Martin Accordions

{We first visited here last March on an earlier visit to Betty’s RV Park, but I never got around to posting a blog about Martin Accordions.  Some of the photos used today are from that previous visit.}

Wednesday we returned to visited Martin Accordions. This is the unassuming plant behind Waffle House in Scott, which was Clarence “Junior” Martin’s former cabinet shop.

We  were delighted with a two hour concert of Papa (Junior Martin), daughter, Penny (a school principal) and grandson, Joel (a professional musician).  Joel had just returned the night before from performing in Washington, DC for the White House Mardi Gras celebration….yes, he is that good!

The concert was held in the main room with chairs set up in rows for the audience.  The workshop is in a room to the right.

      

We heard the history of the Cajun melodeon accordions which started by using German accordions.  But with WWII and the destruction of two of the three accordion factories, Acadians began making their own.

Martin Accordions uses the finest bellows and reeds from Italy.  The rest of the instrument is made here using woods from all over the world. Their basic accordion costs $2,500. 

 

 

 

 

If you want their trademarked crawfish on the bellows, it is an extra $150. 

 

 

We enjoyed two hours of music where they played music progressively from one decade to the next. It was wonderful!!!

 

Joel is a very talented young man.  He plays accordion in bands six nights a week…many times at Cowboys, a bar in Scott, LA

Barb even got into the act during the Zydeco song.

Here is a panoramic photo I took.

It was a great time.  If you are ever at Betty’s RV Park make sure you ask if the group can go to Martin Accordions (they take groups of 15 or more and at $15 each it is well worth it).  It is a trip of a lifetime.

Remember, you are loved.

Peggy’s New Rig

We met many of our blog readers here at Betty’s RV Park, so I wanted them to know about Peggy’s new rig, which she gave me permission to write about.  Jan and John were able to help Peggy’s sell her Class A, 45 foot rig to Lazy Days in Florida.  Lazy Days sent a rep from Florida and picked it up Wednesday morning.

Peggy didn’t want to be here when they drove the rig away, so nine of us ladies took her to lunch, gave her a couple of Bloody Marys and stayed away for three hours till the Class A left and her new rig was delivered from Lafayette and was set up.

We went to El Camino for lunch and they were very kind to let us linger for the time necessary.

     

The food is good with huge servings; look at the burrito in the middle photo compared to Linda’s hand…

Here is Peggy’s new rig a 32 foot KZ manufactured Spree Super Lite travel trailer with an outdoor kitchen (that Marlene has claimed as her own).

Here’s the outdoor kitchen

Cabinet, micro, fridge, drawers and pre-wired for a TV

This shows the two burner stove opened up.

There where too many people inside for me to take photos, but the rig has an island with the sink and two side cabinets, there’s a leather couch and two recliner combo, a separate full bathroom with a huge shower and a king-sized bed.  We were all very impressed with the quality and layout of this travel trailer and we’re all very happy for Peggy. 

Remember, you are loved.

Quiet Day-No Concert

It was a quiet day with me going to the library to return a book and Jim spending most of the day detailing the truck…it really needed it.  So nice we can drive around in style.

At 4 o’clock (why don’t we ever write it that way any more?) the gang here at Betty’s drove to Scott to see Martin Accordion factory, but alas there was a mix up on the dates and they were expecting us today, not yesterday.  So we looked around a little bit and then drove to nearby Fezzo’s, a Cajun, seafood and steakhouse (how about that for being all inclusive). It was a good experience even considering we walked and said there was 26 of us.  They accommodated us nicely with the food arriving in a timely manner and it was hot and correctly.  Plus the food tasted very good.

I got the Half and Half Fried Crawfish and Crawfish Etouffee

Jim got the Shrimp Pasta with lots of shrimp.

We got home about 8:30 and being Tuesday it was NCIS night.  Jim and I sat down and watched the recorded shows NCIS, The Voice and Person of Interest.  That got us to 10:30 (running through the commercials).  See, we are trying to stay up later in preparation for Betty’s Mardi Gras Ball Friday that doesn’t end till 11 or midnight, and we want to be there till the end.

It rained most of the night (yah, after Jim washed the truck) and will continue today.  We’ve had the air conditioned on the last two days because it has been so humid, but this morning we had to switch the thermostat to the heat pump as it got down to the 40s.  Crazy weather.

