Street Car Sightseeing in New Orleans

This is our son, Shawn, and his wife, Sarah, on a visit to New Orleans last year.  A ride on the St. Charles Avenue street car is always part of the tour.
--steve buser

New Orleans, Street Car

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The proper Mardi Gras is about having the accoutrement

Since we are on a Mardi Gras theme of sorts for today, I thought I would get a little on the technical side and go through some of the required paraphernalia for the perfect family celebration of the carnival.

You will notice the float is passing by a large antebellum home, giving away the fact that this is a shot on St. Charles Avenue -- with its wide neutral ground (median, if you are not from New Orleans). Everyone on the ground in this picture is on the neutral ground. 

We will start with the folding table in the middle with the food to munch on all day long. To the far right is the large trash can -- they can never put enough of these on.  To the right of the trash can , the black hump is a barbecue pit -- you're going to be out Mardi Gras day from very early in the morning to late in the afternoon  -- come prepared.

If you follow with your eyes on the same level to the right, you will see two white humps -- of course, the baby swing. Move your eyes up a little and you will notice another black barbecue pit.  Did I mention that you eat all day?

If you are extra observant you will notice the baby stroller, a couple of chairs, a child's seat, a blue tarp on the ground (on the right -- it claims your territory and anything that falls on it.  On the middle bottom you may be able to pick out a yellow square -- below the barbecue.  That is a big sack for holding you goodies.  You will need several of these to haul off your loot.
--steve buser

Mardi Gras, New Orleans, St. Charles Avenue

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Top of the day, top of the sky

What is the odds that the skies will be this clear for the St. Patricks's Day parade down St. Charles Avenue in New Orleans this weekend. This shot was from a beautiful, festive day a couple years ago. Blue skies, gentle winds, short sleeve weather, and all the cabbage and potatoes you could think of eating. How much better can it get.

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

SkyWatch Friday, St. Patricks Day, parade, St Charles Avernue, New Orleans, Louisiana

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Wooden frame

We were riding the streetcar down St. Charles Avenue with my son and his wife a couple weeks ago, and I decided to shoot some of the mansion we passed by. This one caught my eye as we clanged past, but it wasn't till I got home and looked at the shots that I noticed the interesting play of the trees-- still trying to come back to their former glory from being windswept by Hurricane Katrina, they give seem to me to give a framing effect that brings out the stateliness of the the mansion.

--steve buser

Mardi, Mardi tall and wide

Thought you might be interested in a little "behind the scenes" look at Mardi Gras in New Orleans-- how the crowds cope with this much excitement for this long.

Two things to note in the picture --(1) the line of ladders along the street and (2) the group sitting and socializing back behind the front line.

The picture in on St. Charles Avenue in the extra-wide median (it's wide because the street cars run down the middle). This wide stripe of urban territory -- we call them "neutral grounds" in New Orleans, not medians -- provides a great setting for a full day of parades. The parades follow each other from about 10 a.m. to well into the afternoon.

The ladders provide the ability to yell loud into the float goers face and be seen by the so that they will through copious quantitities of beads. I usually pick a position just under the front of the ladders and let the beads drop from the sky right into my lap. Maybe we'll come back and revisit the ladders another day, if we have time before Mardi Gras.

Meanwhile, the neutral ground provides space to set up chairs, blankets, tables, tents -- what have you. This is for your carnival comforts -- someplace to eat, grab a drink, watch the kids, chat a while, take a break -- your choice. Don't think though that because you sit back here, you don't catch the beads and trinkets they throw from the passing floats -- those come sailing high over the front line of ladders.

Second topic today, Award Time -->


Two City Daily Photo bloggers this week passed the "You make my day award" to me. It's really a nice honor and perked my day up (twice) -- I've been posting lately at night instead of early morning -- gets kind of quiet late in the night.

The two who sent me the award were:

Rambling Round at Selma Alabama Daily Photo and

Southern Heart at Good Abode--a Daily Photo of Memphis, TN, USA

I 'm a little slow at getting around to this -- mainly because its hard for me to juggle that many links. How many links? you ask.

