Full-featherd love

True love on the banks of the pond at Fairview Regional Medical Center in Mandeville, Louisiana.

Even as I edge closer for better and better shots, these ducks seemed not to really care. They looked over time to time to see if I was bringing food, but it I wasn't, well then they had no use for me.

Love, apparently, is blind.

--steve buser

ducks, Mandeville, Louisiana

Smile, you're at Mardi Gras

Mardi Gras, is gone, but the deed is done.

Every very young one got an introduction to the greatest party on earth.

Now, you can consider that they are hooked for life.

My wife, Linda, here, teaches our grand-niece, Chloe, how to catch beads. "Smile at them Chloe - they can't resist a smile."

Indeed.


--steve buser

Mardi Gras, parade, beads, New Orleans, Louisiana

Nightrise

When the night starts rising and infiltrating the sun's skyful painting, you start pushing the drive a little harder. As this 18-wheeler goes sliding and humming down the interstate you can't tell from the side of the road if he is near the end of his journey.

I pulled off to capture the sunset. It made getting home a little later. To my way of thinking, if God spends the time to paint something like this and we don't slow down enough to appreciate it, it is a loss we can't make up.


Hope you enjoy this SkyWatch Friday photo. Go to the SkyWatch Friday site to enjoy 100's more.

--steve buser

A spray of hair

Apparently, these young ladies took the opportunity of Mardi Gras carnival atmosphere to get back to their roots -- that is, their natural hair colors (which of course is not necessarily, the hair color of their youth). This is our friends Mary and Jeanette on the left. The other two are either in good disguise or I don't recognize them.

Mardi Gras in New Orleans is an opportunity to let your cares have a day off. (or alternatively, a week off -- your choice)

--steve buser

Mardi Gras, costume, New Orleans, Louisiana

Mardi Gras mania on Magazine

Floats come in all variety. Does anyone really notice all the work that goes into them? I know that when I see a float with a strong theme element in the front, it perks up my interest and seems to add the frivolity of Mardi Gras in New Orleans.

This is another shot of the Magazine Street mania on Sunday as three parades rolled down the street --one after the other.

--steve buser

Mardi Gras, New Orleans, Magazine Street, Louisiana, Thoth, Mid-City, parade

Parrot, from the hat-trick

Our great niece Kristen, snags a coveted parrot plush toy from off a Mardi Gras float this past weekend in New Orleans. Matt does the heavy lifting and pleading for her.

We have been going to the same corner on Magazine Street for more than 20 years. This year, the playbill there was more than just the normal Krewe of Thoth rolling down the street : the Krewe of Okeanos and the Krewe of Mid City rolled ahead of Toth. It was a parade hat trick.

Why not. We have known for years that Magazine was just right for parades -- the street scape with it's many balconies and porches allows for plenty of party perches. It's a family-friendly, festival ready "rue."

--steve buser

Mardi Gras, New Orleans, Louisiana, Magazine Street, Krewe of Toth, Krewe of Mid City, Krewe of Okeanos

Feather Up

We were in our normal Sunday before Mardi Gras place on Magazine Street, yesterday for the Toth Parade.  This year, though, they changed where the parades lined up,so three different parades rolled passed us including Toth and Mid City.

This guy, Wild Man, makes a short appearance at the corner by us every year and then disappears back into the crowd. From the looks of his costumes, he must belongto one of the Mardi Gras Indian Krewes.

--steve buser

Swim or stay

" I wasn't really planning on swimming this early in the morning, but with that strange guy pointing that glass eye at me, I don't know. City Park is a strange place these days -- ever since they let all those humans back in," said the Canadian Goose.

--steve buser

Lakeset wings

Calm. Darkening. Enlightening. Peaceful. Sharing.
Two ladies enjoy the setting sun and the playful seagulls.

Soul searching.
Brooding.
Musing.
Reflection.

The sun does it too.
The New Orleans Lakefront.

--steve buser

This is a SkyWatch Friday Post. Go and check out more Skywatch images at the Skywatch Site!

Sunset, birds, seagulls, reflection, Lake Pontchartrain

Night brights the lights

As night settles in, the lights take on a new brightness in downtown New Orleans. Like groomsmen surrounding a bridef (left to right The World Trade Center, the Hilton Hotel, the Crescent City Connection bridge, Harrah's Hotel and Loew's Hotel stand around Harrah's Casino (front) at the foot of Canal Street in New Orleans.

One interesting note about the Mississippi River here, which flows just out of site to the left -- for a few miles, from the Crescent City Connection, to just past the French Quarter, the river is flowing directly northward.

--steve buser

Harrah's Casino, New Orleans, Louisiana, Canal Street, Mississippi River

Fair feathered friend

We had stopped in at a McDonald's for a potty break and a snack. I stayed behind at the car to feed, water and watch our puppy. This bird was one of many that were flying out of the nearby bushes to land on the tree and take a look around. After a while they would fly back to the cover of the bushes and another would come out for scouting duty. Anybody have any idea what kind of bird he is?

