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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Nectar for the bees, pollen for the flowers

The azaleas are out in force in New Orleans providing nectar for the bees, hoping some of their pollen gets stuck them and delivered to another address. This flowers pollen pack is about all gone.

--steve buser

azaleas, pollen, flowers, New Orleans, Louisiana

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Flying the Moon Walk

Everyone enjoys doing their own thing along the Moon Walk in New Orleans. The French Quarter levee spot is a favorite walkers and flyers, including this brown pelican.

--steve buser

Moon Walk, Pelican, Mississippi River, New Orleans

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Smoke gets in your sky.

Sometimes its the rusty reds and burnt oranges that make a sunset jump out at you. Other times is more subtle smoky tones such as this sunset shot on Citrus Lane in the River Ridge area of Jefferson Parish (New Orleans' neighbor).

This is a Skywatch Friday post, Go and check out more Skywatch images at the Skywatch Site!

--steve buser

sunset, Skywatch Friday, River Ridge, Louisiana, New ORleans

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Pileated Woodpecker

Clueless. That's me.

I didn't know what the fuss was all about -- the Pileated Woodpecker.

Then this past weekend I was out at the Mandeville Nature Center.  I was actually heading back in to my car when I caught a glimpse of a bird coming in across the lake like a one of those jumbo fireworks rockets.  Except I could make out it was a bird and had a black and white and red look to it.

He kept his kamikaze speed up as he approached thewoods -- he obviously knew where he was going and had done this many times before.  He took and s-curve route through the trees and pull out of his  dive with one of the multi-G climbs at the end, right up to the middle of a huge dead, limbless tree.  I had just made it back to the trail, about 60 feet from the tree, when he started scouting out food.   He was as large as a crow.  He quickly scaled the tree and then scamper to another.

This was his territory marking tree (I learned later) -- he started hitting it and making quite a racket on this tree-drum -- his way of saying "this is my yard -- stay away."

His beautiful red head is the most attractive thing about him.

I think he and I will meet up again.  Hopefully he'll hang around a little longer.

--steve buser

Dryocopus pileatus, woodpecker, pileater, Mandeville, Mandeville Nature Center

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Orange you going to yell?

One more time for good luck. I just had to have one last laugh about the Irish Italiam parade this past weekend in Metairie. Carrot anyone? You laugh, but if you were there you would have been yelling and screaming -- "Throw it to me." Oh you were there? And you were.... Well then you don't need me to tell you how much fund it was.

--steve buser

Irish Italian Parade, Metairie, Louisiana, Carrots

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Irish non-stewing

These carnival revelers deserve a gold medal. No, not the thronging crowds on the ground -- the party animals on the floats at the Irish Italian Parade in Metairie this past weekend. They were throwing beads and trinkets and plush toys for sure. But, mixed among all that was potatoes, humongous carrots, onions, cabbages, garlic -- whatever comes out of the garden. Despite all of that, there seemed to be few errant throws. Everyone's spirits were high until the end of the parade.

We had French Fries from some of those potatoes tonight (delicious) and some of the cabbage with sausage (the sausage was from our refrigerator). The fun just keeps going on.

--steve buser

Irish Italian, parade, Metairie, Louisiana

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A red lady larking

I guess most people would say that the male cardinals with their bright red feathers are the prettiest. But, this female who was out scavenging for food with her man -- skippy around in the tree leaves -- is a very attractive bird.

The two were at the Mandeville Nature Center when I was there this weekend. It was my first visit-- won't be my last.


--steve buser

female cardinal, Mandeville, nature center, Louisiana, birds, feathers,

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The Irish Cup

Sometimes you hit the mother lode. Like this, a stuffed animal AND a 10-pound bag of potatoes.

You got to figure that is cause to celebrate anywhere, especially in the environs of New Orleans. In this case, the environs are Metairie -- the next door neighbor to New Orleans. The occasion is the Irish-Italian Parade that rolled down Veterans Boulevard and Severn Avenue today.

Full Disclosure statement--I have to disclose that the frolicking femme in the photo is my wife, Linda. Her triumph trophy catch means we will probably be having a lot of stew, and baked potatoes, and french fries, and hash browns and.... for a while. Not to mention the six heads of cabbage we came away with, and enough carrots to keep a herd of rabbits' teeth clean for a month.

Two and a half hours of floats rolled by in front of us. Two and one half hours of laughs, smiles, partying, screams of excitement and ecstasy..... I was ready to get home and vegetate. (Sorry, freudian slip)

--steve buser

Irish Italian Parade, Metairie, Louisiana, FLoats, throws

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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

This coot starts a scoot.

I've been offline most of the week because of another project I was spending a lot of time on. Hopefully, soon I will get back to my routine.

Meanwhile-- this picture from a couple weeks ago. I had risen early to get to the lakefront in Mandeville to see if I could get any shots. Unfortunately, it was overcast and dreary. The lighting made it hard to shoot. This was one of the few that came out. -- a bunch of American Coot sitting on one of the wave-breakers along the waterfront. This one Coot, decides it's time to get out of there in a hurry. A few second later ( I captured that shot, but it is not here.) the water erupts with coots, scooting across it.---steve buser

duck, feathers, Mandeville, Louisiana

Lucky duck

This lucky Mandeville young lady at the pond was keeping an eye me and I guess was thinking that I couldn't see her if she hid her nose. Go figure.

