Live from the New Orleans Levee August 2012

[Lexie Palmore]

Aha!

All this reminds me of the DQ layup that caused me to gain 20 lbs.

At least you have given me an idea of what to do with the bananas my husband left behind. He is on a trip to see his mother. He went into the airport with one. But I still have 2. I don't usually eat bananas, so I was trying to come up with some delicious use for them.

[Judy Patsch]

Thursday afternoon

Its been a busy steamboating day. After my FQ stroll I rode the 11:30 trip and then packed up my cameras and drove over to the Westbank to snap the NATCHEZ underway. Back in the day, I rode my bike down this 7 mile stretch, today it was by car. Capt. Troy C. did me wrong - he turned shorter than on the 11:30 trip and the turn was blocked by willow trees. So my pictures have only side shots, no turns. I'm going to post them on a separate thread because there are probably people interested in seeing pix of the NATCHEZ without having to read my daily log.
Here are 2 pix prior to my Westbank safari:
1) I had the Main Deck to myself until the first turnaround. Because the river is so low, this deck is completely hidden at the wharf and very few people wander around and explore the boat before we get underway. This is on the starboard bow looking aft.
2) Debbie Fagnano playing the 1:45 calliope concert.

No evening cruise tonight for me as Doc and I are going to hit up Ruby Red's. There's a new location in the CBD, but I'm not sure if we'll find parking. If not, we'll head over to their Westbank location. Oh for the days when they were just over on Esplanade!

[Judy Patsch]

Doc and I tried the new Ruby Reds in the CBD but found it closed, so we headed over to the Belle Chasse location. The CBD one is open only for lunch. I wonder how long that will last, with the high rent there.
After returning my golf clubs and bike to 1113 and packing the rest up, I rode the 11:30 NATCHEZ trip. Ominously dark clouds surrounded us most of the upbound part, but it wasn't until I was on the interstate heading to the airport when the skies opened up. When we left MSY for Atlanta, we circled back over the city, the first time I've ever seen the boat from the air. Of course I didn't have my camera available... I'm hoping for a return to NOLA in early November.
For now it will be watching the Weather Channel for the tracking of Isaac. They were gathering supplies just in case the boat has to go upriver to Bayou Goula. The last report I saw showed NOLA in the range, but they'll stay at Toulouse St. if its a Category 1 or 2, even with a direct hit. Time will tell, but it's eerie that the predicted landfall of Tuesday or Wednesday would be on the 7th anniversary of Katrina... my thoughts are with my friends and the NATCHEZ.
1) Look carefully and you'll see Capt. Steve on the roof taking down the flags prior to the storm.
2) An ominous view at Toulouse St.

I see one pix posted yesterday after I gave up, so here's the last one. it looks like Isaac is going to miss NOLA now, other than some outer remnants of rain. I forgot to mention that the sandbar had disappeared by the time I left since the river rose about half a foot and the winds were pushing the water over the area too. So another sojourn to the Crescent City is in the books. November looks like the next visit, if hotel and airfares coordinate...
Well, now the second pix I just added posted first... computers!

[Bob Reynolds]

Thanks, Judy, for your posts. I am in Destrehan, LA not far from the airport. While I don't wish a hurricane on anyone, I really hope Isaac will come ashore and march up the Lower Mississippi and Ohio valleys and put some water in this river!

[Jim Sutton]

Hope you are enjoying NOLA. I spent June working on the CAPE KENNEDY and July over in the Beaumont reserve fleet,on the CAPE VICTORY with another NATCHEZ alumni,Jim White (who was decking when I was striker back in 1979) and is permanent 1st A/E and relieving as C/E. The CAPE KNOX was turbo activated the other day so there may be some shifting around of the ships.
I see you have been hitting some of my favorite eateries! The decimation of a healty diet is one of the pitfalls when I am working over there!