Yesterday was a day of rest at Camp Coast Care so every one of the First Presbyterian/South Windsor Girl Scouts headed for New Orleans where Mardi Gras was going in full force. First thing we did was go to Café Du Monde
for coffee and beignets. After much waiting we saw the Okemos parade. We learned that all times are approximate. I lost track of how many floats were in that one, the theme was chilrden's stories and float after float went by (sometimes with large gaps in between). Interspersed were marching bands, high school dance teams, a mounted unit, Shriners and more. I think there were two or three more parades scheduled for Sunday, and of course more on Monday, and the biggest Krewes do their thing on Tuesday.

We all got so many beads thrown from parade floats and from balconies that we were weighted down. Both Carl and I bought Jester's hats, as well as getting Mardi Gras caps for donating to a charity for kids. We started out with Shirley and Carl and I, George and Carolyn and Sue C., and then the Dudley's and I split to do our own thing. We sat in Jackson Square and enjoyed the sun and the craziness, including a demonstration and street theater proclaiming that God was unfair, heard lots of preachers decrying the sins going on on the street (little wonder people have issues with the God they were proclaiming), lots of bands everywhere, some very good.

We had a great meal, I ate Gumbo, Shrimp Po Boy, and heped Carl with his 1/2 pound of boiled shrimp. They has Pecan Pie for desert. I was full at that point. We walked most of the length of Bourbon Street, and found out way back to the car about 10 minutes before we were schedued to leave, and 10 minutes after the other half of our crew got there. We saw many sights along the way, lots of partying, but unlike some other festivals I did not se people passed out or puking in the street. Of course we left at 7 PM, there was still plenty of time for that. (although I remember seeing that in Savanah well before afternoon was over.)

Some of the other groups got separated from one another by the parade and couldn't cross and join up for a while. They arrived after lights out at 10 PM.

Today is a work day, then off to New Orleans for a hotel stay on Fat Tuesday, fly home early on Wednesday.