2021 Gulf Coast Herf thing event hootenanny

[jeepdad]

Wow, where to start. So many wonderful moments, conversations, laughs, zingers and memorable quotes. Barb "I have to wash the damn mud off his shoes"!

First Keith and his better half, Mary, their hospitality and generosity are unmatched. Very welcoming salt of the earth people easy with a laugh and always smiling. It is evident the strong bond they not only have with one another, but with their family, friends and neighbors and the equally strong bond to the land they call home. Keith made a speech before chow on Saturday that speaks to the soul of the man. His love for the traditions taught him by his father that he is now passing on to Tommy's son. It's more than a way of life it's who he is. It runs through his blood. He upholds the tradition well.

The food on Saturday. Good lord. The care, attention, sweat and love that went into that boil is something I will never forget. I had never tried crawfish before and told Keith that. He very generously shared with me the lessons he learned at a very young age teaching me the basics of how to do a boil as well as how to eat a crawfish. And eat I did. I couldn't fit one more delicious flavorful morsel in my mouth. While Jason sitting beside me had no such problem! I had to take a break and smoke a cigar awaiting my second wind. Keith's boils are so good Tommy's son who doesn't like seafood only eats Keith's crawfish. No one else's. It's that good!

The sheer quality and quantity of chow on Friday night was unbelievable. I was starving when I arrived and my taste buds were not disappointed. Tommy was manning the grill grilling oysters with his special sauce. The oysters were huge and plump. And Tommy's sauce of butter, garlic and seasonings matched well. I lost count of how many I ate. Tommy I will be hitting you up on your grilling method!

Jon was working the deep fryer cooking up the soft shell crabs. And he did it deftly with the finesse of a sushi chef with a beer in one hand! I was so focused on the oysters Jon said I gotta try one of the crabs before its all gone. I got the last one and it went down well perfectly fried. The batter was just right.

I don't remember Abby's husband name he was running the griddle with blackened mahi mahi and redfish. By the time I got to it I was full but forced down more than one thick fillet!

The coolers of beer were iced down and the sticks were plentiful.

The people. Every person I met to a man were good people. They were genuine, real and generous. The beers they brought were my beers the sticks they brought were my sticks. They all are comfortable in their own skin, friendly and the conversations were easy and free flowing. The whole weekend reminded me of the huge wonderfully fun family reunions back home in North Carolina when I was a kid.

The many conversations under the trees with a pleasant breeze knee deep in cold beer and countless cigars. The conversations on the back porch or front porch regardless of with whom I was talking it was like we had known each other for years. I can see why Keith loves Slidell it's a great place to be from.

Meeting the folks from CW (and their wives) that I have been chatting with since joining several years ago was enjoyable. Finally putting a face to a moniker. I met Jason years ago on another forum. I enjoyed meeting the man the myth the legend. He can talk smartly on a wide variety of subjects and is a kind hearted man. It was enjoyable hearing stories from previous herfs from Keith, Jason, Jeff and Jon.

The actual memorial to Ken on the front porch with everyone in a circle was as Jason said bitter sweet. We shared fond memories of Ken. We laughed at past stories, we cried, we reflected on the loss of a brother. Jason brought Ken's favorite cigar a MC number 4 so we herfed and raised a shot of rum (no coke) in his honor. Jason said "Ken would have enjoyed this". RIP Son of the South.

To God. Thanks for the weather! Worked out perfectly!

Keith, Mary, Jamie, Jon, Bruce and others. Thanks for all your prep work, cooking and clean up. It was a lot of work I know. Thank you.

I truly enjoyed every min of this weekend. It was good for my soul. I get busy nose to the grindstone in the trenches day in and day out and easily forget what really matters in life. What I witnessed on Lawrence Street in Slidell is what matters, family, friendship, love and passing strongly held good and right traditions to the next generation.

Sincere thanks All.

--Dan