Spinning earthward...

Our niece Rebekah is in a quandary.  She is going to exit this limb in a split second.  The trick is to land gracefully, with all limbs in tact.  I glad to report she was successful.  The scene is on the lakefront it Mandeville.  Spring is a great time to enjoy the fresh lake breeze and warm sunny days.

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The path remembered

Maybe these are the kind of days you remember -- running, walking riding a bike through the park.  Worry free. Thoughts roaming.

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Climbing on the Live Oak

This tree just invites kids to climb.  You can get on it by practically stepping up a few inches. You can't easily go very high because the limb gets steep quickly.  The shot is from the lakefont in Mandeville on the northshore of Lake Pontchartain, across from New Orleans. You can see the 23-mile Causeway Bridge on the horizon.

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Canine curiosity focuses on camera

Another shot from the Mandeville Dog Parade held recently on the lakefront.  I think from the interest she was showing in my camera, that this dog was inquiring into photography lessons.

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Here we go round the.... oak tree?

It may not be exactly climbing a tree, but it's just as much fun.  Our grandson, Sullivan, and his cousin Kristin were having a lot of fun on the roots of this giant oak on the Mandeville lakeshore.

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Every bird knows -- kids means treats...

The gulls were lining up for bombing runs at the water when the crowds were gathered for the annual dog parade in Mandeville, La.  They recieved some notice from the crowd sitting on the lakefront wall.  But most of the crowd was focused on mingling and dog gawking.

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We all stand on the shoulders of others...

When you're at a parade (especially the dog parade in Mandeville, La.) you'll do whatever it takes to see that cute canine that is passing by.  Hey, look at me!  Look at me!

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Its a parade of paws on grassy green Mandeville lakefront

Parading perfectly  down the Mandeville lakefront not only shows off the dogs of the northshore city, but also shows of the grace, elegance and leisure-loaded highlight of the city.  The annual parade was a couple weeks ago

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Dogs parade down Mandeville Lakefront

The annual dog parade in Mandeville is a pretty big affair.  The canine cutties carouse carefully past the crowds along the lakefront

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Lakefront leisure in Mandeville

In the evening the Lakefront in Mandeville is a time to get out and away from the house.  Walk the dog, fish, sit and watch the sunset or just contemplate. How do you use it?

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That magic moment

One morning at the lakefront, a blue heron soared by adding magic to the moment.
--steve buser

Lake Pontchartrain, Blue Heron, birds, New Orleans

Gator waiter

When we took a road to the lakefront in Mandeville.  But it was gated into some condominiums.  While turning around, we spotted this friendly guy, waiting patiently in a pond for a good meal to come by.  The alligator appeared to be about 4 feet long.
--steve buser

Alligator, Mandeville, Louisiana

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Whether to weather again?

The last time I saw this oak tree on the lakefront in Mandeville, La., it appeared to have given up its ghost. And why not, it fought Katrina, Rita, Gustav and Ike in recent years. Who knows how many hurricanes and tropical storms it weathered over the years. Nonetheless, I wouldn't count it out yet. Who knows?
--steve buser

Mandeville, Louisiana, Lakefront, Oak trees, hurricanes

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Lights off, sun up -- action!

The Creole Queen and Cajun Queen sit ready to offer tourist and residents a waterborne look at New Orleans and its extensive Port system along the Mississippi River. The early morning sun, in this picture I shot a couple years back, is starting to glint off of the glassy buildings. Lights will soon be going off and the street traffic will be picking up.

Good Morning, New Orleans.
--steve buser

New Orleans, tours, Louisiana, Mississippi River

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Beeping birds

Move over. Quick. Get out of the way.

I saw that morsel first and I will fly through you if I have to.

I guess even birds don't see eye to eye all the time. These two New Orleans Lakefront wind surfers were out looking for anything tasty.

--steve buser

gulls, lakefront, Lake Pontchartrain, New Orleans, Louisiana
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Kids caught in grass's grip.

Law of nature #3245 -- kids and grass have an attractive force that cannot be overcome -- they will get together.

Our niece Sarah demonstrates this natural law on a walk along the lakefront in Mandeville, Louisiana recently. We were watching birds, blowing bubbles, and just acting funny. Then that gravity like force took hold of her and she was frolicking in the grass.

-steve buser

Kids, children, tumbling. playing, Mandeville, Louisiana

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Strange shore-sounder slivers along Mandeville seawall

What is it which slivers through Mandeville's shallow waters?

Don't ask me. I'm totally in the dark.

I was taking pictures of a bunch of ducks which bobbed about 100 to 125 feet off the Mandeville lakeshore one Saturday morning recently. Suddenly, my eye was drawn to one duck that was scooting rapidly across the water. It was hard to make it out, but I realized it wasn't a duck when it lifted up and dived -- it's long tail curving up to follow it under.

The creature would stay under water for 2 to 3 minute before it would surface. It mostly followed a line, but it was hard to predict exactly where it would resurface.

When this mysterious amphibian (I am guessing) got close to the lakefront seawall, I shot these pictures. It appeared to about 6 to 8 feet in length -- a large part of that the tail. In the bottom picture you can barely see the little feet. It appeared to disappear under a bridge and up a drainage ditch.

Still I have no idea what it is. Maybe you do?

--steve buser

Amphibian, creature, mystery, Lake Pontchartrain, Mandeville, Louisiana

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It's blowing in the wind.....

A magnificient, breezy, cool, sunny, bright, playful day on the lakefront in Mandeville today.  What better to do that to blow bubbles?   Except, you didn't have to blow them -- just hold the wand up in the wind and out they came like horses  out of the gate.  My wife Linda, here shows niece Sarah how to do it. 


---steve buser

bubbles, kids, Mandeville, Louisiana

Pelican searches bedtime snack

Sundown, the food is harder to spot from above. A pelican resort to solitary skimming of the tops of the wavelets in a sm0oth, long glide, looking for that last tasty fish. A full belly makes the dark night seem cozier. This shot is out on the Lake Ponchartrain lakefront of New Orleans.

--steve buser

The last bite of sundown

The sun is tired. The last ray, hopefully the last bite. The lakefront in Mandeville, just across Lake Pontchartrain from New Orleans. Maybe it wasn't a good day, but maybe it will end well. Maybe.

-- steve buser