SO THEREFORE DID IT MEAN THAT WASN'T ME?

THE NEXT THING I NOTICED WAS HER SKIN.

HER SKIN WAS SO BEAUTIFUL AND SMOOTH AND TAN.

I WANTED TO TELL HER HONEY, WEAR SUNSCREEN.

IF SHE COULD SEE OUR FACE TODAY, MAYBE SHE WOULD HAVE LISTENED.

SHE USED TO THINK I WAS FAT.

AND HERE I AM OLDER, GREYER, ROUNDER, AND I AM A LOT HAPPIER IN THIS BODY THAN SHE WAS.

BUT SHE WOULDN'T BELIEVE ME IF I COULD TELL HER.

AS WITH THE SUNSCREEN, SHE'LL JUST HAVE TO FIND OUT FOR HERSELF.

I WAS THE FIRST PERSON IN MY MOTHER'S SIDE OF THE FAMILY TO EVEN GO TO COLLEGE.

I HAD WORKED MY WAY THROUGH COLLEGE.

IT SEEMED SORT OF LIKE A WASTE AT THAT POINT THAT I WOULD GO TO THE WOODS BUT IT WAS STILL THAT I JUST WANTED TO LEARN.

IT WAS 197 IT á 1972.

I WAS JUST FINISHING UP MY MASTER'S DEGREE IN SPEECH.

I WAS 24 AT THE TIME AND THE WORLD JUST DIDN'T SEEM LIKE A WELCOME PLACE.

VIETNAM.

THE PEOPLE OF LOUISIANA AREN'T GOING DO IT.

WE CAN NO LONGER FOLLOW OUR HEIR WITHOUT REGARD FOR THE EARTH.

I GREW UP NORTH OF BATON ROUGE AND MY MOTHER'S FAMILY WAS FROM BAYOU CHENE.

THE PEOPLE WHO SETTLED IN BAYOU CHENE WERE PEOPLE OF A FRONTIER SPIRIT.

LAND WAS VERY CHEAP OUT THERE.

IT WAS JUST WILDERNESS.

AND EVEN IF YOU COULDN'T AFFORD ANY LAND AT ALL, YOU COULD STILL TIE A HOUSEBOAT UP.

I LEARNED ABOUT BAYOU CHENE EARLY IN MY LIFE FROM MY GRANDMA JOSEPHINE.

MAW MAW JOSEPHINE WAS BORN ON BAYOU CHENE RIGHT AROUND THE TURN OF THE CENTURY AND FROM THE WAY SHE TALKED ABOUT BAYOU CHENE, IT WAS SO PERFECT THAT WHENEVER SUNDAY SCHOOL TEACHERS WOULD TALK ABOUT HEAVEN, THAT'S WHAT I WOULD PICTURE.

THIS LITTLE COMMUNITY HELD TOGETHER BY BAYOUS AND LITTLE FOOT PATHS BUT NO ROADS COMING IN OR OUT OF IT BECAUSE IT WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SWAMP.

I REMEMBER HER SAYING HOW VEGETABLES AND FRUIT WOULD GROW SO EASILY AND I DID GROW UP WITH THIS HAVING A MYTHCAL PRESENCE IN MY LIFE, THE MOTHER EARTH THAT WE ALL SPRANG FROM.

á.

AS I GOT OLDER I BEGAN TO REALIZE IT WAS A VERY SMALL PART OF NOT THE UNIVERSE BUT EVEN OF LOUISIANA.

AND THAT OTHER PEOPLE DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT IT, AND THAT IT DIDN'T REALLY EVEN EXIST ANYMORE.

IT WAS JUST LAND OUT THERE, THAT THERE WERE NO MORE PEOPLE.

MOST OF THEIR FAMILIES MOVED TO THE HIGH GROUND OUTSIDE THE LEVEES AFTER THE GREAT MISSISSIPPI RIVER FLOOD OF 1927.

THE CORPS OF ENGINEERS FLOOD CONTROL PROJECTS THAT FOLLOWED TURNED THE BASIN INTO A MASSIVE SPILL WAY.

MY MOTHER'S GENERATION WAS A BRIDGE BETWEEN THE GENERATIONS THAT HAD LIVED IN THE SWAMP AND THE FUTURE.

