Friday Night before...Krewe of Rio
(what I'm told is what use to be the New Orleans Krewe)
best float hat, that white one in the front--if I'd only tried to zoom...
it's look rather a witchy type hat, only gi-normous
b/w by mistake--but I like it...
some other camera phone effect, by mistake...
another colorful lightbulb blur, must of been either...
1) cold & shivering (I mean I did have all my Norway gear on in order to stand there for hours along the parade route downtown in like 30 F wintertime weather)
2) was waving my other hand trying to catch beads & so the blur
1st float I ever saw with a big screen in the front of it...
w/changing images - here of course you'd have the Ragin Cajuns
bead booty--this is what it's all about...
I gave all the stuffed critters or toys away to the kid in the group right
Saturday Parades - Children's Parade at Noon cancelled & Night Parade didn't go...because of torential morning 'til afternoon rain & tornado warnings, including one down Amb Cafferty that went over our friends house - complete with the sound of a freight train & a run to the safe room?! Instead--we celebrated with champagne, at said friend's house...this time w/o any sign of a freight train wind coming - clouds cleared & there was a sunset, which we decided meant it was a good time for fresh air & a walk around the neighborhood (Oh why not, they've seen worse--it is Mardi Gras season afterall...)
Lundi Gras aka Fat Monday before Mardi Gras aka Fat Tuesday - Queen's parade - scratch that too, after a day of volunteering to sell Vintage Country Mardi Gras Costumes at Cite des Arts I just was not in the mood for a parade full or ordinary costumes (plus really I have enough beads--I've given so many away that I started to donate them, this year it was to the Dog Parade...missed this year's but was there for last years, so knew they could use the beads...)
Mardi Gras aka Fat Tuesday - King's parade - skipped that, sunny day, we did gardening (I was not the only one at Lowe's let me tell you--it was packed?!) Mid-Day parade - was just driving into town to park at the new Train Station parking lot, which was written up in the papers but obviously folks didn't get the word because there were a lot of spaces & surprisenly I got into & out of town pretty quickly (except for that one stuck float that was getting a tow in the way...)
The Independent Parade - known for letting anyone & everyone into the line-up who wants to, mostly all were floats pulled by trucks or 1 giant John Deere tracktor, except for the 1 group that marched, the Krewe of CoucheCouche (again, anything goes--as well as gender, who knows, who cares...) Plus at the lead were the local Roller Derby girls & in front of them the 1 guy in a 'chicken run' costume, the traditional costumes worn by the Courir de Mardi Gras riders - complete with wire/screen decorated mask...this was my first year I think to make it to the Indie Parade & to stay for the whole thing, in downtown Lafayette, most of the time across from the AcA - on what would end up a Sunny Day, topping temp's of over 70 F too?! (Yeesh, we've had a whole season of weather for Mardi Gras this year)
famous image--beads in the trees...or on powerlines...
if you look up, all over town, you will find them -
but do folks take photos of them? they should, it's fun
& too then I 'know' I'm in a Mardi Gras for real town?!
wandering the streets, in a backlot - why she isn't on a float, I don't know...
she so reminds me of the ones in NOLA, mostly male jesters tho there -
I know I have a few photos in front of them with or w/o friends as well...
Krewe of CoucheCouche waiting to get rolling again...
the real rollers are at the lead--the Acadiana Roller Girls,
they're on Facebook also (support your local Roller Derby Girls?!)
lots of umbrellas today & sunglasses & also sunburn shoulders
Fox 15 Indie float behind the Krewe, also waiting, but with music playing...
as are all the floats (noticed a lot of Fox 15 on trucks pulling the floats too,
so thanks local TV for supporting the Indie parade) - Oh, take note of guy
in right corner by the light pole, he's on a painted ladder with a box seat
up at the top, that usually has some small child in it (last time I've seen
these was when I went to 'the' Mardi Gras parades in NOLA...)
Krewe of CoucheCouche - who had a marching song,
that included CoucheCouche...they're suppose to be the
Trash Can Marching Band - but only saw/heard one can
being beat...you'll see a lot of them are cross dressed -
am wondering now where this afterparty rolled off to
(if the barriers were down in the streets,
there could of been a Second String following behind)
Krewe of CoucheCouche - their banner girls &
just some of the Krewe, again if could of gotten
into the streets...
You Tubes of past years of the Krewe of CoucheCouche - Marching TrashCan Band...
http://youtu.be/H71UBa5qw1o - 2008
http://youtu.be/J8UAPxxUNRQ - 2010
http://youtu.be/0TEcj9Oi1Zs - 2010 - The Independent - local Newspaper
http://youtu.be/5oHee9vUux4 - 2011
Video 1 - it may not work, will have to figure this out...
