New Orleans at last!

Hooray for New Orleans!  The horse-friendly, musical, swampy, intriguing and eclectic Crescent city!  We spent the first two rainy days in the house of S, who referred to her neighborhood as "chilly Gentilly", for its relaxed atmosphere.  An hour there, and we were already invited to attend what someone called a "horsey cocktail party".  It turned out to be a weekly Tuesday gathering at the unique dwelling of our new favorite family.

Their house is raised on stilts, with their horses underneath, and their fences are pieced together from old doors.  Music and art and good humor abound, and we stayed for four days.

The table hangs from the ceiling by cables from a boat

Meadow slept in the largest cushiest stall she has ever seen.  She got to pull the family carriage, her FAVORITE job, and Olive leapt aboard without hesitation like a hired dalmatian on a fire truck.

Naked Nyckelfiddle! -first string change in 8 years.

Ending that grand stay helping with pony rides at a local birthday party (complete with live band, boiled shrimp, and mechanical bull, which Harvey schooled) we finally shoved off for the "French Quarter".

Meadow was on her best behavior, standing in the post St. Patrick's day parade crowd so quietly she was scarcely noticed.  FCF enjoyed a street band of brass instruments, then engaged in a little street performing of our own.  We met all kinds of interesting musical types, one of which agreed to house the group for the night. W is a great host, had another band staying at his house, and we had some first-rate jams together, while Olive romped with their two dogs.

The next day we jammed with a gypsy band the "Balcony Players" -more phenomenal music, including some Québécoise tunes. Monday found us literally chilling outside Lowes while Harvey glued some new leather to his moccasins. Then we trotted/wheeled over to warm up at the house of Glen Miller, a local artist.

We left the pony mowing his fenced lawn and attended a concert with our gypsy music enthusiasts from the previous day, a spirited show of Hungarian, Swedish, Romany and Klezmer tunes played by one of Hungary's best "cymbolim" players. (Apparently at that same moment, Macaulay Culkin was playing kazoo in the club across the street in a Velvet Underground cover band, and Miley Cirus' bus was on fire as she rolled into town for her planned concert the next day. Liking New Orleans more every minute).


- FCF

Olive has as many puppy friends around this town as we do... maybe more.
Meadow must be the lead mare because one of her herd carefully stays out of her way and the other two can frequently be found picking roadside grass for her to eat later.