SO THEY WERE ALL RAISED ON THE LEVEE.

THEY JUST ASSUMED THAT OUR FAMILY WOULD KEEP MOVING AWAY FROM THE SWAMP.

BUT THEN MY OLD CHILDHOOD FRIEND CALVIN INVITED ME OUT IN THE BASIN AND IT CHANGED MY LIFE FOREVER.

I DON'T REMEMBER WHEN I FIRST MET CALVIN.

ALL THROUGH MY CHILDHOOD DURING SUMMERS AND HOLIDAYS WE WOULD SIT ON MAW MAW JOSEPHINE'S PORCH ON THE SWING AND VISIT.

HE WOULD TELL ME ABOUT THE BASIN BUT I NEVER DID GO OVER THE LEVEE.

I DID á NEVER DID SEE IT.

HE HAD MOVED A HOUSE BACK INTO THE SWAMP, THE HOUSE HIS PARENTS HAD LIVED IN RIGHT WHEN I WAS GETTING OUT OF GRADUATE SCHOOL.

HE WAS TELLING ME ABOUT HOW BEAUTIFUL IT WAS WHERE HE MOVED THE HOUSE AND I JUST WANTED TO SEE IT.

ONCE I SAW IT AND WENT THE FIRST TIME, I DON'T REMEMBER THERE BEING A CONSCIOUS DECISION.

IT JUST -- I JUST KEPT GOING.

I LOVED THE SMELL OF THE WATER AND THE DENSE GREEN GROWTH AND THE DEEP BLACK SOIL.

IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL PLACE TO LIVE IN THAT OLD HOUSE.

WHEN WE LIVED ON THE BANK, I COULD SEE STAYING THERE FOREVER .

THEN THE FLOOD OF 1973 WENT OVER THE HOUSE IN FEBRUARY, JUST THE TOP OF THE ROOF WAS SHOWING.

AND WE HAD TO LEAVE.

THERE WAS NO WHERE FOR US AS A PAIR TO GO.

UNTIL THAT MOMENT HE AND I BOTH HAD SAID WHY WOULD PEOPLE EVER LEAVE THIS FOR CIVILIZATION.

AT THAT MOMENT, WE KNEW.

THEN JUST VERY QUIETLY, CALVIN SAID WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT A HOUSEBOAT?

I SAID NOT MUCH.

HE SAID A BIG HOUSE, ON A BIG BARGE WITH LOTS OF WINDOWS.

WE'LL EVEN HAVE A FIREPLACE.

IT WILL BE BETTER THAN THIS HOUSE.

I THOUGHT WELL WHY NOT?

IF HE THINKS WE CAN DO IT, MAYBE WE CAN AND WHAT HAVE WE GOT TO LOSE?

SO WE JUST PUT OUT THE WORD TO EVERYONE WE KNEW THAT WE WERE LOOKING FOR A BARGE TO BUY, THAT WE WERE LOOKING FOR AN OLD HOUSE TO TEAR DOWN SO THAT WE COULD GET MATERIALS.

SOMEHOW WE HAD TO GET THE MONEY TO PAY FOR IT IF IT EVER TURNED UP.

WE SEPARATED FOR A YEAR AND WENT TO EARN MONEY.

IT WAS IN CHRISTMAS EVE 74 THAT I WAS WORKING ON A RIVERBOAT AND HE CALLED ME AND SAID HE HAD LOCATED A BARGE THAT WE COULD AFFORD.

YOU CAN'T SEPARATE YOUR OWN YOUTH FROM SOMEONE ELSE'S YOUTH.

IT WAS JUST LIKE ANYONE WHO IS DOING EXACTLY WHAT THEY WANT TO DO AND THEY'RE BUILDING A LIFE TOGETHER.

IT WAS A WONDERFUL TIME.

WE HAD NO IDEA HOW TO BUILD A HOUSE.

WE JUST DREW ONE WITH SOME CRAYONS.

WE HAD ONLY A SMALL PAPER BACK BOOK CALLED HOW TO BUILD YOUR HOUSE IN THE WOODS.

AND THAT'S WHAT WE FOLLOWED.

