Soar-Dream-France: June 2015

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June 2015

June 20, 2015

Wagon Time

It's Saturday and shouldn't it be time for a little "Wine at the Wagon"? Ah, that a wine at the wagon would be that simple from 5000 miles away. We'll just have to have more next summer to make up for this one!

Happy Saturday!

Posted at 12:34 PM in Food and Drink, France Life, Just One..., Mélange-ing Magic, Photography | Permalink | Comments (0)

June 19, 2015

Books a Plenty

Whether the books are from Eric, my Librarian over on Dupre Street, a neighborhood Little Free Library, or other friends; my plan for the summer (and maybe beyond) is to post the books I've read in my "Book" section on my page in FB. It's fun and easy, and I'm enoying seeing them all pile up.

And besides, I have a very bad habit of picking up books I've already read and seeing them as new. Maybe this will help. Enjoy as many books as you can this summer, and...

Happy Friday!

Posted at 03:47 PM in Books, Fabulous Friends and Family, New Orleans NOW, Photography | Permalink | Comments (0)

June 18, 2015

My New Orleans Gardening World

Between rain and morning watering, the garden is green, green, green, and ready to burst. The three trumpet plants along the drive are full of buds that are going to blast "pink partout" at any moment.

That one stalk of banana tree was prolific in that little patch of dirt...now, there are probably 12 stalks on my side of the fence and even more invading my neighbors.

My wanderers are wandering, my buddleia cuttings are taking, and I'm about ready to cut some basil to root so I won't have to spend so much time hunting for it next year. I can't rush those trumpet blooms to bloom any faster...but, I can fix that with trumpet blasts from years past below:

Posted at 01:08 PM in Mélange-ing Magic, New Orleans NOW, Photography | Permalink | Comments (0)

June 17, 2015

Bayou Boat Days

When I first got back to New Orleans in January of 2013, I found that I enjoyed shooting the boats on Bayou St. John on a regular basks. The had popped up like posies along the banks and there were may more than I had ever remembered being there.

It didn't take long for the residents around the Bayou to become disenchanted with the volume and condition of the boats and their people

These days, the Bayou is clear. From time to time, I'll notice a boat or two docked along the side, but these are few and far between. I confess. I miss the boats. These photos from 2013 will tell you part of the story.

Posted at 12:55 PM in Mélange-ing Magic, New Orleans NOW, Photography | Permalink | Comments (0)

June 16, 2015

Other Sunday Moments

There was amazingly more to my Sunday than the Little Free Library Tour in the morning. Coming home, I came down Ponce de Leon on the other side of Esplanade that takes you behind Terranova's. There, I discovered a bunch of birds having a feeder frenzy field day. There were sparrows, pigeons and parrots having a blast. It wasn't until I got a little closer, that I noticed that there were sparrows painted on the feeder...but it was still qutie a pack.

The homeowner saw me taking a few shots. She told me that all of the feeders were full earlier in the morning, and it wasn't that late. She bemoaned the pigeons. I bemoaned the squirrels who are my culprits. I have a whole team of them, but I confess to enoying them too.

And then of course, there's Sam. She was exhausted from all that work we'd done on our poem to submit to the "Writers Abroad" competition. She's my poet who doesn't know it. I couldn't do it without her calming spirit and her sweet serenades of snores and sighs.

Posted at 05:22 PM in Fabulous Friends and Family, Mélange-ing Magic, New Orleans NOW, Photography | Permalink | Comments (0)

June 15, 2015

A Sunday Morning Little Free Library Tour

I'd been thinking about making the rounds of the Little Free LIbraries I've found in my neighborhood that are within biking distance. I'd just finished a Dick Francis and a PD James, and it was time to make returns and offer new books from my stash.

I began at this blue number over on the corner of Maurepas and Lopez Streets. I left a couple of books there, and had a nice conversation with a young woman and her two children. They'd just moved here from New York and she said: "They'd never do anything like this in New York." I explained that you can find these all over the world-it has gone international. She was amazed!

