Easter Eggs...

What kind of chicken did these eggs come from? 
















The chairmen of the egg hunting department. 










Wait those eggs were not from a chicken. Scientist in the egg lab develop new useful products everyday. 







Hey! What was in those eggs? 

Pond Bosses...

I made a quick trip to Morgan's to assist with some fence this morning and as a reward I got to fish Lake Morgan. We have a game we play now while driving. When ever we see a pond we say "Morgan's pond looks better than that." Here's Mo with the first fish. 

I get on the score board. 

Here's an action shot. 

Might be my best fish of the day. You can see a bit of my money bait of the trip hanging from his lip. I did well with a jointed Rapala minnow. Morgan used a Roadrunner. 

Caught a nice goggle eye on the Rapala. 
They have bass like mouths and are aggressive enough to take similar lures. All in all we caught a number of bass, I caught a couple of brim and this guy. Three species, all members of the sunfish family. 

Happy Birthday Peter...

Silly string and Birthday wishes fly thick in the air about Peter's head at the huge birthday party held in his honor. 

Peter, here's the cake. Don't eat the silly string. 

New Orleans Street Busking...

Or the "mom I am using my music degree blog post." 
Here's a nice little jug band I saw in the French Quarter. They were all filthy, looking like they had slept in the swamp with noses that glowed red from huffing the intoxicant of choice but they played well. 

Think I almost had an art shot here if I could crop out the no parking sandwich sign. Then it would look like this little combo was on the streets of a European city.

 




Here's a homemade instrument and this guy was playing some blues on it. It's a washboard with a cymbal to tap for percussion. It's electric. After making this picture I zoomed it up close to check how it was made and the washboard has the guts of a small battery powered practice amp with digital effects called the Roland Micro cube. I could just make out it's logo. I could make one of these. I have most of the parts laying around except the micro cube. 

I saw many more musicians with the center of the scene seeming to be on Royal Street. Lots of girls with ukes on street corners dressed in 1940s vintage dresses. The uke is popular, even I am playing one. I'd like to try my hand at busking sometime but I can't fit in a 1940s dress. People were so skinny back then. 

I tossed a few bucks in these folks tip jars before I made their picture. I believe in paying for music. I don't pay for music from the Rolling Stones or the Eagles and it's not because I think they shouldn't get paid. I just ignore them like I do other greedy large corporations that tell me they have services I need. I always toss a few bucks to the little guy or buy his cd to help him out. Don't you think we should? 

My Mom Grows Her Own...

...Azaleas. It's part of her yard work exercise plan. It's working because she is very fit. 

 Check out these photos, that's my old home place where I grew up in the back ground. In the 1950s there was a cornfield next door so I guess it's the fertile East Texas Creek bottom dirt that makes things grow so well. 

Note the various colors. Some of the azaleas were planted before I was born. 





This is the oldest bush, not quite open yet. 

Tuba Player Photos...

On this trip to New Orleans I added some more photos to my collection. I guess collecting photos of tuba players is a pretty harmless hobby. Notice I said I guess. Does a full hard drive count as hoarding? 

Anyway here's the Storyvillie Stompers and their tuba player at an Irish parade. Note the banjo palyer following the tubist. Their always do that. 

















Did not get this group's name but they are good. 








Too bad they put the tuba at the back. His momma never gets a good picture of him either.  





"Coming through! excuse us, excuse us we have tuba." 

Everything You Need?...

Cathy asks this question as she sits at the Oyster Bar in Felix's French Quarter restaurant. Eat raw oysters, drink tomato juice and wear the shells for clothes or at least earnings and I think you would have a diet rich in nutrients and fun. 

Felix's has always been one of our favorites for raw oysters. Nice little bar to sit at with easy access to spicy condiments and great big oysters makes it for me. They do have a kitchen cooking stuff but I have not eaten cooked food since they took the great bacon wrapped oyster loaf off the menu. That might have been a hurricane causality  because things, decor and menu changed after that event. 

Right across the street is Acme Oyster house. The line was out the door. It's been on the food shows. It's good, and I might eat a fried dinner there but for a few quick dozen I'll take Felix's. 

Shucking our oysters is Anthony. He kept up a personal history while he worked. Born in 1966 I think he said he was shining shoes in the Quarter by the early 70s. Moved up to tap dancing on street corners after that. Kind of left some gaps as to what happened between tap dancing and the shucking gig but he was good at his job which is as it should be for all of us.  

New Orleans Music...

People ask me stuff all the time. One thing they ask is "Mudbelly, why you go to New Orleans all the time?" It is a mystery to some since I don't drink, strip in bars or even go in the strip bars on Bourbon Street. One thing I go for is the music. 

I visited a famous neighborhood bar, Vaughn's to see Kermit Ruffins. Kermit plays there every Thursday night. If you get there early he's cooking BBQ outside and he will give you some. I like Kermit. Maybe not the hottest trumpet player in New Orleans, but a good entertainer and always a fun time. I own a bunch of his cds. 

Another good reason to get to Vaughn's early besides the BBQ is the crowd. Here's the key board player. I don't think he could even see the rest of the band. 

Photo from the back of the bar. It took me about an hour to edge my way up to where I made a close up photo of Kermit. 

Years ago at the jazz fest I met a guy in the crowd that really tried to get me to meet him at Vaughn's to see Kermit play. Well dude I finely made it. I did not see you. 

Back From New Orleans...

Well we are home. Just sitting around suffering post New Orleans depression. Hard to get anything good to eat after the big bracing breakfasts we had each day at a near by by diner La Peniche I highly recommend this place for any meal of the day.

Here's Pop and Geneva at one of the St Patrick's Day Parades. Pop did great with his hip replacement getting around New Orleans. The wheel chair was just for resting and traveling only. I hope my kids take note that I pushed my father in law all around the French Quarter. Of course they don't have to do that. I have been to N.O. many many times. They can take me to Bonaroo, Coachella, Burning Man, Disney World or Carnival in Rio. Note I have four children and listed five destinations. I'll go to any of them twice except Disney World. 

Here's one of the Irish Clubs. There is a lot of Irish in New Orleans. They dug the canals because the slaves were to valuable to be wasted on that kind of hard work. Somebody always has to be low man on the totem pole. At least that's what the Indians say. 

 I made about 400 photos. You will see more of these groups. 







Going for the art photo this the parade floats on Louisiana Street, an uptown neighborhood, overhung by big oaks. 

Happy St. Patrick's Day...

 Me and an Irish girl celebrate St. Patrick's day on Bourbon St.

Irish Channel Parade...

Life is no fun for Cathy and Geneva with no beads. Pop rests in his wheel chair which is an energy conservation measure. He's holding up real well for being about 8 weeks post total hip replacement. 
















Geneva bends to the harvest. 

















How come that girl getting so many beads?












Cathy and Geneva split up the goods. Looks like since it's Irish parade they have about 8 heads of cabbage that were thrown at them.