WE HAD ONLY A HAMMER AND A CROWBAR, I THINK.

WE HAD TO BORROW A LADDER AND I THINK WE EVEN HAD TO BORROW A HAND SAW.

IT WAS A TIME OF ANTICIPATION AND EXCITEMENT AND HARD WORK.

WE WOULD GO TO BED EVERY NIGHT TIRED.

IT WOULD JUST FEEL SO GOOD.

I DON'T EVEN REMEMBER TAKING TIME TO EAT.

IT DIDN'T TAKE BUT 7 MONTHS DO IT.

AND IT WAS BEAUTIFUL TO WATCH IT COME TOGETHER.

IT WAS MASSIVE.

WHEN YOU SAY YOU LIVE IN A HOUSEBOAT, PEOPLE DON'T EXPECT THIS LARGE STRUCTURE.

THE BARGE ITSELF WAS 103 FEET LONG.

THE PORCH WAS 20 BY 20.

THE KITCHEN WAS 20 BY 20.

THERE WERE SO MANY WINDOWS THAT THERE WAS JUST ENOUGH WALL TO HOLD UP THE ROOF.

THE MIDDLE ROOM HAD THE OLD BRICK FLOOR AND THEN THE BEDROOM WE PAINTED WHITE WITH TOW BOAT PAINT.

YOU COULD LIGHT ONE LITTLE LAMP AND IT WOULD MAKE THE WHOLE ROOM SO BRIGHT.

THE BED LIKE SO MUCH OF WHAT WE DID WAS PURELY CALVIN'S CREATIVITY AND ENERGY BUT IT WAS A SPACE SAVING IDEA THAT HE HAD.

WE WOULD PULL THE BED UP IN THE MORNINGS AND TIE IT OFF AND THEN LET IT DOWN AT NIGHT.

IN ORDER TO GET A LITTLE BREEZE YOU WOULD JUST PUT YOUR FOOT UP ON THE ROPE AND JUST PUSH THE ROPE WITH YOUR FOOT.

AND IT WOULD MAKE THE BED ROCK.

ANYONE THAT EVER SLEPT IN IT SAID THAT IT WAS THE MOST COMFORTABLE SLEEPING.

TO ME, IT WAS THE NATURAL WAY TO LIVE.

YOU WAKE UP WHEN THE SUN COMES UP.

THE AMOUNT OF WORK I DID IN A DAY WAS NOT DIFFICULT BECAUSE THE TIME WAS SET BY MY OWN BODY.

AND I DON'T THINK THAT IS AS TIRING.

IF IT WAS WARM WEATHER WE WOULD JUMP OFF THE BARGE AND SWIM TO THE SAND BAR AND WE WOULD START OUR DAY BY BATHING AND WASHING OUR HAIR OVER THERE ON THE SAND BAR.

THEN WE WOULD SWIM BACK TO THE BARGE AFTER WE HAD MADE OUR PLANS AND GET STARTED ON THE DAY.

IF IT WAS FISHING, WE WOULD PUT WHATEVER GEAR WE NEEDED.

IF IT WAS NET TYING, WE WOULD PROBABLY ALREADY HAVE THE NETS OUT OR IF WE WERE PUTTING NETS OUT WE WOULD LOAD THESE BIG HOOP NETS ON THE BOAT AND THEN GO OUT AND RUN THE NETS OR THE LINES OR THE CRAWFISH TRAPS.

CALVIN USUALLY WENT TO SELL FISH BY HIMSELF.

AND I WOULD STAY HOME AND FIX SOMETHING TO EAT, DO HOUSEWORK.

THEN HE WOULD COME BACK AND WE WOULD EAT.

THE HUNTERS WOULD OFTEN GIVE US DEER AND SQUIRREL.

OCCASIONALLY A TRADE FROM A TOW BOAT WOULD GIVE US A CHICKEN.

WE DIDN'T KILL OUR CHICKENS.

WE HAD A YEAR ROUND GROWING SEASON.

WE COULD GROW ANYTHING EVERY MONTH OF THE YEAR, WE COULD GROW SOMETHING.

DURING WINTER WE HAD SALAD GREENS WHICH WE GREW ON THE BARGE IN BOXES.

