French Quarter Jazz Funeral

The girls and I were having our supper in the French Quarter last night. We ate at a restaurant right on the corner of Jackson Square, Stanley's. Tabs was most thrilled to order a peanut butter chocolate chip milkshake. After supper, the girls and I had just walked onto the street corner when we were serenaded by a jazz band followed by a parade of dancing people who filled the entire street, some with drinks in hand (it is legal in the French Quarter to walk around with an open alcoholic beverage to drink as you go)! It was a magical site to behold. A few dancers were waving a photocopied picture of an older Jazz musician in their hands. The parade danced through Jackson Square and all the way to the Mississippi River where they threw the ashes of the deceased into the river. It really was the best funeral procession I've ever witnessed. The girls and I decided that we all want Jazz Funerals when our time comes. What a magical way to celebrate a life--a street band, parade and dance. The pictures are courtesy of Tabitha and her iPod.

Earlier in the day, we had taken the street car to the Audubon Zoo. It was an interesting zoo and fun to explore with my girls. We timed it just right: we arrived just as it opened and left as it started to pour heavy rain on us. We were so drenched (as I had insisted Tabs not bring umbrellas in her carry on bag!) that the street car driver really didn't want us on his street car. The sad thing was though, my camera completely died at the zoo. It completely broke. No zoo pictures. It was my new portable Canon Elf camera--purchased for busy vacations with my girls when taking my Canon Rebel and lenses is too bulky. But the Elf let me down. So, I will post only one pick from the zoo--taken by Tabitha. This lovely peacock strutted his stuff for us as we tried to enter a zoo restaurant. Pip curtsied to him so he'd feel appreciated.