One Year on the Road

Enjoying our restful spot in the campground.

Gypsy loves being able to be outside.

Plenty of space to spread out.

Dave and Amy&#039;s house.

My nephew, Andy, and his girlfriend, Casey.

My brothers and their families were meeting my sisters family at a fancy restaurant.

We opted out for hot dogs and potatoes, showers, and laundry.

Peeling potatoes on Thanksgiving morning.

Gypsy wants to help.

This stink bug made Gypsy sick.

At Dave and Amy&#039;s, Chris was in charge of dinner for 17.

With dinner under control, the rest of us went for a walk in nearby Audobon Park.

Ibis and ducks.

Lots of river birds.

Even a swan.

Not sure what this bird is.

Another ibis.

My sister, Beth, and her son, Scott.

Back at the house, we all take the news pretty well that the turkey had been sitting in a cold oven all day.

Although Don looks a little threatening.

Checking out something on Amy&#039;s phone.

David brought out the cheese and dips.

And Beth distracted everyone with advent calendars.

These calendars were a tradition started by my mom.

Beth carried it on.

The dining table was all set.

The kitchen table, too.

At last, the turkey was ready.

Andy was in charge of the tamarind glaze.

Andy and Chris are both great chefs.

Kate whips up some whipped cream for dessert.

Beth in her cute apron.

At the ready.

Chris got going on the gravy.

Andy carved.

Scott carved the canned cranberry sauce.

At last, we all filled our plates.

The next day, Kate and I met my sister&#039;s family in the French Quarter.

The French Market.

Steampunk artist in the French Market.

Kate talks to a young man collecting money for a battered women&#039;s shelter.

Good thing he wasn&#039;t looking for a home for these two.

Me, posing by a butcher.

Kate, posing at a fountain.

Beingets, a kind of fried doughnut, are a New Orleans tradition.

The line for them was 30 minutes long.

Us with nephew Scott.

At last getting our order.

We took our order to a plaza.

Was it worth it? Yes!

Niece Heidi and her boyfriend, Jamie.

Jackson Square.

A transformer performer.

This brass band was great.

new-orleans-55

We loved the puppets in this art gallery.

new-orleans-57

There were other creations, too.

new-orleans-59

Christmas in the quarter.

The corn fence in front of this hotel is famous.

Beth chats with an accordionist.

Some interesting home decor.

Old drug store sign.

A very short door.

Next to a very tall door.

This mule looked overworked to me.

Some Halloween graffiti?

I love the old buildings in this district.

A boy gets a $5 chess lesson.

We waited in line at this market for a famed Muffuletta.

The market sold everything from seeds to spices.

But the muffalettas bring in the crowds.

It&#039;s a giant sandwich cut into quarters.

The ingredients are standard. Take it or leave it.

We dined al fresco with NOLA&#039;s finest.

Jazz fountain.

Jazz musician sculpture.

St. Louis Cathedra.

Statue of Andrew Jackson.

Heidi and Jamie.

Nothing&#039;s too odd for NOLA.

Bluegrass band.

Parrot on a street corner.

Pat O&#039;Brien&#039;s, a famous bar.

The VooDoo shop is for real.

This cute musician tap danced while she sang and played the banjo.

There are still lots of hitching posts in NOLA.

What an interesting assortment of items advertised.

Bottles in a shop window.

Sad to say, NOLA has a hard core side.

Later that night, a tourist was murdered near here.

That night, we all went out to this obscure but locally famous place.

Casey, Andy, and Chris.

Karen, Beth, Kate and me.

Everyone but me.

new-orleans-97

On Saturday, Kate and I got our car fixed at this place.

Dave and Amy showed us their new house.

It&#039;s a double shotgun house built in the late 1800s.

They took us to this great little joint for dinner.

On Sunday, Andy and Casey came out to see Bessie and the fur kids.

They took the kids for a walk.

They were so amused by Gypsy.

Gypsy took an unexpected leap onto a tree.

Andy and Casey in their apartment building.

Campground neighbors, Pam and Mike.