What IS a perfect anomaly?
Like most of life and art, that is open to interpretation.

per·fect Lacking nothing essential to the whole; complete of its nature or kind

a·nom·a·ly Deviation or departure from the normal or common order, form, or rule

So, in the most literal sense a perfect anomaly is a departure from the norm that lacks nothing essential to the whole. This blog began with a theme of “Shitty Writing by Popular Demand.” My darling Lachlan (and a few other incredible bloggers) twisted my arm into starting it and I’ve been amazed to watch it grow into a roundtable of old friends and new friends from around the world.

What topics are discussed here?
A little bit of everything but my regular topics include life in the great Pacific Northwest, photography, music, technology, the LGBT community, good food, red wine, and stupid people tricks. All served up with a dash of wit, wisdom and tabasco.

Who the hell are you?
I’m Bayou, an open-minded southern transplant who lives, loves and plays in the emerald city of Seattle, WA. I have been here for almost 4 years, which is a miracle in itself with the gypsy blood that flows through my viens. Professionally, I’m a Creative Director for a NW food importer and distributor, which really means I’m a one-woman-art-dept miracle worker. I mainly design packaging and handle all aspects of photography, marketing, and promotional sales material.

Did you have anything do to with that clam-shell packaging that makes people stab themselves?
No, thankfully, you can keep the hate-mail to yourself. I mostly design labels, paper cartons, and flexo bags.

Are you one of those designers that never leave the computer screen?
Actually, despite being a design/computer geek, I am most at home in the great outdoors. One of the many things I love about the Pacific Northwest is that within any direction a new place to explore exists (along with a different terrain, climate, and atmosphere). I’m an avid photographer and kayaker. I treasure the natural beauty of our environment. I reuse and recycle to help preserve that beauty for future generations to enjoy.

What camera do you use?
I primarily use an 8mp Panasonic Lumix with a leica lens and 12x zoom. You can see what I first wrote about it here. I also have a Canon AE-1 manual camera that I have used since I was big enough to strap it around my neck.

Why are the comments on your older posts included with the actual post?
My server blew up in October ‘05 and Lach and I lost a combined three years worth of writing. I had to retrieve posts by googling til my brain was mush but much of our archives were not recovered. The catagory “Archives Saved” are all the posts that I managed to find after the meltdown.

What are all these from the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation? Are you a native american?
I spent time volunteering on the Rez with a group called Re-Member. (The opinions expressed here are mine only and do not represent the opinions of the organization.) It may take several weeks, or even a lifetime, to process all the events from this trip. I have native american ancestory (Choctaw) and have always been very drawn to the culture and spirituality. All the post related to this journey can be found under the Lakota Winds category.

What brought you to Seattle?
Although I grew up in a small rural town in north Mississippi, I have gone many miles since those dusty backroads. I was always told as a kid that I was born with wings on my feet, never slowing down. After I graduated college in MS, I moved to Chattanooga, TN for a couple of years and worked for a printing company and as a whitewater rafting guide. This is where I feel deeply in love with the mountains and the water. After a failed relationship ended, I moved around alot- From TN to Mexico to San Antonio, TX to San Diego, CA to Bozeman, MT. By that time I was flat broke and couldn’t find a decent job. My mom was going through hard times and I decided to drive the 36 straight hours back to my hometown. Then I spent the next six months waiting tables in Hattiesburg, MS before deciding I had to get to a progressive city or roll over and die. In January of 2003, I boarded a one-way plane to Seattle and this has been my home ever since.

When you say progressive do you mean Dubya hating, leftist, commie hippie-town?
Yes, and thank goddess I found it or I’d have to move to Canada and learn French… weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeehehehe! Seriously though, I’m not referring only to the blue-state factor but Seattle is a well educated, environmentally conscious, sensible place to live. I fall more in love with this place every day I’m here. If you have ever visited here or you read my blog regularly, you probably understand why.

Is there anything you miss about living in the south?
Of course there are many things that I miss, mostly my mom, other friends and family and, of course, southern cooking- crawfish, sweet tea, boiled peanuts, cornbread and fried okra to name a few. I also miss fireflies, muscadines, going “muddin” and watching lightning storms.

What I don’t miss: tornados, pickled pig’s feet, racism, the good-ole-boy system that places women/immigrants/gays as lower class citizens, dead animals on display, the summer heat, religious extremists, snakes, mispronunciation (like Warshington), personal arsenals, and nasty cheap beer.

Since you’re a tree-hugging hippie, are conservative or republican comments going to be deleted?
The only strict rule I have here is to play nice. Everyone from all walks of life are strongly encouraged to share your opinions, whether I agree with them or not. I only ask that you do it intelligently. Disrespectful, hateful or general ass-hat comments can and will be deleted at my discretion.

What’s the best way to contact Bayou?
Leave a comment or email/IM me at Yahoo: atlasburning or bayoustormy21