--steve buser

birds, feathers,

Secret Garden

Svara, our great-niece and Sophie, our granddaughter, take part in an ad-hoc ritual at my brother
, Gary's house in Baton Rouge.  They spend hours playing with sticks in the fountain and the water.  The secret garden must have stimulated their imagination.

--steve buser

Secret Garden, kids, playing, water,

A watery walk

The lakefront at Mandeville.  The stairs lead down into the water.

--steve buser

Coot scooting

This American Coot didn't seemed to be as frightened of me as the others ducks as he non-nonchalantly passed by. Maybe in his eye I wasn't as ugly as his fellow swimmers thought. Audubon Park lagoon.

--steve buser

American Coot, duck, New Orleans, Louisiana, Audubon Park

Floating food finders

Mommy take her chicks out on Lake Pontchartrain for a little training in how to find food. The shot is on the lakefront of Kenner, a suburb of New Orleans.

--steve buser

ducks, chicks, mallards, birds, Kenner, Louisiana, Lake Pontchartrain

Palette playing

Lake Pontchartrain by New Orleans is one of the best canvases the sun has. I think that it uses the 30 mile wide lake to test it's new palette ideas on. The Lake Pontchartrain Causeway lets you get right out in the middle of the action to see the masterpieces as they are being painted.

--steve buser

Go and check out more skywatch images at the Skywatch Site!

Lake Pontchartrain, Causeway, sunset, clouds,

Latch key chicks

Three baby egrets  (actually I think there are four in the bundle of feathers, but you can only see three faces) waitfor mom and dad to get home with the groceries for today.  The shot is at the rookery -- Oschner Island -- at Audubon Park in New Orleans.

--steve buser

Egrets, chicks, babies, New Orleans, Louisiana, Audubon Park, birds

A great loss

My youngest brother, Ted, 53, passed away suddenly last week. He is in the middle of the photo. I am on the left and my brother, Gary, is on the right. The photo is from Mardi Gras a couple years ago.

It was a hard blow to the family. Besides Ted's wife, Robin, and kids, the loss was probably hardest for Gary, because he and Ted were not just brothers, but best of friends, doing everything together.

Ted was a man that anyone would be proud to call brother, father or husband. His wife, Robin, and their daughter, Emily, and son, Chris, lost a great father and husband.

This is the first shot we can find of Ted -- from left to right (and going up in age) in the back row are Gary, Hank, Karen, Steve (me) and Sue. Ted is in my lap in the picture. The seventh of the pack, Judi, had not yet been born.

We all miss him deeply.

--steve buser

Ted Buser, Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Entertaining, kid style.

How to keep the kids entertained while the adults visit-- the video on the laptop.  We were visiting with relatives this weekend in Baton Rouge.  From left to right are our great nieces Svara, Teagan  and our grandson, Sullivan

--steve buser

kids, family

Zen there

Contemplate.
Meditate.
Think it over.
Deliberate.
Ruminate.
Speculate.
Kick it around.
Mull over
Ponder.
Reflect.

Your choice. The spot on the lakefront of Lake Pontchartrain in Mandeville is ready when you are.

--steve buser

bench, lakefront, Mandeville, Louisiana, Lake Pontchartrain

Sparkling Sunrise

A sunrise sparkles over New Orleans.

SkyWatch Friday. To see the other SkyWatch Friday post, go to the SkyWatch Friday site!

--steve buser

SkyWatch Friday, sunrise, New Orleans, Louisiana

Ape Up

If you haven't all ready, its time to get your ape on.  Mardi Gras is just around the corner.  The first parade is this weekend.   So what's stopping you?  Ape Up.  (this is a Bacchus shot from last year).

Start practicing now:  "Throw me something, mister."

--steve buser

mardi gras, festival, fun, parade

Stumped

I came upon this mushroom at the Jean Lafitte National Historical Park's Barataria Preserve, just south of New Orleans (across the Mississippi River) in Jefferson Parish. I don't know one mushroom by name from another. I am surely not a mycologist. I just liked the color and shape of this one growing on log.

--steve buser

Jean Lafiitte National Historical Park, Barataria Preserve, mushroom, nature, Lafitte, Louisiana

Buffleheads

Out in the Mandeville harbor a couple weekends ago,this pair of Buffleheads (Bucephala albeola) came floating by.  I'm guessing that the channel is about 8 or so feet deep there.  These divers would upend themselves anddive straight down.  They would stay down for about a minute before bobbing back up.

That's the first time I have seen any of these around Mandeville.

--steve buser

Mandeville, Louisiana, Bufflehead, ducks, diving, water, Lake Pontchartrain, Bucephala albeola

Standing tall

One of the most photographed buildings anywhere is St. Louis Cathedral in the French Quarter of New Orleans. Tourist from everywhere come to shoot the standard photos from across the street in Jackson Square, or to find that one unusual but striking angle.

Here, our grandson, Sullivan, proud of how tall he has become, sees how he stacks up against the cathedral's spires. In the movies they used to call this the American hero shot -- shot from very low to make the hero seem more legendary.

--steve buser

St. Louis Cathdral, churches, French Quarter, Jackson Square, New Orleans, kids, tourists