Bayou Bienvenue

This slip flows out into the Bayou Bienvenue area in St. Bernard Parish -- east of New Olreans. You can see the shrimp boat in the center with its net up. The area of swamps, marshes and shallow lakes outside the levee system is an abundant source of shrimp and seafood.

This area along Paris Road also has an assortment of small boat repair yards. Note the house far out in the distance. It's either well built to have survived Hurricane Katrina, or its a new house.

-- steve buser

Other boating scenes on City Daily Photo Blogs today:

Berowa Waters Car Ferry -- Sydney Daily Photo
Guess Who Was Happy -- Joensuu Daily Photo
Reflection -- San Diego Daily Photo
View From My Window -- Rabaul Daily Photo
West Pier Brighton Photo -- Brighton Daily Photo

Non-endless summer

Where has summer gone? Even though the days still get up in the 90's periodically, you know that its gone -- just a fading few days.

Remember younger years, when the end of summer meant heading back to classes -- renewing old acquaintances, but, also each year taking on harder and harder studies.

The cool fall breezes blew in football games and school dances. I loved the cool walk to school before the breezes started stinging.

But each year, I would wonder how summer passed so fast. Why didn't I savor it more? Why didn't I do more?

Summer is a like a footprint on the beach -- once the waves roll in, the footprint goes away -- never to be found again -- except as a memory.

--steve buser

Going boldly where....

New Orleans is where the external tanks for the Space Shuttle are built. Above, the NASA Michoud facility shares a long tradition of building space vehicle. These rocket motors are part of the Saturn V rocket boosters that were built at the New Orleans East facility in the 60's and did the heavy lifting for the Apollo space capsules.

Below, the tall building is where the external tanks are stored vertically for some of the final steps of the assembly process.

The Michoud facility will continue on with its space tradition in the next decade with projects to build the Orion crew exploration vehicle, which will carry astronauts to the moon and Mars, and new Ares I Crew Launch Vehicle, the new booster rockets for those.

--steve buser

The band's public image

Everybody loves a marching band. The tuba player was carrying along this image of his band as he marched down St. Charles Avenue last Mardi Gras.

I never did the marching band thing in school but my wife did -- I never thought how hard it was to march 8 or 10 miles in stuffy clothes in the heat, or in a cold blowing wind. I guess if you haven't done it, you can't appreciate the dedication it takes.

-- steve buser

Fall pictures are starting to show up on City Daily Photo blogs --
Hanging On! -- Not By A Long Shot
Reprise!! -- Ajaccio daily photo
Fall Color at Pumpkinland -- Sequim Daily Photo

Rolling down the river

Yesterday, some of the moisture blowing in off the Gulf was hanging around the tops of the buildings downtown fog-like. The scene reminded me of how surreal the Mississippi River gets in the fall and spring as cool temperatures blow in and form a fog that literally rolls down the Mississippi.

That reminded me of this shot from April that I never got around to posting. It was one of those cool mornings. As the fog rolled down, it would climb up the sides of the levees and work its way into the city. You can see it here trying to climb into the port warehouses at the bottom of the French Quarter.

Kind of like one of the movies where the fog rolls off the moors and brings the werewolf to town. Except that the warm colors of the morning sun keep it from looking too sinister.

-- steve buser

A couple of soul-full shots to recommend to you today:

Faith -- Not By a Long Shot
Prayer -- Dreaming in Metaphors

Take the light taste test

I had passed this walkway lantern light several times before I really looked at it. I mean, how often do you really look at a light. Granted it is a retro kind of lantern, back when they had gas lanterns to light your path. But now-a-days they use electric lights in a replica. But look really close, it's not even a ordinary electric light. It's one of these new compact neon bulbs.

So I guess that makes this a replica of a replica. Some how, though, the curved neon bulb, to me, actually looks better.

Guess that says a lot about my tastes.