IN THE GARDEN WE WOULD HAVE MUSTARD GREENDZ, GREEN ONIONS, COL ARDZ, TURNIPS AND THOSE TYPES OF THINGS.

LATER WE WOULD HAVE TOMATOES, SQUASH, BEANS.

IN THE FALL THE PUMPKINS WOULD COME IN.

WE WOULD CAN JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING.

WE EVEN MADE OUR OWN KETCHUP.

IT TOOK ME A LONG TIME TO EAT BOUGHT KETCHUP.

IT TASTES SO OVER COOKED WHEN YOU ARE USED TO REALLY GOOD HOME MADE KETCHUP.

THERE WAS NOTHING THAT WE FELT AFRAID OF WHEN WE LIVED IN THE SWAMP.

PEOPLE OFTEN ASKED ME ABOUT DANGERS AND ACTUALLY, THE ONLY THINGS THAT I CAN REMEMBER THAT COULD HAVE BEEN DANGEROUS WOULD HAVE BEEN A CUT FROM THE BRUSH HOOK OR A CHAIN SAW ACCIDENT.

OH, THERE WERE SNAKES AND ALLIGATORS.

WE COULD STAND ON THE BARGE AND SEE 10, 12 AT A TIME, BEAUTIFUL BIG BANDED WATER SNAKES WOULD JUST LIE IN THE SUN ALL AROUND THE BARGE ON THE LOGS.

BUT THEY'RE NOT POISONOUS.

THE ONLY POISONOUS SNAKES WE HAD TO WORRY ABOUT OUT THERE WERE COPPERHEADS AND COTTEN MOUTHS.

THE COPPERHEADS WERE SO SHY I DON'T THINK WE SAW BUT ONE OR TWO THE WHOLE TIME WE WERE THERE.

BEING A WILDERNESS SITUATION, THERE WAS NOT A LOT WE HAD TO GO OUTSIDE FOR IN THE WINTER TIME.

YOU KNOW IN LOUISIANA IT STARTS RAINING IN NOVEMBER AND FROM WHAT I REMEMBER, IT RAINS ALL THE WAY THROUGH UNTIL MARCH.

IF IT WAS WINTER TIME AND HIGH WATER, WE WOULD PROBABLY HAVE WOOD TO CUT BECAUSE IF THE WATER WAS LEVEL WITH THE GROUND, IT WAS MUCH EASIER TO LOAD THE WOOD AND UNLOAD IT.

WE WOULD HAVE THE WOOD STOVE IN THE KITCHEN AND THE FIREPLACE IN THE MIDDLE ROOM, THE LIBRARY.

I FELT LIKE WE WERE PLENTY WARM ENOUGH.

THEN SUMMER TIME, THERE WERE A FEW NIGHTS THAT IT WOULD BE SO HOT THAT IT WAS DIFFICULT TO SLEEP .

WHEN I WENT TO THE SWAMP I DIDN'T WANT A COMMUNITY.

I JUST WANTED IT TO BE CALVIN AND ME, NOBODY ELSE.

BUT THE FEW PEOPLE WHO WERE OUT THERE WERE ACCUSTOMED TO BEING A COMMUNITY AND BEING NEIGHBORLY.

IN THE VAST AREA OF THE ATCHAFALAYA WHERE WE WERE LIVING, THERE WERE 3 SINGLE ELDERLY MEN LIVING IN DIFFERENT PLACES AND ONE ELDERLY COUPLE.

THAT WAS ALL THAT LIVED OUT THERE DAY AND NIGHT.

ALCEDE VERRET WAS BORN IN THE SWAMP.

HE WAS BORN HE USED TO SAY IN 1900.

HE DIED IN 1998 JUST SHORT OF HIS 99TH BIRTHDAY.

HE WAS RAISED AROUND BAYOU CHENE AND DIDN'T GET A CHANCE TO GO TO COLLEGE, EVEN THOUGH HE WAS A VERY SMART MAN.

HE WAS ONE OF THE SMARTEST PEOPLE I EVER MET.

HE SEEMED LIKE SUCH A LARGER THAN LIFE PERSON, JUST TELLING THESE STORIES IN THIS BOOMING VOICE.

