As many of you know, we live in the ever-sunny state of California. Just a few hours away in Venice Beach, a walk down the boardwalk will have many folks who live in other parts of the country, turning their heads in disbelief. Tattoo’s and motorcycle helmets are just a common accessory, and living here all of my life, my head stopped turning a long time ago. In fact, the famous Birdman of Venice Beach isn’t considered “weird”, but rather just a nice old man that the birds truly love.
Weird is our norm.
Nothing could have prepared me, however, for a text I recently recieved from my father, who had left sunny California just a few days ago, headed for Baton Rouge, Louisiana, for a week-long work trip.
Dad: I bought you an alligator head.
Me: You may want to read that text you just sent me. I think autospell messed it up.
Dad: No. I bought you an alligator head.
Me: Why would you do such a thing?
Dad: It’s really awesome. I think your going to love it!
Me: Ummmmmm
Dad: I picked up some alligator feet, too!
Me: I don’t know what to say.
Dad: The place where I bought it had the biggest alligator head that they have ever caught.
Me: They catch alligators and sell their heads?
Dad: Yea, it’s awesome.
Me: Glad you think so. We may have to discuss this further when you get home. I am not sure how the girls are going to respond to a giant alligator head. And, for the record Dad, I’m not hanging it on the wall.
Dad: Sure you are.
End Conversation.
Now, my dad is kind of an “out there” type. He sports tour master jackets and shops at places deemed “Helmet City“, but I can’t say that I ever thought I would hear him say the words “I bought you an alligator head”!
So tell me, is this normal in Louisiana? Do you have an alligator head hanging in your house?
Welcome to my world – It’s an entirely different breed of people here in Louisiana. It was a real culture shock when I moved here from Central Florida.
We had lots and lots of alligators back home. My grandfather was a game warden, so he spent a lot of his time relocating them. They have the tendency to set up house under trailers, especially when snow birds would feed them – silly people. If he didn’t have time to get them to their new homes by dinner time, he would just bring them home with him and put them in the barn over night. But I swanny -Nobody that I knew of, ever mounted a gator head on their wall.
LOL @Libby how funny! I can’t imagine having an alligator in my barn overnight! Thanks for sharing.
Yes this is normal in south Louisiana. I’m originally from Mississippi but I currently live in Tulsa. I have a small alligator head as a paperweight on my desk at work and I have a larger one in my kitchen. The one in the kitchen holds the ladle that everyone uses when I have a big pot of gumbo and invite friends over.
By the way, here we skip the helmets and just wear bandanas.