--steve buser

Check out this spectacular eagle photo. You rarely see pictures of eagles doing their daily chores.
Eagle Eye -- A Photo a Daily From Planet Earth

The eyes of New Orleans are upon them

The New Orleans Saints return again to the Superdome tonight for their home opener against the Tennessee Titans. It was exactly 1 year ago that the Saints returned to the Superdome after playing their 2005 season home-based in San Antonio. That was while contractors did break-neck-paced repairs (below) to get the Superdome back into playable shape from damages sustained in Katrina.
The return to the Dome was such a momentuous occasion it was commemorated by a special display in the NFL Hall of Fame and captured the 2nd largest CNN audience ever as the Saints chalked a victory against the Atlanta Falcons.

The $125 million in repairs beat an initial time-to-complete estimate of 16 months by 3 months.

So with the Saints faltering in their first two games this season, the Saints fans will be pouring more team spirit on the field than ever. The game will be the Monday Night Football game this week.

--steve buser

Angels we have seen on high

Each month the City Daily Photo community has a theme day. About 100 different City Daily Photo blogs will post a picture on the theme on the first of the month.

The theme for October 1 is cemetary or tombstone. Since, New Orleans is known for its cemetaries which have a different look that most places,I was out this week scouting for a good shot. Haven't found it yet, but I did run across this statue on the top of a tomb.

Make sure you come back and browse the City Daily pages not tomorrow but the following Monday for an interesting day of daily photos from around the world.

Mighty neighborly

I was in this neighborhood of New Orleans on Versailles Street the other day. It reminded me and I hope it reminds you that New Orleans has not standing water, and many neighborhoods are as livable, some more so, that before the hurricane. This area probably had about 3 feet of water or a little less (that's how I read the maps -- though it's hard to read them precisely.)

This was one of the nicer neighborhoods before the storm and this three or four block area on the Lake side of Claiborne (you don't say "north of" or "south of " or words to that effect in New Orleans. It's always "toward the lake" or "toward the river." Because the river and lake bend, those are always north or south directions.

Anyway, the neighborhood was meticulously groomed with beautiful landscaping. There were a few gardeners here or there, but not much sign of ongoing construction. Ward Beaver would have felt comfortable here.

--steve buser

Lake loomer

A three-building complex of towers, the Lakeway complex greets you on the drive into New Orleans coming across the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway. You can see the buildings from nearly 2o miles away and whatch them grow as you get nearer and nearer.

You are actually entering unincorporated, but urban, area known as Metairie when you come off the Causeway. This section from the Lake to Veterans Boulevard is often referred to as downtown Metairie because the highway is lined with tall buildings and the Lakeside Shopping Center, one of the busiest places in the region. That burst of businesses is because it is one of the few large shopping centers that survived the hurricane intact.

The Lakeway complex includes Three Lakeway shown above. The 34-story building houses the Marriott hotel. Views out over the Lake and toward downtown are spectacular. The building is about 7 miles from downtown New Orleans.

--steve buser

Fly Da Flag

Where is this New Orleans flag flying? Obviously someone wanted to fly the colors and show their support for the city and the rebuilding. Maybe someone who escaped the flooding?
Nope.

The flag flies directly across the street from the famous breach in the 17th Street Canal that flooded so much of the city. There wasn't much left that salvageable in this area as billion of tons of water cascaded down on the neighborhood smashing house after house.

Amazing to me.

Below is the newly replaced wall. It has been redesigned with new features and a flood gate to protect it from too much water in the canal. The new version provides vastly better protection than before.

--steve buser

My yard poureth over.

Many lots in New Orleans Uptown are 25 feet wide or 30 feet wide by maybe 100 feet. That doesn't give a lot of room to be a good gardener. I was walking down Laurel Street upriver from Napolean Avenue one day when this caught my eye.

When you just want the beauty of nature around you and you have limited space, you just have to let it spill over to the outside.

Then I started to notice quite a few homeowners had made little expressions like this.

--steve buser

I could only find one "fun with flowers" photo today on City Daily Photo pages:

Happy =) -- Saarbrücken Daily Photo

But may I suggest you ramble through some of the other CDP sites -- you have thumnail photos to guide you here:

http://dailyphotoblog.com/site/

Northshore beauty

This is actually an office (Pritchard Capital Partners), not a house. It is one of the beautiful homes (and others) that line the lakefront in Mandeville. They face New Orleans which is about 20 miles away across Lake Pontchartrain. In the 1800's and the early 1900's Mandeville was a resort community on the North Shore, a respite from the malaria and other diseases of the city. A steam-ferry service brought visitors by the groves until it was discontinued in 1936.