---steve buser

duck, feathers, Mandeville, Louisiana

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Not clowning around

The clownfish and the sea anemone -- a classic symbiotic relationship (check this Wikipedia article).

At the Aquarium of the Americas at the foot of Canal Street in New Orleans -- both do what they have been doing for thousands of years - the clownfish draws other fish near to the anemone who sting the preditors with venemous tentacles. The fish helps feed the anemones and help with it's other hygiene habits. Interesting story of different life forms that have learned to live together. Humans have for the most part learned that lesson, but the semesters is not quite over.

--steve buser

Clownfish, sea anemones, symbiosis, Aquarium of the Americas, New Orleans, Louisian

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Out of the fog

Cleaning up my picture files and straightening out the files. I am finding several shots like this foggy day on the riverfront in the French Quarter -- shots I never got around to using.   I can't explain it.  It's just hard to keep things in order when you are posting at a rate of a picture a day -- that includes shooting, processing, filing and all.  

But, I keep it up.  It keeps me focused and observant.  Observant of all the things that go on around me that I never really noticed before.

--steve buser

Fog, Mississippi RIver, New Orleans, Louisiana

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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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Chomping to meet you

I've got someone who would like to get to know your better. My friend here is a resident at the Jean Lafitte National Park and Wildlife preserve at the Baratairia Unit, just a few miles south of New Orleans.

As we walked along the trail we saw about a dozen alligators from babies to one large one. This fellow was medium sized -- about 5 feet long. The trail is well elevated above the waterway --making it a good vantage point for seeing gators in their natural habitat.

--steve buser

National Parks, alligators, Jean Lafitte NationalPark

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Ride the muddy Mississippi

Things can get a little busy on the Mississippi River.  Oh, heck,who are we kidding, things can get a lot busy. This is the front of the Canal Street-Algiers ferry heading into downtown New Orleans.  You can see the wake just ahead of the gawkers from a tug boat that just passed with a massive load. 

Straight ahead is the World Trade Center. On the right (in green) is the Aquarium of the Americas and behind that One Canal Place with the Shops on Canal shopping center is located. 

The ferry ride is a great (and cheap) way to get a good look at down town.  Go across to Algiers, take in Mardi Gras World, or just spend some time on the levy. Then ride back.  No car needed.  The top of the ferry is for pedestrians.

--steve buser

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Fishing for dollars

The cinema students from University of New Orleans were filming a short film out on the lakefront of Mandeville the other day as we were walking along. The title was (I think) "the money and the thief" This shot is the thief trying to grab the money out of the water. The film is being done entirely by UNO students and will be shown at various film festivals.

--steve buser

film, University of New Orleans

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The trees are alive with the sounds of birds

We were in Mandeville again today, checking on Linda's parents.   When we woke up, we decided to take the dog on a walk down to the lakefront.   We weren't even out of the driveway when I notice that the trees seemed to be on fire with the sounds of singing birds -- dozens of them on every block.   On the trip I sighted more than a dozen cardinals (Cardinalis cardinalis), maybe more.  At the lakefront were the normal gulls and an occasional egret.  Some coots were floating down near the harbor.  

On the way back to her parents house, more of the same, including this Cardinal who let me shoot about a dozen shots until I got focused in and all the settings right.

--steve buser

Memories of two lost children

I was just thinking that last year about this time, we were watching a Mourning Dove raise her babies outside our window. We watch them first poke their heads out from under her and then came home one day to find that one of them was gone. A few days later, the other went missing. Momma dove was sitting on the fence near the nest still look for her babies. The dad was perched up on the garage watching her and wishing he could make things right again.

--steve buser

The sky's a busy street.

You know those days when the clouds seem to be fighting each other. Some riding giant thermals. Other being pushed around by fronts and winds that seem all a kilter. Some how, though, like a busy street -- maybe like in Times Square --every body seems to get where they want to go. This was how it was on Veterans Boulevard a while back when I took this picture.

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

--steve buser

Nosey?

Suppose you had to swim around all your life with weird appendages to guide your journey.  On top of that, you had a face that no one could take serious.

You'd be happy like this fellow at the Aquarium of the Americas in New Orleans, wouldn't you?

Of course you would. I suspect that's why you some time get down about the life that was dealt you. You can dream, though. "What if, by some chance..  some very big chance....."

--steve buser

Aquarium of the Americas, New Orleans, Louisiana

Duck ponder

This friendly duck, probably a Scaup, was hanging by the side of the pond at the hospital in Mandeville,the other day. He was courteous enough to let me in close enough for this shot (with a zoom lens, though).

--steve buser

Looking back on looking back

Go figure. 

Sometimes the most trivial and mundane things take on a life of their own.  Take the simple water meter cover in New Orleans.  Of late, it has appeared on shirts, jewelry, photos and more.  Taking on "the part represents the whole", it has developed an aura of its own.  It represents in peoples' mind a symbol of the New Orleans they always knew.  A New Orleans from more carefree times. 

I supppose, though, that New Orleans and Wabash, Indiana, should look back together.  They should dream of days when jobs in Wabash were fueled by thousands of orders for meter covers from a city way down on the coast.

Point?  None in particular.  Just this:  when we look back at golden eras, we rarely look a back at all the connections and industry that supported them. Those are just part of the background.  Something that was supposed to be there.  Like groceries on the shelf.

A Paul Simon lyric said it best "still the man hears what he wants to hear and disregards the rest."

--steve buser

New Orleans, Louisiana, water meters, history