The ironwork in New Orleans is fascinating. I tried to capture some of the variations in balconies and balustrades. This set contains the more simplistic ones. Hope you enjoy viewing them as much as I did seeking them out. It’s a wonder I didn’t twist my ankle on the brick paver sidewalks since I was always looking up instead of where I was walking.

... for a mid-afternoon bear visit. I was chatting away on the phone to my Mom and looked out into the back yard. I saw a large black bear walking around. I quickly counted the dogs—yup, all four were in the house accounted for—hung up the phone, yelled to Rick to please bring me my camera, and managed to get a few quick shots.

At first I assumed it was Ursa without her cubs, but when I pointed the camera at her I got the impression it was not her. Don’t ask me why, but like I’ve said before, Ursa and I kind of have a ‘thing.’ This bear’s face was somehow different than Ursa’s. I know for sure it wasn’t Doris. I think this was a different bear. Beautiful face though, heh?

This pic isn’t very good, but if you look closely you’ll see the bear exiting our yard via the chain link fence, and she has it pulled down sort of standing on it!

We took a Jazz / Dinner cruise on the Steamboat, Natchez. It was cold, windy, and spitting rain that evening as we walked the nine blocks to the river. As we approached the boat we could hear music. It took us a while to realize that the music was coming from the steam calliope on top of the boat! And it was a real person up there playing it in the bitter wind; amazing! [In fact, you can see the little fireworks display from the calliope in the photo below of the boat.]

We weren’t alone on this adventure, because after all, this trip was not a vacation; about 30 people involved in the company Rick works for were there as well. We took up most of the main dining room with only a few stray couples that weren’t with our group. The boat was not full by any means. Poor New Orleans ... but, more about that in a different post.

We had a surprisingly good dinner, buffet-style, really one of the best buffets I’ve ever had. I say “surprisingly” because usually when you do something that is a little touch on the touristy side the food tends to be blah. Not so, this meal. A lovely salad, an excellent spinach/artichoke casserole, green beans almandine, pasta alfredo, roasted red potatoes and three entrees: praline chicken, catfish in a creole sauce, or prime rib. Dessert was bread pudding with a toffee sauce over the the top. We had an open bar, so the liquor flowed as fast as the river.

The weather continued to be windy and rainy, but cleared up at the very end of our cruise up and down the mighty Mississippi. She was running at near to flood stage, so the water beneath our paddle wheels was running fast and furious. It was dizzying to be steaming upstream with the river rushing by at literally the same speed in the opposite direction. We got to tour the engine room and see the steam engine in action. It was awesome watching the process of turning steam into motion.

Join me now in a photographic journey set to the music and lyrics of Proud Mary. It just seemed to fit. Please feel free to sing along:

But I never saw the good side of the city

Till I hitched a ride on a riverboat queen

Big wheel keep on turning

Proud Mary keep on burning
And we’re rolling, rolling

Rolling on the river

If you come down to the river
I bet you gonna find some people who live

You don’t have to worry if you got no money
People on the river are happy to give

Our walk back to our hotel was pleasant since the cold wind had stopped by then. We passed by Jackson Square and the St. Louis Cathedral. The sky was an eerie color; perfectly captured in this photo:

We even stopped in at the Acme Oyster House [again!] for a late night treat of more oysters!

Thanks to my hubby Rick for the great shots of the paddle wheel, Cajun band and St. Louis Cathedral. You can find out more about the history of the Natchez by following the link above.

(words & music of Proud Mary by John Fogerty)

These are mostly restaurant related and maybe not quite as unique as the voodoo group from yesterday. Still, they caught my fancy. Tommorrow it’s on to something different.
Note: Take notice of the gas lamp in the first photo. These lovely lamps are scattered everywhere in the French Quarter, lending an old-fashioned, warm feeling to the streets.

I have several day’s worth of signs to share with you. I found them interesting. I usually take photos of things that other people walk right on by. Like doors, windows, architectural details. There were plenty of all those things to keep my camera happily clicking away. So, be prepared over the next week to see New Orleans through my camera lens. Here are today’s signs. Let me know what you think!