Well, that was our day….we’ll return to Scott today and have our two hour concert of Cajun music at Martin Accordions which we are anticipating a wonderful experience.  I’ll tell you all about it tomorrow.

Remember, you are loved.

Pork Butt Potluck

Yesterday Linda and I went and did laundry and then had lunch at Chili’s.  The weather has turned nice and warm and I realized I didn’t have many short-sleeved shirts.  (During the summer we wear company uniform shirts as we workamp as camp hosts so I didn’t need “civilian” shirts.) So Linda and I went to Walmart and I bought three tee shirts.

Soon it was happy hour and it was nice enough for us to sit outside in the patio.

Debbie found these tiny “red solo cups” the size of shot glasses. Fireball has become the unofficial drink here at Betty’s	Debbie showed us her feathered mask
Then Debbie came out with her “Chicken Run” hat that she made	Merlene brought out her feathered wine glass cover

About 5:30 we had our weekly potluck (usually on Sunday because most restaurants in town are closed, but changed to Monday because of the Scott Mardi Gras parade last Sunday).  Wendell and Ruth volunteered to cook pork butts this week and they came out delicious!

The rest of us brought salad and veggie sides and desserts and boy did we have a nice spread.  I brought a cake as I’m getting rid of all my flour products.  That’s the last packaged product item I have…Jim still has his crackers and chips.

Lynn brought a homemade King Cake that received rave reviews, but she didn’t put in “the baby” so no one was required to bring a King Cake the next day, which is the custom.

The meal was wonderful and very much enjoyed.

After dinner the partying began….and boy did we get wound up!  Pretty soon folks brought out their bottles to sample and everyone was tasting different liquors.

Soon Dan brought out his guitar, Barb played her “tie” washboard and Dodo kept rhythm with a shaker.

Betty and Debbie enjoying a funny story	Celine and Barb singing together

It was a fun, fun evening and was another great day being at Betty’s RV Park here in Abbeville, Louisiana.

Remember, you are loved.

Savoy and Washington

Saturday we had a delightful time going to the Savoy Music Store in Eunice, Louisiana, once again.  I wrote about the Savoy before when we first went there in January so I won’t go into detail.  It’s an un-amplified Cajun jam session where the older masters of an instrument sit next to a youngster or teenager and they play together.  It is also a place where plain folk can come together with others and play.

      

This is the Savoy’s youngest son	Older gentleman played the triangle every song
Decked out in Mardi Gras shirt and playing accordion	Dan even got into the mix

Love seeing the old timers with the teens

Place got pretty full

We left about 11 a.m. and drove over to Washington for a music fest after their Mardi Gras parade.  Geno de la Fosse was playing and he is our favorite zydeco performer.  He is such a nice, quiet man and always takes time to talk to folks after they play and expresses appreciation to people who come to listen to him and his band.

      

      

We sat together on the side and watch the band and the dancers

      

There was a lot of good food offered also – barbequed chicken quarters ($3), pork chops ($4) or beans and rice with sausage for just $2.

      

What a nice day full with Cajun and zydeco music and good food….doesn’t get any better for us.

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Sunday we were suppose to go to Scott for their parade but it had rained hard and the skies were threatening, so Jim and I stayed home.  A lot of the gang went and had a dry and wonderful time…..oh, well, our loss.  We enjoyed hearing about it last night at happy hour, then watched a bit of the Olympics closing ceremony and finally got to see the end of Daytona 500.  So happy Junior won!

Remember, you are loved.

New Iberia Mardi Gras Parade

Last Friday we started off going to Duffy’s Diner in New Iberia for an early dinner before the parade.  I’ve already done a blog post about Duffy’s Dinner when we went ball gown shopping last December, so click HERE to see the details of this interesting 1950s dinner….great shrimp!

This is a small parade with about 8-10 decorated floats and a lot of kids in dance schools.  We enjoyed ourselves.

Richard and Lynn	Barbara (Rick under the weather)
Bernie and Dodo	Jim and Debbie
Jim and Dan, who never wants to be cold, thus the outfits	And then you have yours truly

Soon the parade began

I’ll be running a couple of days behind for the next two weeks because there is so much going on I can’t keep up….experience and blog.  I’ll do my best.

Remember, you are loved.