Next stop, my first Little Free Library on the corner of Lopez and Desoto Streets. Here, I left Alice in Wonderland and scooped a Philippaa Gregory: The Queen's Fool. I'm a mess, I find myselt resorting and stacking the books so they look prettier AND you can see almost all that are available.

Back on my bike to cross the bridge over Bayou St. John, I rode over to the Little Free LIbrary at a corner of Taft and Delgado. This was a particularly fun stop today. On a recent ride, I'd noticed that they were painting their house and I wondered if they would coordinate their Little Free Library too...et, voila! Here, I left a book and scooped Sue Grafton's: M is for Malice. They also had a little notice in the side that explained the concept well. One of the suggested things I haven't done yet is to leave little notes in the books I've read. That's next!

Reading books is alive and well in my neighborhood. Is it any wonder that this is one of the most popular areas for home buyers these days?

I'm happy to be here!

Posted at 02:13 PM in Books, Mélange-ing Magic, New Orleans NOW, Photography, SOAPBOX | Permalink | Comments (0)

June 14, 2015

Timing is Everything

Out in the yard yesterday morning, there was something incredible about the light. The sun was bursting into the corner of the yard. Particles of moisture from all the rain were everywhere-and, I'd also just given everybody a hit from the hose.

I was only trying to capture some garden shots to send to Mom and Dad and my firend/gardener in France who takes care of us over there. As you can imagine, they are very different places. There is one thing they have in common though...there's something about the light no matter where we are! Happy Sunday!

Posted at 11:37 AM in France Life, Just One..., Mélange-ing Magic, New Orleans NOW, Photography | Permalink | Comments (0)

June 13, 2015

Cloud Collage

The moon smiled down from the backyard on Columbus Street yesterday morning, boasting a sweet hint of blue. Who was to know that daybreak would bring a dramatic melange of clouds and yet another full day of rumbling, rolling, thunderstorms?

The contrast between the white, greys and blues, along with the deepness of color caught my eye. I've never seen a stormy sky look quite so interesting here in New Orleans. And, all just right outside my back door. Happy Saturday Everyone!

Posted at 12:00 PM in Mélange-ing Magic, New Orleans NOW, Photography | Permalink | Comments (0)

June 12, 2015

Nymphea and Cafe NOMA

The nymphea are always a treat, but the real reason Mike and I headed to the New Orleans Museum of Art on Wednesday (a free day for Louisiana Residents) was to enjoy lunch at Cafe NOMA. In a previous life (as we say around here-Before the Storm), I was a sustaining NOMA member and a regular at the cafe.

Although I've been to the museum, I hadn't been to the cafe in over 10 years. An additional draw was discovering that Chris Montero of the now Napoleon House is also the "Culinary Curator" at Cafe NOMA.

Mike and I opted for the half a sandwich and a cup of soup for $11.50. Mike had the Chicken Salad Sandwich with Shrimp Bisque, while I chose the Smoked Ham and Brie Sandwich with the Butternut Squash Bisque.

Since I'd already blown my diet, why not round out the damage with a cup of coffee and chocolate doberge cake? It looked like half a cake to me!

But we needed it. It gave us more time to catch up, solve the problems of the world, and enjoy the ambiance and the memories of NOMA, Cafe NOMA, the gift shop, and resolve to think about membership and certainly return sometime soon. (I've already decided it's the House Cured Salmon Bruschetta for my next trip!)

Thanks for the wonderful lunch, Mike...and as always-your company is BEST! I leave you with all the information you need to get yourself over to enjoy Cafe NOMA!

Happy Friday Eveyrone!

Posted at 05:14 PM in Art, Food and Drink, Mélange-ing Magic, New Orleans NOW, New Orleans THEN, Photography | Permalink | Comments (0)

June 11, 2015

NOMA Nympheas

Always a treat and stirrer of Monet memories; I love water lillies. Prior to the installation of the new sculpture and pond in front of the New Orleans Museum of Art (NOMA), you'd have often found me in just this spot shooting like crazy. The colors are brilliant. The reflections are captivating. Enjoy!