Thursday, November 28, 2013

Thoughts of Thanks

Thanksgiving day is my favorite holiday for its very simplicity.


I am thankful for pumpkins available in a variety of wonderful shapes and colors.  Or the better to bake in a pie?




I am thankful for the water and wind that shapes fallen trees into fantastic shapes. As beautiful as they are to behold; better to bivouac your bottom?




I am thankful for a wreath made of coconut husks from far away, framing a bundle of Indian corn. How better to warmly welcome my friends to the holiday season? A happy thanksgiving to all!

Friday, November 1, 2013

Hallowe'en in New Orle'an

Where better to spend Halloween than New Orleans? The mansions along St. Charles rise to the occasion, as for any occasion, with impressive and spectacular decorations.





Beads are a basic to the city, and here we have the pearly gates.



This St. Charles manse must have had a hundred skeleton puns across the property. There is no skimping on the sacrifices that New Orleanians will make for a holiday, festival, parade or party. It's my kind of town!



On the hallowed night, many hundreds of well-costumed children and their equally well-costumed parents queued up for treats. The hosts couldn't possibly be more gracious to one and all, as they sipped their Sazaracs.  I was chastened not to begrudge the comparatively few goblins that crowd my front porch in St. Louis.




This is one of my favorite houses, having always been a fan of Neo-classical Beaux Arts style architecture.  Can you estimate how many yards of cobwebs had to be ordered for the wrought iron fence?  And let's see, I'll take a dozen 6' spiders...




The semi-circular driveway accommodated droves of little devils, sort of like a drive-in treatery.




Where do the New Orleans folk store all their holiday decorations?  This creepy gypsy caravan is no small thing to park in your garage!  And what with elaborate Christmas, Mardi-Gras, and St. Patrick's decorations, I don't know how they manage, being as they don't even have basements.




There are no qualms or hesitation about what might be too scary for the little tricksters.  The scarier the better!  Halloween is serious business here and no cutesiness about it! 




Just a sweet little old couple resides here. I saw them dancing the night away later in the eve on Frenchman Street, groovin' to the jazz.  Hope to see them next year, if they're still kickin'!