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| We rode the ferry from downtown New Orleans to Algiers Point for one last po' boy at the Dry Dock Cafe. |
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| The band playing outside took a bathroom break |
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| Riverboat Nachez and St. Louis Cathedral from Algiers Point |
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| Papa Momo and Otis check out the Mississippi |
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| Back on the ferry |
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| LaWanda's "Heart Will Go On" |
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| The fierce pelican awaits our disembarkment. We only say that because the New Orleans' basketball team formerly known as the Hornets is going to be the Pelicans. |
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| Strolled to Louis Armstrong Park at the edge of the Quarter. Only later did we learn from Donna Lynn that this is a dangerous area. |
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| Hotel guests (?) and others were throwing beads from the balconies on Bourbon Street. LaWanda caught some. |
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| I caught some too. We checked out a burger and sandwich grill which had outdoor seating on a balcony overlooking Bourbon Street |
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| After midnight, and time for birthday beignets at Cafe du Monde, which is open 24/7. DonnaLynn said it was the first place to re-open after Katrina. |
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| Since LaWanda is a New Year's Eve baby, and New Year's Eve would be crazy in the Quarter, we celebrated the evening of December 30, into the morning of December 31, to start off her new year. |
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| In front of the water/flame fountain at Pat O'Brien's |
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| Looking down on the Pat O'Brien's patio. Tom's Dallas Cowboys' game was on the big screen TV |
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| The water/flame fountain |
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| I was there too, and it was c-o-l-d. Thanks to DonnaLynn for the scarf and gloves! |
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| you're always at home at Dot's Diner, where beignet sticks and bacon are on the kids menu. |
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| Otis had the top score! |
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| Captain America made a surprise visit. Thanks, Dave! |
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| Dave, Colton, and Otis are all Captain America fans. |
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| Street musicians jazz it up for passers-by |
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| The very busy waitress at Cafe du Monde takes your order |
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| Costumes aren't out of place |
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| Your afternoon snack is beignets and cafe au lait |
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| Keeping the powdered sugar on the beignet requires careful manipulation |
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| A tugboat chugs under the Mississippi River Bridge. Maybe the gauge measures the distance from the bottom of the bridge to the river? |
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| You ride a streetcar from Blaine Kern's Mardi Gras World to the French Quarter |
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| At the end of the line, the streetcar driver lets you sit at the controls |
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| Papa Tom and Mia/Shanana are pretending to be the King and Queen of Carnival. (I was standing on tiptoe and still couldn't fit my face in the opening.) |
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| Otis and LaWanda are ready for Mardi Gras |
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| Staff at Blaine Kern's Mardi Gras World are working around the clock now to finish preparing floats for Mardi Gras parades, which begin in January |
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| The artists use Styrofoam and papier-mâché (French for "chewed paper;" Not really, I hope!) to sculpt figures for the floats. |
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| Sketch for a float. It says: "Clean-up on Aisle XLIV" and "This year I'm gonna do it for free" and "I'll make more money with this guy." |
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| This idea will become a figure on a float. The check for $100,000,000 is made out to Drew Brees , with "Cha-ching!" in the comment line |
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| The wooden float, before it's decorated |
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| More float sketches |
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| Artist at work |
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| Left over props that could be revamped for use another day. I wonder what the Pink Panther is telling George? |
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| The best float of all! A train! |
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| King Kong |
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| Not sure what this is all about, but I don't see an angel on his shoulder |
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| A floor full of flowers, waiting to be attached to the floats |
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| We opened the door to a float and found this notice inside |
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| The real Pat O'Brien's Hurricane was to come later |
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| To give you an idea of the prop sizes |
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| 1950s sci-fi meets 1980s sci-fi? Not sure how the king fits in. |
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| you meet up for po' boys on Magazine Street. Papa Tom, Mia/Shanana, Dave, Otis, DonnaLynn, Martha, and LaWanda |
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| Martha and Craig were in town from Shreveport to visit friends. Michael Craig flew in from the Baltimore area for the holidays. |
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| Stuffed! Papa Tom, DonnaLynn, Mia/Shanana, Otis, Dave, Martha, LaWanda |
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| The daquairi menu at the Drive-Thru Daquairi shop resembles a snoball menu. |
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| you're placing an order at the Drive-Thru Daquairi shop, which fronts Hickery Street on one side and Dickery Street on the other. Yes, there's a Dock Street. I like to think of this place as the Dickery Daquairi shop. |
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| Mediums: two eggnogs and one Fudgey Wudge. |
