Monday, January 9, 2017

Cold but hot


Saturday it was so cold in New Orleans - 31 degrees Fahrenheit, even during the day! It was also crisp and clear, with a hard breeze blowing.  It was the annual second line parade for the Social Aid and Pleasure Club Perfect Gentlemen, and the cold didn't hold them off.

I stood on the corner of Simon Bolivar and Martin Luther King, Jr. and felt the wind whipping at me. But on marched the Gentlemen!


And Ladies, dancing!


The cold of the day was belied by the warmth of the company - people were happy to be out on a joyous day.




A lady festooned with Mardi Gras beads stopped and saw me taking photos. She pulled a handful of strands over her head and handed them on to me.


Another lady was strung with feathers matching the colors of one of the marching groups. She unclipped one strand and gave it to me.


The capacity for joy and generosity of my fellow New Orleanians never fails to amaze me.


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