December 26 2011 N’awlins

We toured  Brian Kerns Mardi Gras warehouse today. They make most of the floats for the Mardi Gras parades.

This figure was at the shuttle stop for the warehouse. Here we are

They start the figures by gluing sheets of Styrofoam together. Then they carve the figures out of the Styrofoam

Then they papier-mâché them, and paint them

Here are some floats they are working on. The Krewes run the parades. There are 54 krewes-54 Mardi Gras parades.  Mardi Gras world does the floats for 40 of them.  The Krewes own the floats. The one on the right above belongs to the Orpheus Krewe. Theirs have the flowers on the sides every year, but Mardi Gras world puts different figures or props on them each year according to their themes.  These flowered floats are waiting for the props

they also make the cows for the Chik a Fillets  company billboards.  Here are a couple props

 

This float is the Baccas float. The celebrity king rides in it. It is a signature float that stays the same every year.  More props on the right

cardboard flowers for the Orpheus floats, spare props. They save them each year and rework and reuse them if possible.

floats

John in the king figure. They were way too tall. Me practicing for Mardi Gras

the king and I, a gas price prop

Museum of the American Cocktail

The cocktail was at Mardi Gras world, but looks like it should be in the cocktail museum. A menu for the Katrina Deli. Something to raise the spirits of folks after the hurricane

the deli cart and my personal favorite the Bush Baloney Sandwich

trying out the new camera. John took a photo of me with the magic setting and I took him with the beauty setting. We were waiting for lunch in New Orleans. The Saints had a game that evening and town was packed with fans pre partying.

seen at the French market

a sculpture  memorializing Katrina