Noteworthy in Nola

So when I heard that you could drop off hair, fur and nylon at (of all places) the Ritz Carlton, I was a little confused. It’s meant to absorb the spilled oil in the Gulf, and while anything that helps is worthwhile, I couldn’t imagine how stuffing used pantyhose with cut up hair was going to help.

Here’s how, and it’s all pretty amazing:

Crossposted to DreamyDreams

You know, it should have been a phenomenal weekend. Jazzfest. Visitors. Nagin went on the radio to tell us- to “kiss my chocolate buttocks” as he locks the door behind him. Words fail. And yet, all things being equal, it’s just so very HIM. Despite being childish and petty (as per usual) it’s kind of funny, because it reminds us of why we’re so thrilled to have a new Mayor sworn in on Monday!

But no. Everyone is walking around shell shocked in a way that’s reminiscent of Katrina. It’s the same feeling of quasi-helplessness in the face of a manmade screwup. The same wondering how bad the butcher’s bill is going to be when it comes due.

And the same thinking about the lovely things being damaged…possibly irreparably, and the memories you’d made there.

Here’s one of mine.

Ali was only 10 when we took this trip to Grand Isle, which is at the very tip of Louisiana hanging out into the tainted Gulf of Mexico. It was a trip of firsts- her first kite, her first fishing pole, and of course, her first (and to my knowledge only) fish.

The city smelled of oil night before last; now the wind’s blowing in the opposite direction and we’re not being hit with it in town…but of course Grand Isle is a lot closer to the problem and I can’t help but wonder what they’re smelling tonight.

If you’re anywhere in the area and can get involved, CNN has a list of organizations looking for volunteers here.

I was dropping off some Jazzfest guests to the Fairgrounds when I noticed a bunch of filming in the cemetery. On the way back I stopped to check it out, and got talking to the director of live music, a local guy in Saints gear, relaxing on the back of a supply truck in the shade of an oak tree. I was surprised that they were still filming, and he said this is the season finale and he had one last big job before the wrap- another second line.

Uncle Lionel and his Drum on the set of Treme. That drum is famous around town and was briefly stolen earlier this year. A huge outcry followed and coordinated efforts on the ground, Facebook and Twitter got the word out - he got it back in short order.

He told me that his job title was specific on purpose- all the music from the series is caught live, which makes his job interesting, to say the least. The episodes are tivo’ed, but I told him I was happy they’d focused on the second line’s hoopla under the I-10 overpass in the premiere, and he laughed. He’d watched every show and movie about the city and knew exactly what they’d missed- like how the bands let loose in the echo-y concrete under the highway, always a magical moment.

I realized I had video of the actual event- HBO put out a call to recreate this, the first Second Line, post Katrina. There was just no way to duplicate it… it was a magical day.

It’s that time of year again- just enough time has passed to get over Carnival and get ready for our next round of visitors- Jazzfest! The first day of the weekend was a washout but Saturday and Sunday weren’t bad. Not that it matters- the rain just doesn’t seem to drive anybody away, they just stay and splash around.

Walking home from getting coffee on Magazine Street, we came across this gorgeous bunch of Wisteria:

The day was grey and threatening rain, which would knock the delicate clusters off, so I grabbed the shot while they were still there.

I will admit to a certain amount of jealousy here- we have the stuff in our backyard, but it’s never really bloomed at all, although it spends the entirety of the warm months trying to reach out and strangle anything it can. I swear I’m going to do a time lapse over the summer to show just how fast the stuff grows. I’m constantly wacking it back, and for a show like this it’d be worth it. Around August I’m always wondering if an execution is in order, I’m so tired of it…but hope springs eternal and I always think “maybe next spring- maybe this will be the year!”

At least now I know where I can go for my spring purple fix.

The herons are busy in Audubon Park these days, molting and nesting on the Island Rookery.

The number of birds on these few trees is staggering- especially when you take into account that each one is around 3 feet high:

I’ll go back in a month or so and see if we can get pics of chicks.

I really had no idea that peep manipulation was so widespread, and then I saw the Washington Post has an annual contest- this year there were 1100+ entries of people who’ve done elaborate things with the marshmallow Easter candies. There are flickr groups, and many many bad puns around them:

see more Lolcats and funny pictures

But I knew peeps had really hit the big time when I saw the Mardi Gras dioramas:

Happy Easter!

Yesterday was Super Sunday, rescheduled from last week, when it was windy and rain threatened. Instead it was absolutely gorgeous… both the weather and the suits, of course.

We’ve been going long enough now to recognize many of the players, but the person who caught my eye most was my favorite little Indian:

I’ve got pics of her strutting her stuff last year, and 2008.

I didn’t upload as far back as 2007, but now I’m going to have to go back and see if I have pics of her then, too. She’s fascinating to watch, totally self possessed and in charge. This one’s gonna be a heartbreaker, folks…if she’s not already.

And while she’s growing up, the next generation is on the scene:

While their elders are there to show them the way…

Like I said, a gorgeous day all around. To see more of the Indians, click here.

This is another eBay ‘slide.’ It was listed as a group of older New Orleans slides, but they arrived burned onto a CD with no originals and I discovered he sells them over and over, retaining the rights. So while I don’t actually “own” this, it seems to be okay as per the TOS to post as long as I give credit and don’t get paid. I surely don’t get paid for the blog, and here’s the link to the seller.

I’m not really sure how I feel about this whole process, but I will admit I haven’t seen these pictures anywhere else, and there are a few that are just amazing and really worth sharing.