Beyond Katrina

Images from New Orleans Mardi Gras

City of New Orleans from Algiers Ferry - © 2008 Matthew White

The above photograph  of the New Orleans skyline was taken by photographer Matthew White on the morning of Fat Tuesday as he made  his approach into New Orleans to take Mardi Gras pix. He said the crowds were lighter this year, and some have chalked that up to the fact that the city's most famous celebration  fell so early this year.  I had a very emotional reaction to this particular image - the metaphor is obvious I think. As it is said every  picture is worth a thousand words. For more of Matthew's images of Mardi Gras 2008  check out his image gallery.

Happy 4th! America The Beautiful

I am off soon for fourth of July celebrations at friends Bob  and Jamie Haeuser's farm in Robert, Louisiana.  J & B are the quintessential New Orleanians. Born and raised there, Jamie is a hospital administrator at Womans Hospital in Baton Rouge, and she also teaches health care management courses at Tulane University.  Bob has an insurance agency in downtown NOLA, and here in Baton Rouge post-Katrina.

On another note, I was sort of toying with the idea of ending today's blog session by  posting a fourth of July image  at the top of the  main page as I traditionally do  - you know the traditional thing with some kind of fireworks or the American Flag. The song "America the Beautiful" was playing over and over in my mind as I was hunting images and so I decided  the image should be one that really depicts America's natural beauty, and preferably Louisiana's too.

So here's what comes to me for a perfect look at America, the beautiful as captured through the lens  of a Louisiana  landscape photographer.  You should check out Matthew White's newly published photographs, Summer Storm, The Rigolets, 7/07 and Sabine Lake, Toward Louisiana from Port Arthur, TX 5/07 over at his blog, http://rigolets.blogspot.com/. (Lots of other great eye candy over there too).

Happy 4th! Be safe.

Margaret Saizan

Here's to All the Great Dads...

Well it's Fathers Day  in the U.S and the kids and I will be grilling for the dads today. I just want to take this moment to express my gratitude for all the terrific fathers of this world.  I feel blessed to have some really great men in my life - my 85 year old pop, my husband, sons, dad &  brud n' laws, cousins, uncles, and some wonderful male friends  who awaken me every day to the miracle that the male species is. So here's to all great fathers of this planet- past, present, and future! Relax, kick back, enjoy the day! 

Early Morning

Okay so I am in Chartres. Had a six course meal at an off the menu restaurant last night - the main course was supposed to be duck l'orange but there was no orange. However it was extraordinary. Met Aimee Dominique from Lafayette Louisiana and Marge McCarthy (Santa Fe) at the restaurant. We ordered a bottle of champagne without asking the price and that was a huge mistake. But our waiter Franc was very amusing aned very GQ and did very well on the selection. (: C'est la vie. On the walk back to the hotel had a magnificent encounter with the Cathedral and two posts later I still don't know how to describe it. So I'll try again later. It's very early am and I would normally not be awake at this time but my sleep is out of sync. The French are up early however as the street below has suddenly become very noisy. And good news -it appears the rain has stopped.

Untitled

In the Air

Photo of 'Sugar Mama' , our flight attendant with a 'tude'. Taken with my Cingular phone. Friend Aimee Dominique is spotting me with a 35 mm.

Voila! Bugs are ready

Veggies Next

Onions, potatoes, corn, brussel spouts, cauliflower  and mushrooms   will be placed in the boil next. 

Stirring the Crayfish

Bugs are boiling

The first batch goes into the hot, boiling seasoned water. The crawfish will boil for 8 minutes and soak for twenty.