ALCEDE WAS UNIQUE IN THAT HE WOULD ACTUALLY COOK A BANQUET EVERYDAY AND HOPED SOMEBODY WOULD COME.

IT WORKS.

IF PEOPLE FIND OUT YOU COOK A BANQUET EVERYDAY, YOU WILL HAVE COMPANY.

PEOPLE WOULD COME TO VISIT AND EAT AND JUST STAY FOR HOURS.

THAT'S WHEN WE HEARD ALL KINDS OF WONDERFUL STORIES.

WE HAD AN UNUSUAL VARIETY OF VISITORS, PEOPLE THAT YOU JUST WOULDN'T HAVE EXPECTED TO FIND US.

ONE OF THOSE WE JUST STUMBLED UPON ONE SUNDAY AFTERNOON.

WE WERE SITTING ON PETER BUNCH'S PORCH.

THIS VERY SUN BURNED YOUNG MAN WITH WHITE BLOND HAIR WAS RIDING IN 2 CANOES STRAPPED TOGETHER TO MAKE A BOAT.

HE STOOD UP IN THE CANOES AND SAID WHICH WAY IS BUFFALO COVE.

PETER BUNCH SAID THAT BOY IS CRAZY.

I WOULDN'T EVEN GO DOWN THERE IF I WAS YOU.

BUT WE WERE SO HAPPY TO SEE SOMEONE OUR AGE AND WE WERE SO INTRIGUED THAT WE WENT DOWN THERE TO MEET HIM.

HIS NAME WAS C.C.

LOCKWOOD.

HE WANTED TO BE A WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHER, CAPTURING THE BEAUTY OF THE BASIN.

THIS WAS SOMETHING WE WANTED TO HEAR BECAUSE SO MANY TIMES WHEN CALVIN AND I WERE FISHING IN SOME BEAUTIFUL PLACE, ONE OF US WOULD TURN TO THE OTHER ONE AND SAY SOMEBODY OUGHT TO TAKE PICTURES OF THIS PLACE.

AFTER THAT FIRST VISIT, HE WOULD COME EVERY FEW WEEKS, MAYBE EVERY FEW MONTHS AND HE WOULD VISIT WITH US.

AND HE WOULD TELL US WHAT HE WAS DOING BACK IN CIVILIZATION.

THESE ANNOUNCEMENTS FROM HIM ABOUT THE OUTSIDE WORLD BECAME GRANDER AND GRANDER UNTIL FINALLY ONE DAY HE CAME AND SAID NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC IS GOING TO PAY ME TO DO A STORY, A PHOTOGRAPHIC STORY ABOUT THE ATCHAFALAYA BASIN.

TO CATALOG LIFE IN THE BASIN IN THE 1970'S.

THE ARTICLE WAS ABOUT THE TROUBLE THAT THE BASIN WAS IN AND THE ARGUMENTS THAT WERE GOING ON ON BOTH SIDES ON THE BEST WAY TO SAVE THE BASIN BECAUSE R. THEY INTERVIEWED THE CORPS OF ENGINEERS, FISHERMEN, INDIGENOUS PEOPLE LIKE US.

IT WAS MET WITH A LOT OF ENTHUSIASM.

WE GOT MAIL FROM AS FAR AWAY AS INDIA AND CALIFORNIA.

THERE WAS NO MAILING ADDRESS FOR US IN THERE.

PEOPLE JUST SENT LETTERS AND CARDS TO CALVIN AND GWEN ATCHAFALAYA BASIN.

THERE ARE SO MANY PEOPLE INTERESTED IN WHAT WE'RE DOING, SO MANY PEOPLE WERE ASKING QUESTIONS, I THOUGHT I WILL JUST WRITE MY OWN STORY AND PUT IT IN THE LOCAL NEWSPAPER.

THAT WAY, I CAN ANSWERS EVERYBODY'S QUESTIONS AT ONCE.

AFTER THE FIRST ARTICLE THAT I WROTE, IT WAS AS IF EVERYTHING I LOOKED AT AFTER THATWAS IN STORY FORM.

CALVIN AND I TALKED ABOUT IT ALL THE TIME.

