Good evening from a FQ patio

Judy,
It's good to hear that Capt. Nick and his son are getting some time together in the pilothouse as Master and Pilot. There's something else about being able to have your father as the captain above you. I've had the pleasure of working with my Dad on the JJA (Delivery Trip) and also on the fireworks barge, and it's just a great feeling to be able to take what he's taught me and show him out in the field. Good to hear that Little Nick's also gettin some time at the wheel instead of being a mate. Please tell everyone I say hello and enjoy New Orleans!

NATCHEZ

Capt. Nick stayed out on the roof with me for the downbound stretch. He didn't want Steven to feel he was looking over his shoulder the whole trip. Despite the high water and a strong onshore wind, we made a smooth landing as usual. Here are a few pictures I took of tonight's departure. The sun had been shining brightly on her white bulkheads, right until it was picture time...
1) from the Moonwalk
2)whazzizit???? life jackets stored overhead, flash illuminated reflective tape
3) Capt. Steve Sr. on wingbridge

NOLA April 7th

Evening departure shots - "Little Steve" blows the departure whistle.
That's Capt. Steve Villier, formerly of the JJA, on the Boiler Deck stern observing the paddlewheel.

Courtyard scenes

Here are the azaleas still in bloom, and the house cat, Adolfina. When it appeared on the scene, it was named Adolf due to its little black mustache. Later he was found to be a she, hence Adolfina. She was right at my door when I arrived today, looking for her treats. Nothing like making me feel right at home!

Thursday

Rain and a cold front came during the night, so I didn't go out to the golf course this morning. I mopped floors, did laundry instead. Phooey! There was no 11:30 today, but the 2:30 crowd was good. Tonight there was a dockside party kicking off the FQ Fest. N.O. Steamboat President Gordon Stevens was the chairman of the very first FQF and is still quite involved. There are 3 trips scheduled daily all weekend. The FQ is filled already tonight - too much so in one case. The Steinikes arrived tonight from Wisconsin with reservations at the Chateau Motor Hotel down the street from me. Even with confirmation papers in hand, the desk clerk claimed they had no reservations. They've got a nice room there for tonight, but the last hurrah for this BK apartment may be housing homeless steamboaters for a weekend - too bad I've taken everything home already! At least that makes more room in here...

So Judy has this FQF replaced the old Spring Fiesta they used to have about the same time back in the 60s and 70s?

Hi Judy,

Photo #2 is beautiful. That's a gift shop postcard photo if I ever saw one. I can hear the wheel splashing just looking at that photo. Of course it probably helps to have something as beautiful as the NATCHEZ to photograph (Thanks Cap'n Bates). And thanks Judy for posting these.

Aaron

NOLA April 7th

Thanks Al. I just can't help taking pix of her, she is such a beauty. Mel, the FQF has been going on for 26 years, I think. It started small, as an idea to get locals back into the FQ, but it has really blossomed and a lot of out of towners come. It doesn't have the hassle and huge crowds of the Jazzfest, and its free. So I suppose it did replace the event you remember.

ahhh ok Judy I just remember my mom being involved in the Spring fiesta thing every year as well as Carnival Balls and she was a member of the Crewe of Apollo and a friend of Blaine Kern. She finally gave up and sold her house at 916 Orleans and left the Vieux Carre that she loved so much after 35 years shortly after Roddy passed away, who btw was a friend of hers as well. She just couldnt deal with the crime anymore. But she still has close friends and visits occaisionally. we are talking about the possibility of a trip this summer.

A really late good evening from the patio

Its almost 1AM and I've just baked the cookies for the Saturday NATCHEZ boarding passes. Earlier today I baked my winter skin from 4 hours in the sun in Jackson Square at the FQ Fest. Try to beat this: As Pete Fountain was playing Just a Closer Walk with Thee, the NATCHEZ glided past on her downbound route on the 11:30 trip. I saw Capt. Troy C. Delaney aiming his binoculars on the Square, but he didn't see my small figure waving at him... The traditional opening act is Connie Jones and his AllStars. I wonder if any of you remember Connie from the MQ? I think he played with Eddie Bayard, or perhaps was his substitute for a while. Incidentally, Eddie is recovering from several serious surgeries but is no longer playing on the NATCHEZ. After an afternoon of Dixieland in the park, the Steinikes and I rode the roof of the NATCHEZ, listening to the Dukes of Dixieland immediately below us. Appropriately as they performed the 2 PM set in the park, the NATCHEZ blew her departure whistle and glided by, giving the Dukes a chance to plug her and their nightly gig on her. It appears the Steinikes will be able to write the definitive tome on FQ hotels due to the fiasco of their reservation being cancelled and not notifying them. They spent last night at the Chateau Motor Hotel, are at the Hotel Ste. Marie tonight, will be at the Hotel Ste. Patsch Saturday, and at LeRichelieu Sunday and Monday. We've determined my apartment is about the size of the houseboat we shared with 3 others several years ago, so we ought to be able to stand one night together. Normally it would be no problem, but I had to borrow bedding from my neighbor, since I had taken that all home 2 weeks ago in anticipation of moving out of here on Tuesday. The MQ has a new neighbor at Perry St., a ship brought in there tonight by NOBRA 19, none other than Capt. Verne C. Streckfus. He exchanged radio pleasantries with his former coworkers on the NATCHEZ. Capt. Verne worked on the NATCHEZ from 1984 until shortly before he made NOBRA pilot. Saturday's schedule for me is going to be less complicated: the 2 day trips on the NATCHEZ and dinner at Deanies by the lake. I'll narrate the 2:30, and we hopefully will be able to meet up with Doc for dinner. Its getting a little brisk out here in the courtyard, but after all it is 1 AM. I am quite sure I wouldn't be sitting outside at home now...and here's Adolfina ready for her midnight snack!