Today, the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway connects Mandeville (St. Tammany Parish) with the South Shore in Metairie (Jefferson Parish) and then on into New Orleans on the local highways.

A few more "houses" shots on other City Daily Photo blogs:

More Housing - A House of Character -- Malta Daily Photo
Walking to Kindergarden # 1 -- Stavanger Daily Photo
Quiz Tuesday part 35 -- Naples Daily Photo

--steve buser

Cranes In the Sky

While you don't see a gaggle of "cranes in the sky" around New Orleans during the reconstruction, you do run across a lot of construction sites. Nearly every downtown building has been renovated after the storm to the tune of several million dollars each. It wouldn't be hard to come up with an estimate of more than a billion dollars already spent on downtown buildings.

Of particular note is the downtown hotels, almost all of which have a new sparkling appearance inside -- from the lobby to new furniture. Examples : Hilton Riverside $42 million, Marriott $38 million, Wyndham $9 million.

I've been watching this particular construction project from my office window and just happened to drive by it for this shot. They are adding several stories to the building.

--steve buser

Dog Gone

In my experience, one of the fastest ways of losing a dog is to loan them the keys to the car. Right? (Please don't just look at me, say "right.")

We were just playing around yesterday. You know, one of those silly moments that just come over the group. My sister-in-law Mary Ann decides we need to get a picture of her dog Buddy driving my wife's convertible. She runs across the street to get the dog and of course the dog sunglasses (no, those are not people glasses pressed into service for the photo-- they are Buddy's driving glasses) and Voila' : your typical "dog driving car" shot.

Maybe it's the weather. A cool breeze blew threw yesterday. Let's hope it's the weather.

Here's some more "crazy" shot on other City Daily Photo blogs:

Mike -- Melbourne Daily Photo
Cool Cat -- Rabaul Daily Photo
Knotty gun -- Capetown Daily Photo

I couldn't find so many crazy shots to link to. Do you think we are taking ourselves too seriously?

--steve buser

Ferns, flags, fresh air and flying angels

In the tight spaces of the French Quarter of New Orleans, balcony living is an art. This balcony filled with ferns, flags and flying angels, serves as a fresh air get away and a chance to observe the goings-on on the street below.

-- steve buser

Some other outside perches on City Daily Photo blogs today

On the Top of Streetlight -- Cleveland Daily Photo
Evening Shadows -- Sarasota Daily Photo
Three fans at a game -- Baltimore Daily Photo
The Water Club -- NYC Daily Photo

Shade stretchers

The live-oak-lined streets of New Orleans give it it's signature look. The wide boulevards, such as Napolean Avenue here, give the massive shade makers space to show off their muscle, reaching 40 or 50 feet out to the median (or as it's called in New Orleans, the neutral ground).

The neutral grounds also double up as a good spots for parade watching at Mardi Gras and, in the case of streets like St. Charles Avenue, they also serve as the street car line (except that the street cars are not yet back running -- but it looks like it won't be long.)

--steve buser

Whatever floats your boat.

I was out at the Mandeville harbor shooting pix of a sailing regatta (redundant I know) the other day. I was just starting to focus in on the sail boat way off in the distance, coming into to shore. Suddenly this boat comes past my lens. I had to pull the camera down to take a better look. Sure 'nuff, it's an inflatable dingy with a little motor on it. Notice the "captain" -- looks like he is imaging himself on the deck of the Queen Mary. The passengers seem just as content. Notice that only the dog has a life jacket on.

Whatever floats your boat.

Boat pix today on Daily City Photo blogs:

Petit matin - Early in the morning -- Arradon (France)
Paddle boats -- Wichita, KS (US)
A ferry above city level -- Riga (Latvia)
Bay View -- Sarasota, FL (US)

--steve buser

It's a lake walk

Staying on the Mandeville Lakefront again today. This family was walking along the grassy shore by the harbor. With the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway in the background, the family meanders along the bright lake waves. The lake walk is a popular pastime for the lakefront community north of New Orleans.

