NOLA Flora & Fauna 023 - Cat Vs. Squirrel

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I saved this squirrel from getting its butt kicked by a cat. I shooed the cat away but it took me a while to convince him that I wasn't going to eat him myself. To hear his protest, watch the video below.

Like a stooge, It didn't occur to me to hold the camera normally.

NOLA Architecture 024 - 1960s

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Futurism! Building a fake future in hopes that a real one will show up and mate with it!

Did anything good happen in the 60s?

NOLA Art & Whimsy 014 - Go Dog Go!

Well, no wonder insurance premiums are so freaking high down here!

But honestly, as long as these dudes aren't drunk, they're probably doing better than most of the drivers down here.

NOLA Flora & Fauna 022- Uptown Red Brugmansia

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This is the "Mother plant" to my red Brugmansias at home.
I ran up to it at a red light and lopped off a foot. Now I have a 7-foot monster of my own:


Thriving in crappy Ohio weather.

As a side note, the music store behind it is where I bought my beautiful 1978 Fretless Music Man bass.

NOLA Architecture 023 - Exposed Brick

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A common architectural "accent" (if you will) seen in New Orleans is a home or interior wall where plaster or some shell covering is falling away due to age- exposing old worn brick underneath. I call this an "accent" because it looks pretty cool, so few people attempt to correct it. Unfortunately, new structures are sometimes altered to mimic this. People will literally cover a brick wall with something, then hit it with a hammer to expose the brick. Sad, I know- the "antiquing" of New Orleans. That cheapens the look and now when you see the phenomenon, you can't be sure if it's contrived or true sign of age and character. It's just one more way New Orleans devours itself.
The buildings in this photo series seem to exhibit brick exposure just around windows or doors. It makes sense that it happened due to moisture escape or structural shift around items that are not part of the contiguous brickwork of the wall. But If I noticed that, so could someone looking to mimic it. You just can't trust anything these days.

NOLA 2005 Tri-Sate Shutter Swap 011 - Hotel Isle of Dry

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This is a big house in riverbend offering shelter after Hurricane Katrina.

NOLA Flora & Fauna 021 - Castor Plant

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I grow Castor bean plants (Ricinus communis) every summer. We don't have a particularly long growing season in Ohio and I've just got too much going on to start them early in the house. So I don't get them too big and they don't often fruit. It's hard to get the seeds nowadays because not only does it have industrial uses as well as being the source of Castor Oil, it is also the source of Ricin, a known bio-terror "substance of interest". That is, terrorists are known to seek it. If I'm in New Orleans late in the year, I stop by and collect seeds from the plant above. Then I shuck them in the car on the way home. I have scores of them presently. Now to subscribe to "Soldier of Fortune" magazine and Ted Kaczynski's mailing list. THAT will get an unmarked van parked across the street from my house in a hurry.