(video on phone doesn't go to Dropbox, so where to send it,
so then can find it in a file to upload into Blogger - Oh my,
the things I have to learn yet...)
I'm sorry--Las Vegas? this looks like they let out the bus,
from the Casino onto the float (someone needed to do better)
Video 2 - again, coming soon (after a bit of relearning...)
Laissez les Bon Temps Rouler - famously said & not
just during Mardi Gras (aka Let the Good Time Roll?!)
some floats, you look at & think--not a lot of time huh...
was this the salon krewe that threw out tiny plastic bottles
of hair product (luckily did not get whacked in head with one)
(shoulda all been red/white/blue beads then right?!)
RIP Whitney Houston - didn't hear the songs, but am guessing
they were playing her songs to honor her now she's gone
mostly I've only seen white ones with Krewe like logos
on them - have caught 2, but gave them to the kid in
the group again (mann I think I need the G-Baby Girls
to come visit, so I can 'keep' these other fun throws -
like stuffed critters, or cups, or ??)
Video 3 - to be working soon as...
so maybe the Indie folks can borrow regular parade floats -
or maybe too if they didn't have enough fun the first run,
they can just come on over again to the Indie parade
doesn't take much y'all--a beer box on the head & you're
good to go for the Indie parade, also looks like someone
just headed for Partyland for those float decorations too
(OK, so just a guess here--but money did 'not' go to
throws, nor decorations, nor costumes, so let's see--that
leaves? beer, so then that makes a hat--leftover/empty
beer box...Oh, to be in college again eh?!)
Krewe de Grue...Okay--now where are ya's? all on the
other side of the float? I do like those colors, now where's
the throws or throwers?! And if 'Grue' is a monster, then
maybe he's scared away the Krewe today--mai yea cha...
Hello Mr Sunshine...won't you come to my parade today...
(& make all my photos shiny right)
who's dat Krewe teasing us with stuffed toys?
liked the crawfish--but again, Where's the Krewe?
Where's the throws? How 'bout some tiny plastic crawfish?
Something--Throw me something...uh, mister?!
another let's ride on a float y'all, maybe the whole
family could fill it up, anyone got a Mardi Gras T-shirt?
or let's see who has a hat? we'll put you on top...
(like the float paint job though, at least that was fun?!)
now this is a fun Krewe, another float looking like it's
been in New Orleans Mardi Gras (you know I'm calling
these floats, but are they?)
Krewe de P__ - can't read that, covered in beads?!
Krewe de Pas Bon___ maybe Temps, as that saying goes:
Pass a Good Time
I get the feeling that the beach is this Krewe's theme -
now I'm remembering too one of those night parade
floats had this same beachy theme, could be the same
one (another let's roll in the Indie Parade or Hey can
we borrow a float going on...)
Caution: Float Driven by Cherry Fischer May
this is a mean float, tho if you weren't a local you
wouldn't know this - like a billboard wasn't enough,
just when I thought all this nonsense was over, here's
a float in the Indie Parade (just what are they trying
to say now...)
besides TV or Radio or Krewe de blah blah blah...
there were some realtors & here a builder or don't
know what that Beauties & B___ Salon is about -
does look like they all have their Krewe T-shirts
on (am thinking next year, will make a family
Mardi Gras T-shirt...have to work on a design
that fits the Celtic fam Krewe--hmmm...)
love her butterfly white feather hat...
also love the Mardi Gras colored streaming
light reflected in the sun rays - Green, Gold,
Purple?!
if I were crafty--next year I'd make me one of these...
white feathers on a hat with wires to hold the white
feathery butterflies above (but what to wear with?)
note hat on top deck--Got Beer? I'm sure they do...
can you spot the orange bra - or are they painted coconuts -
anyways, think they have sports tattoos on the ends, but is
it football? or basketball? or ?? (it'll be your Where's Waldo
Mardi Gras moment...)
The End
the bead booty - around the neck this time,
rather than in the booty bag
(akin to limiting yourself at the grocery store,
take the small cart in rather than the full out
big cart...)
Happy Mardi Gras from Lafayette, LA Y'all?!
note: no more of these either y'all--today was the last day,
unless you're lucky enough to find one at the grocery
store...but then they're no wheres near as good as the
bakeries--this one from Pouparts, but this year managed
one from Kellers & Great Harvest too...so next year,
Southside & Gambino's - or better yet, New Orleans
King Cakes...some say they're Da Best?!