WE WOULD TALK ABOUT HOW WOULD WE DESCRIBE WHAT IT'S LIKE SHAD DIPPING?

AND THIS PARTICULAR COVE WHERE IT WAS SO QUIET THAT YOU COULD THINK YOU WOULD HEAR THE WORLD TURNING, THAT'S HOW QUIET THAT PLACE WAS.

WE WOULD TALK.

WE WOULD TALK ABOUT SONGS.

WE WOULD TALK ABOUT THINGS WE HAD READ.

WE WOULD TALK ABOUT OLD PEOPLE AND I WONDER HOW THEY DID THIS OR THAT IN THE OLD DAYS, THINGS THAT REALLY THE THINKING OF IT DOESN'T GET YOU ANYWHERE.

THE SORT OF DOWN TIME WHERE YOUR BRAIN ISN'T REALLY BUSY SOLVING A PROBLEM.

YOU CAN JUST WONDER.

LIKE WITH OTHER RELATIONSHIPS, WE DRIFTED APART.

WE FOUND OURSELVES IN A SITUATION WHERE WE NEEDED MONEY.

AND I TOOK A JOB ON A TOW BOAT TO MAKE SOME MONEY BECAUSE ONE OF OUR DOGS GOT INJURED.

WHILE I WAS ON THIS BOAT, I FELL IN LOVE WITH THE MAN I WOULD LATER MARRY.

AFTER ABOUT A YEAR OF TRYING TO STAY BACK IN THE SWAMP AGAIN, I REALIZED I HAD TO LEAVE AND MARRY THIS OTHER MAN.

CALVIN EVENTUALLY FOUND LOVE ELSE WHERE TOO.

WHEN I LEFT THE SWAMP I CLOSED THE DOOR ON THAT.

AND JUST SORT OF PRETENDED IT NEVER HAPPENED.

I THINK I WILL ALWAYS BE A WRITER.

THESE DAYS I WRITE ABOUT RURAL LIFE.

I LIVE HERE ON A FARM IN GEORGIA WITH MY HUSBAND PRESTON RAISING CHICKENS AND GOATS, TENDING MY GARDENS HEIR LOOM TOMATOES AND SNAP BEANS.

I HAVE HELPED ESTABLISH SEVERAL LOCAL FARMERS MARKETS HERE.

I HAVE HAD SO MANY WONDERFUL EXPERIENCES IN THE YEARS SINCE I LEFT THE SWAMP, FROM LIVING IN THE FLORIDA EVERGLADES TO TRAVELLING THE COUNTRY MAKING FOLK DANCING DOCUMENTARIES TO EDITING AN INTERNATIONAL SCUBA DIVING MAGAZINE.

I COULD NEVER HAVE PREDICTED THE PATH MY LIFE HAS TAKEN, BUT REALLY THESE DAYS MY LIFESTYLE ISN'T ALL THAT DIFFERENT FROM 30 YEARS AGO.

THERE IS SOMETHING REASSURING ABOUT THE TURNING OF THE SEASONS.

SPRING TO SUMMER, SUMMER TO AUTUMN, AUTUMN TO WINTER.

IT'S FUNNY HOW LIFE CAN CIRCLE BACK ON ITSELF.

IT'S BEEN ALMOST 30 YEARS SINCE I HAVE SEEN CALVIN.

WHEN OUR PHOTOGRAPH SHOWED UP IN NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC ALL OF A SUDDEN A LOT OF PEOPLE WANTED TO KNOW WHATEVER HAPPENED TO US IN OUR HOUSEBOAT.

I AM NOT SURE ANY OF US WOULD HAVE EVER GOTTEN IN TOUCH AGAIN HAD IT NOT BEEN FOR THE PHOTO.

IT WAS SO LONG AGO.

PRESTON AND I WENT BACK TO SEE CALVIN AND MEET CATHY AND TO VISIT THE SPOT WE HAD LIVED ALL THOSE YEARS AGO.

YEP, THIS IS WHERE WE USED TO LIVE.

THIS IS THE FIRST PLACE.

SO OUR HOUSE WAS RIGHT HERE.

YEAH.

LET'S GO OVER THERE AND SEE IF WE CAN SEE ANYTHING.