Well, the award rules say: "Give the award to 10 people whose blogs bring you happiness and inspiration and make you feel happy about blogland. Let them know by posting a comment on their blog so they can pass it on. Beware you may get the award several times."

So that means 20 very deserving bloggers are going to be getting this award. I know you will never have time to enjoy 20 blogs in one setting. So, I am going to space this out.

How does 4 a day sound? Good? Okay

Then here's the first four blogs you just have to check out because they "make my day."

Jules at Rabaul Daily Photo -- never heard of Rabaul? check out her blog and you be sorry you haven't been visiting all along.

Wanda at Brushstrokes from the Heart
-- not so much a City Daily Photo but her daily sharing will add joy to your heart -- she's a frequent commenter on a lot of CDP blogs.

Annie at Little Rock Daily Photo -- her daily world is full of stimulating visual images.

Abraham Lincoln at Brookville, Ohio, Daily Photo -- the absolute king of wild animal shots. The other day he had a couple shots of Bald Eagles.

Check back tomorrow for more.

Marching Mardi Music

It's not all floats, beads and costumes for Mardi Gras in New Orleans -- the music will be flowing in every variety possible. Here the Paulin Bros. add life to a marching parade on St. Charles Avenue last year.



It's down by the museum district but looks like a scene from some European country, 1800's.

Today on Pixel Eyed

I just can wait to be king

I just can't wait for a parade
I think it is quite possible that I am suffering from early symptoms of "parade depravation." It is a serious medical condition in New Orleans this time of the year. It's been a long time since the last big parade and Mardi Gras is creepy up, but is not here yet. So, to push back the effects and reclaim my sanity, I dug up this picture of a lion from the St. Patrick's Day parade on St. Charles Avenue earlier this year. Perhaps you, too, are suffering from "parade depravation" and it will have a healing effect on you, too.

--steve buser

Lagniappe
I tried to resist, but it took hold of me. I mean, a photographer is a just a conduit -- the picture flows through him/her. And after all the sign was there, waiting for my camera -- on Pixel Eyed, today.

There's clanging on St. Charles

In what can only be a good sign, streetcars were rolling down St. Charles yesterday. With yellow "Not in Service" signs stuck to the front of them it was clear they were just testing the newly repair track and new electric lines installed since Katrina.

The entire line has been out of service since the storm. In the spring the city started rebuilding the overhead electric line system.

Assuming all turns out well in the testing, it will be good news for the uptown area and restore one of New Orleans most famous attractions -- that tree-shaded leisure drive along the crescent of St. Charles Avenue and it's huge, graceful mansions.

The losers in all this? The joggers who had taken over the "neutral ground" where the street cars used to run.

--steve buser

Library

This is one of New Orleans public libraries. It sits on St. Charles Avenue and commands an impressive view from the street. The library is still suffering some of the ill effects of the hurricane -- you can't necessarily see it here (maybe by clicking on it for the large view) bu several of the terra cotta tiles (for instance) on the roof are missing and have temporary patches in their place. I love the big expansive porch. You can see that the lights on the left stay on to keep it from looking too dark.

-- steve buser

InSPIREation

The Rayne Memorial United Methodist Church had one thing in common with a lot of churches around the New Orleans area a couple years ago. It had a spire that stuck up in the wind.

This renovation work on the St. Charles Avenue church has been proceeding on the church for the last couple months. She's getting a new spire and general fix up work.

--steve buser

St. Charles Avenue pathways

With the street cars not yet running on St. Charles Street (since Hurricane Katrina) you would expect the grass to be growing over. I saw this and wondered why. A few minutes later it hit me -- or almost hit me. I jumped out of the way to avoid being run over by a jogger. The joggers, walkers, strollers, et al, have taken to the median (in New Orleans parlance it is the 'neutral ground') -- not fearing being run over by the metal monsters.

Note the pole in the center of the neutral ground -- the side arms should stick out like a big 'T' -- over the rails -- and have wires running toward the camera. The work on replacing the wiring is proceeding well, but all takes time. Street cars are running on Canal Street and a few blocks off it it.

--steve buser