As Louisiana finds its rhythm post-Katrina, people are beginning to rediscover the state's signature Southern comforts: spicy cooking, jazz and blues, the bizarre beauty of Bourbon Street at night and those bayou girls who know how to go wild. Among the latter is24-year-old Tyran Richard – a self- ...described crazy Cajun from Zachary (just outside Baton Rouge) – who has blonde hair, impossibly blue eyes and more curves than the mighty Mississippi. Don't get us wrong, she's no Big Easy. "I have all the morals of a Southern belle," Tyran tells us." It's very different down here for women than it is in other places. We cook. We clean. My mom is my best friend, and I help her with our meals. I dated the same guy off and on for three years, but I wouldn't move in with him because he wouldn't give me an engagement ring." We'll bet the would-be ring bearer is kicking himself now. Tyran is going places. Not only is she pictured here as beautiful Miss March, she is also a working model. "I'm on a plane every weekend for something--the SEMA automotive trade show in Vegas or the lingerie company Shirley of Hollywood," says Tyran. And when she's not working, this hottie knows how to cool off. She likes to kickback with her four dogs. She can whip up dazzling crawfish étouffée, crab and oysters. She's been water-skiing since she was four and is one dive away from getting scuba certified. "I got spooked by all these sharks in Miami," she says, "so I'm holding off on that one." As for the future, Tyranhas a bachelor's degree in criminal justice; she wants to be a judge or lawyer. Though she has Tabasco running through her veins, she doesn't plan on staying in Louisiana forever, and she's not reserving her heart for any Southern gentleman. "I like rockers," she says. "I'm into bands like Aerosmith, Buckcherry, 30 Seconds to Mars and Mötley Crüe. I need someone with an edge."

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