IT WAS GREAT TO GO BACK OUT THERE AND SEE THAT I REALLY DIDN'T HAVE ANY EFFECT ON IT.

WAS THAT FROM WHERE OUR GARDEN WAS?

I DON'T THINK SO.

I DON'T THINK IT WAS THAT FAR OVER.

THE BASIN IS TURNING BACK INTO WILDERNESS AND THAT'S THE WAY IT SHOULD BE.

IT SHOULDN'T REMEMBER ME.

I GUESS YOU WILL BE COMING OUT HERE THIS WEEKEND.

IF I AM NOT STUCK WORKING.

SO MANY THINGS IN OUR LIVES, CHANGE ARE ALTERED TO WHERE THEY'RE NOT RECOGNIZABLE.

BUT I THINK EVERYBODY NEEDS SOME PLACE THAT'S A CONSTANT, THAT WILL ALWAYS BE THE SAME WHENEVER THEY GO BACK TO IT.

FOR ME, THAT'S THE BASIN.

YEP.

FORGOT ABOUT THAT PICTURE.

SHAD DIPPING RIGHT THERE.

LOOK AT C.C.

AS A YOUNGSTER.

IT'S BEEN SO NICE TO SEE OLD FRIENDS AFTER SUCH A LONG TIME.

SLEEPING ON THE PORCH OF YOUR BARGE OR LATER IN MY HOUSEBOAT THAT'S HOW I STAYED.

I HAD THE ORANGE BAG, THAT RED ICE CHEST.

THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME WE SAW YOU.

WORST THING I REMEMBER ABOUT THAT IS YOU-ALL ACCUSED ME OF BEING LOST.

I HAD NEVER BEEN LOST IN MY LIFE.

WASN'T THAT THE DAY YOU ASKED US ABOUT BUFFALO COVE?

I STILL WASN'T LOST.

YOU REMEMBER THE FIRST TIME YOU SAW IT.

IT ALL BLENDS TOGETHER.

ALL I REMEMBER IS IT WAS SUCH A PEACEFUL BOAT.

REALLY ONE OF THE NICEST HOMES I HAVE EVER BEEN IN.

YOU HAVE MANAGED TO HOLD ONTO A LOT OF THIS KIND OF LIFE, HAVEN'T YOU?

YEAH, GUESS I WAS JUST BORN INTO IT, JUST PART OF ME.

I DIDN'T WANT GO BACK AND REVISIT ALL THAT.

IT WAS TOO PAINFUL.

BUT NOW HAVING GONE BACK IN MY MIND AND TO RECONNECT WITH CALVIN AND WITH YOU, I HAVE COME TO SEE JUST THE BIGGER PICTURE OF IT, THAT EVERYTHING YOU DO IN LIFE IS GOING TO COUNT.

IT'S GOING TO CHANGE YOU.

IT'S GOING TO MAKE YOU WHO YOU ARE LATER ON.

NOTHING'S EVER WASTED.

TO GO TO THE SWAMP AT THAT AGE WAS A WAY TO TRULY FIND OUT MY STRENGTHS, WHAT I REALLY WAS.

WHEN I SEE THAT YOUNG WOMAN TODAY, THE THINGS I ADMIRE ABOUT HER THAT I STILL ADMIRE ABOUT THE OLDER WOMAN IS THAT HER CURIOSITY ALWAYS OUT WEIGHED HER FEAR OF FAILURE.

I KNOW NOW THAT IT DOESN'T MEAN JUST BECAUSE I DIDN'T RECOGNIZE HER AND SHE WAS YOUNG, THAT IS STILL ME.

THAT PERSON, THAT YOUNG PERSON IS STILL ON THE INSIDE.

AND I REALIZE NOW THAT WE TAKE THAT YOUNG PERSON, IF WE WANT TO, WE TAKE THEM INTO THE REST OF OUR LIFE WITH US.

THIS PROGRAM IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE FOUNDATION FOR EXCELLENCE IN LOUISIANA PUBLIC BROADCASTING AND BY VIEWERS LIKE YOU.

TO ORDER A COPY OF THIS PROGRAM CALL 1-800-973-7246.

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