On Wed, 04 Mar 2009 12:25:37 GMT, "Tom Littleton" wrote:


wrote in message
.. .
This year's carnival (that's "Mardi Gras" to most folks) season was a real
trip...

If you heard about the folks shot on St Charles Ave, my mother heard the
shots
(it occurred right near her house)...sheesh...

TC,
R

was waiting for you to check in, we at Chez Littleton were a bit worried
about the last part, based on a news report and feeble memories exactly
where she lives......
Tom

Actually, she moved into her new place right before "Mardi Gras," but it is only
about 4 blocks from her old one (and closer to the site of the shooting). The
shooting actually happened on the lake side of St. Charles, across the neutral
ground from her place. For those unfamiliar, the parades roll on one side of
the divided St. Charles Ave. - the primary road where the street cars are, often
seen in New Orleans "scenes" - and the "neutral ground" is a wide area in the
middle where the street car tracks are. During the last weekend of carnival,
Lundi Gras and Mardi Gras, the street cars don't operate and folks set up
everything from canopies with grills,fryers, bars, and kegs to ladders with
seats and wheels to rows of chairs to "stake out" their parade-watching spots,
all of which no one bothers. We had a row of chairs and several ladders set up
on the river side sidewalk from Friday through Mardi Gras and no worries.

All in all, carnival/"Mardi Gras" was a lot of fun, and no one of any
socio-economic level seemed to be willing to let the economy dampen their
spirits. We mostly stayed Uptown/the Garden District and out of the Vieux
Carre, but from all reports, it was just as, er, active there as always
(explaining why we mostly stayed away...).

TC,
R