Other "Lake" and "sea" related shots on City Daily Photo pages today:

Endless blue -- Naples, FL
A ferry above city level -- Riga, Latvia
Bay View -- Sarasota, FL
Off fishing? --Brighton, UK
en vogue... -- Bastia, France
Sense of place -- Olympia, WA
decisions -- Manila, Phillipines

--steve buser

Wind lovers

Back to the Mandeville Lakefront again this weekend. A little depth of focus magic makes these two wind lovers appear to be sharing secrets. The pelican is sitting on a sign with the boat a good ways past it. In the foreground, the black is the sea wall that protects the harbor. In the background is the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway -- the best it's users can do it push the wind out of the way.

--steve buser

Some other windy things today on City Daily Photo blogs:

MIGs over the hero square

For Which It Stands

Wassenaar Swans

Flags at One Liberty Square

What do you think it is?

Do you mind if we take a little side step today from the New Orleans photo and talk about a major event in our lives last week?

My granddaughter Sophie (on the left looking for advice from her brother, Sullivan) got very ill last week and had to be rushed to the hospital and then life-flighted to a pediatric ICU in Temple, Texas. She is back home now recovering and smiling again, but the whole ordeal was one of those moments you hope you never have to go through. You learn a lot about who you are and what (or who) you care about when something like this comes upon you.

My wife and I rushed to the airport to catch the first flight out there -- but the Good Lord put a few road blocks in our way -- we were on the 2:45 flight, but weather in Houston kept us from taking off until 5:45. Tense, nerve-wracking hours. Then a 1.5 hour ride through another thunderstorm to pick up her brother. And an hour and a half more to the hospital. Through it all a lot of tears and phone calls. Whoever invented the cell phone is a saint.

But it was two more days before we were out of ICU.

But rather than let me tell you about it, get it from my daughter in her own words: What I learned this week

So now you know why may post have seemed curt and canned for the past week.

--steve buser

Dig it!

This site is down river from New Orleans in Pointe a la Hatche. The TECO terminal there brings in various forms of coal and coke (coke is the carbon residuals from the petroleum refining process). They blend all the various types to get the desired burning characteristics for electric generating plants in Florida.

Large industrial facilities line much of the Mississippi River both below and above New Orleans.

--steve buser

--steve buser

Sundown downtown

A downtown sundown in New Orleans, looking down Poydras Street.


--steve buser

Sundown slowdown

A slow sundown ride along the lakefront in Mandeville is a soothing way to end the day.

-- steve buser

Rip's rises above the waves.

The New Orleans region is changing after the effects of Hurricane Katrina and with the massive rebuilding that is progressing. These two photos give a sense of that. Above is the old Rip's (a favorite Mandeville lake front restaurant) as we saw it a few weeks after the storm -- a ball of water from the lake had ripped (no pun intended) through the ground level eatery and totally smashed the inside, blowing out all the glass.

Below, the new Rip's rises to new heights. The dining is on the raised floor. The bottom area is convenient for sitting as the sunset sends cool lake breezes in -- a troubadour or two are often the fare there. The new Rips also gives a great view of the lake.

The New Orleans region is coming back better -- any comments to the contrary are shortsighted.

--steve buser

Court appearance

There seems almost a magical art to some of the old doorways and gateways to courtyards in the French quarter. This one just really caught my eye as I walked by -- the work of an obviously talented craftsman. Bears a strong resemblance to a Monstrance. Did the Catholic heritage of the city influence this gate?

--steve buser

Cityscape

I was on Poydras Street when I caught this view. A building tall enough and wide enough to capture a city-scape on one of it's glass walls.

--steve buser

Missing pieces

This was my alternative picture for September's Theme Day -- Street Lamps or Street Signs. If you missed the theme day, it was September 1 -- just page down a couple days and see what I posted and what other City Daily Photo bloggers put up for the theme.

This just seemed to capture the spirit of New Orleans from me -- struggling not just to rebuild all the damaged housing and businesses, but struggle to get the amenities back that we take for granted -- street lights, street signs, parks, walkways etc.

But, celebrating life and not giving up traditions as we do it.

