Wray was 60 years old when she participated in her first Artport and still continues at the age of 89. Even though she and her daughter work separately, most often in their own studios; they’ve encouraged one another along the way and enjoyed the surprise of seeing each other’s developments in each show.

“This is our third year, and when we started, we looked around to see what Northwest Louisiana didn’t have, and there wasn’t a gumbo cook-off, so that’s how we got the idea,” Baham said. “The first year we had 1,200 people; last year we had about 2,500, and this year we are hoping for around 4,000 people.

The old reliable “crook cane” is still very popular. Offset canes put your weight more directly over the shaft and are usually adjustable. There are also folding canes that are easy to store. Broad-base canes with three or four legs have greater stability and are good for people with balance problems.