<HTML>In a message dated 9/5/01 2:58:26 PM Central Daylight Time, fish@communique.net (Warren Fisher) writes: <BLOCKQUOTE TYPE=CITE style="BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px">We've been in Nova Scotia for two weeks.  The weather has been very nice (60's).  We've been following what they call the Evangeline trail which is the original home of the Acadian French(Cajuns to us) people.  This spring, we went to the historical exhibits around Lafayette which gave us a lot of insight into what we are seeing up here.</BLOCKQUOTE> Thanks for this post even though it is off topic.  It is of particular interest to me since I have long been interested in the Cajun culture.  I learned to speak French in college and lived for a year in France, then became interested in Cajun French and learned to speak that dialect.  I have my own band here called the Cajun Strangers.  We play dances and holiday events. I'll be going to Port Arthur, Texas (which is part of Cajun country, even though it is across the border in Texas) next Wednesday to meet with some native Cajun musicians.  From there, I'll be going to Lafayette, Louisiana for the weekend for the annual Festivals Acadiens (a Cajun Music festival). It will be my 7th year in a row. Aside from the main stage, there are several other venues and many opportunities for people who play Cajun music to practice the art. I have an authentic Cajun accordion which I had tuned to my own specifications.  It opens the eyes and drops the jaws of all who see and here it.  It is made by Accu-Tuner owner, Larry Miller, an accordion maker in Iota, Louisiana. It was thought by this date that the Cajun French language would be completely extinct but thanks to the power and the influence of the traditional music, there are many young people who now have learned to speak it, so the tradition continues and grows stronger each year. I find the history, the language, the food, the music and the people captivating.  I often wish that I lived down there, especially during these Wisconsin winters. Bill Bremmer RPT Madison, Wisconsin</HTML>