--steve buser

Jazzing it up

The Storeyville Stompers were blowing the roof off at a recent party we attended for our good friends Will and Mary -- celebrating their recent marriage. It was good ole, traditional, Dixieland Jazz and it sizzled.

--stever buser

Street sign of the times

Today is September Theme Day on City Daily Photo blogs. The theme for the month is "Street Signs and Street Lights." I thought this sign on Claiborne Avenue seemed to be appropriate -- it speaks to where New Orleans' spirit is.

Broadmoor is one of the neighborhoods hard hit by Hurricane Katrina. The residents there have banded together to provide a civic leaership to get past the hundreds if not thousands of issues it takes to bring a neighborhood back from rampant destruction.

It is a key signature of this recovery == neighborhood organization have assumed key leadership roles. They have become information clearing houses for people still scattered around the country and have put together work teams to lobby and conjole for actions from dozens of city, state and federal agencies. They have stood watch over hurricane protection projects to make sure their area is given its fair due.

These are far more powerful and far reaching groups that the neighorhood organizations of regular times.

The sign, then, seems to assess the mood. Though tattered, it still carries it's message of hope and determination. Similarly, the neighborhood organizations still work tireless, if some what battered by having to fight a now two-year-old battle for help that was promised when the storm was still blowing.

--steve buser

Check out the other City Daily Photo blogs participating in September Theme Day:Seattle (WA), USA - Ocean Township (NJ), USA - Cottage Grove (MN), USA - Cleveland (OH), USA - Menton, France - Monte Carlo, Monaco - Singapore, Singapore - Boston (MA), USA - Mexico (DF), Mexico - Kajang (Selangor), Malaysia - Mainz, Germany - Evry, France - Port Angeles (WA), USA - Sequim (WA), USA - Maple Ridge (BC), Canada - Nottingham, UK - Toulouse, France - Wassenaar (ZH), Netherlands - Manila, Philippines - Mumbai, India - Montpellier, France - Bellefonte (PA), USA - Stayton (OR), USA - Moscow, Russia - Paris, France - Saint Paul (MN), USA - Austin (TX), USA - Lyon, France - Stockholm, Sweden - Hyde, UK - Hong Kong, China - Joplin (MO), USA - Seoul, South Korea - Chandler (AZ), USA - St. Louis (MO), USA - Arlington (VA), USA - Anderson (SC), USA - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - Villigen, Switzerland - Sydney, Australia - Ampang (Selangor), Malaysia - Montego Bay, Jamaica - Norwich (Norfolk), UK - San Diego (CA), USA - Bandung (West Java), Indonesia - Albuquerque (NM), USA - Melbourne, Australia - Nelson, New Zealand - Quincy (MA), USA - Kyoto, Japan - Tokyo, Japan - Bend (OR), USA - Wellington, New Zealand - New Orleans (LA), USA - Cypress (TX), USA - Nashville (TN), USA - Bucaramanga (Santander), Colombia - Detroit (MI), USA - Saigon, Vietnam - Selma (AL), USA - Phoenix (AZ), USA - Miami (FL), USA - Arradon, France - Sheki, Azerbaijan - New York City (NY), USA - Inverness (IL), usa - North Bay (ON), Canada - Melbourne, Australia - Port Vila, Vanuatu - Tenerife, Spain - Auckland, New Zealand - Forks (WA), USA - Rotterdam, Netherlands - Chateaubriant, France - Madison (WI), USA - Wailea (HI), USA - Orlando (FL), USA - Saint-Petersburg, Russian Federation - Ajaccio, France - Baltimore (MD), USA - Crepy-en-Valois, France - Rabaul, Papua New Guinea - Budapest, Hungary - Lyon, France - Saarbrücken, Germany - Adelaide (SA), Australia - Le Guilvinec, France - River Falls (WI), USA - Stavanger, Norway - Naples (FL), USA - London, UK - La Antigua, Guatemala - Philadelphia (PA), USA - Montréal (QC), Canada - Paris, France - San Diego (CA), USA - Trujillo, Peru - Haninge, Sweden - Prague, Czech Republic - Oslo, Norway - Grenoble, France - Shanghai, China - Toronto (ON), Canada - Durban, South Africa - Zurich, Switzerland - Cape Town, South Africa - Singapore, Singapore