The beauty of the marsh is often subtle. You might have to look closely at a leaf or dragonfly to see it. But the beauty of the wide skies above the marsh can be spectacular. Here in the wetlands there are few trees and no hills or buildings to block your spacious view. Southwest Louisiana is considered a "subtropical climate" but as Mark Twain said, "Climate is what we expect, weather is what we get." He further noted that, "In spring I counted 136 different kinds of weather inside of 24 hours." He may not have been talking specifically about Southwest Louisiana, but that observation certainly could have been made here. And that changing weather is a blessing. Changes in weather allows us to see the landscape differently and to see ourselves differently too, as the weather changes the moods of marsh and men. Clear blue skies may cause spirits to soar, but clouds add beauty, interest and inspiration. Majestic anvil-shaped thunderheads build before your eyes; some containing as much energy as a nuclear bomb. Sweeping across the horizon they often carry a curtain of blue-gray rain beneath them. Slivers of lightening shoot through the dark pedestal of the thunderhead. Fair weather cotton-ball cumuli cast shadows that slide across the marshes, beckoning travelers to join them in their journey. And sunrises and sunsets hang like multicolored stage backdrops over the understated landscape.