Big crazy day today. I went to the Angola Prison Rodeo for probably the eighth time. The rodeo is crazy; sometimes I can't believe it's still allowed. The games all basically consist of prisoners getting hit by bulls or trying to knock bulls down. The real treat at the rodeo however is actually the "hobbycraft" area. This is where prisoners are allowed to sell the things they make. Some of them make jewelry, some of them paint and some of them figure out creative ways to re-use things around the farm. The best stuff though is the furniture. The inmates apparently have unlimited access to yellawood and cypress and they make some downright nice and creative furniture. The first year I went ('05), you could get a cypress rocking chair with a foot stool for $35. Now, I guess with the economy the way it is, even inmate labor has gone up. I found that most things have doubled in price since last year. I wanted to buy a cypress and cedar chest, which was about 150 last year, only to find out that they are now 350 or 400.
The food is also notable, just like every other event in Louisiana. I love that it's all made by local churches and rotary clubs. Today I had the Pentecostal Brotherhood of Life in Christ fried chicken and my friend had Methodist Men's "Lifer Ministry" shrimp creole.
The food is also notable, just like every other event in Louisiana. I love that it's all made by local churches and rotary clubs. Today I had the Pentecostal Brotherhood of Life in Christ fried chicken and my friend had Methodist Men's "Lifer Ministry" shrimp creole.