A good Sunday morning from the courtyard

After a whirlwind tour down Louisiana highways below NOLA, we're ready to heat up the leftovers from last night's Deanies' seafood dinners for our lunch. As I type this, the unmistakable style of CCH is drifting in here from the NATCHEZ calliope. For years we never played on Sunday morning, but needing more business, the office talked with the cathedral people and we got the Ok to play, as long as we ended by the start of the 11AM mass. So the 10:45-11 slot works just fine. Crowds in the FQ for the Festival are huge, and the crowds on the NATCHEZ have remained good, on all three daily trips.
Here are some pictures from on board Saturday.
1) Portside boiler deck - note the new black chairs, which are replacing the green chairs as those wear out. Consensus seems to be a preference for the green ones, both for color scheme and practicality. But the black ones are quite a bit cheaper.
2) I'm trying to stay out of the wind as I narrate.
3) The homeless steamboaters riding the 2:30 trip in front of the pilothouse.
I chose all 3 vertical shots so you only have to turn sideways once to view!

Judy would you please tell Bobbi and Bill hey for me. They look like they are quite content.

More on Sunday morning

Just heard the 5 minute warning whistle... here are a couple of shots taken this morning on our drive.
1) One of Brad Pitt's sponsored homes in the Lower 9th ward. There seemed to be about 15 already built. There has been a lot of progress in that area since my last visit. The area within 6 o 7 blocks of the Canal wall break still just has a house or two per block, but then the neighborhoods get denser and more normal looking.
2) Fats Domino's recording studio and house just off St. Claude Ave. Fats had the money to move, but he said he wanted to remain true to his roots, and he did.
3) The original Steamboat House, built by Captain Milton Doullut in 1905. The one across Douglass St. was built later for his children. They are on Egania St. just below the Industrial Canal.

More land tour shots

The biggest and most pleasant surprise was to discover that the land around the LeBeau Home has been cleared of the semis which have blocked the view of all but the roof and the octagonal widow's walk. The chain link fence has been moved in to the immediate house area from the exterior of the lot. Hopefully this means the court cases trying to determine ownership have been or are being settled, and that perhaps the home will be restored. The LeBeau House was built in 1840 and has 23 rooms. it was the headquarters for the Arabi Sugar Plantation which had 1200 acres. Just downriver from it is the Domino Sugar Refinery, which is the second largest sugar refinery in the world.
There was a fire in the LeBeau home back in the 1980s when I was working on the boat in the summer. It occurred on a Friday. Roddy and I drove down there on the next Monday and were able to climb around inside. We were so proud of ourselves for being able to accomplish this. When we returned and told Doc what we had done, his reply was: "Oh, yes, I rode my bike down there yesterday and looked around." Just can't one-up the man!
The first two shots are from the rear looking toward the river. The third is of the front from the VFW parking lot. I always warn people that when they tour with me, it ain't the Gray Line tour (right Kenny Howe?)

Peace and quiet!

Only the hum of airconditioners as I sit out here typing tonight. The FQ Fest ended at 7, and with it the cacaphony of several musical venues in earshot at the same time... Amazing how much easier it was to negotiate the way home on my bike tonight compared to the rest of the weekend. But crowds are a great sign for the tourism economy. I narrated the 2:30 today and did the brief narration during the dinner trip. Roddy always said the dinner trip was his favorite, more laid back. As we headed downriver you could look back and see the sun setting behind the St. Louis Cathedral(that's on the EAST bank), and then the gentle glow from the boat and ship lights as we proceeded downriver - except for the idiot in the big cabin cruiser who had NO lights on as he passed us and headed toward a downbound ship. I didn't hear anything, so I presume they didn't meet by accident. Pleasure boaters don't have a clue about 'the war zone'.
Here is an evening view of the Chalmette Oil Refinery (formerly Mobil). I've always thought the lighted stacks made these refineries look like cities. This is near the bottom of the harbor, with the Murphy Refinery a bit further downstream. This is just above the Chalmette/Algiers Ferry landing.
The second pix is a shot of this correspondent taken by Bobbi Steinike this noon after we finished our Deanies' meals from last night in this courtyard.

I'm looking up at the starry sky, realizing I've got only one more evening to enjoy this setting...

Final photos from this NOLA foray

Yesterday morning and evening were spent doing the final packing and pitching in the BK apartment, with the 2:30 NATCHEZ cruise sandwiched in, of course. After the dinner cruise we held our Planters Punch party in the Beauregard-Keyes Courtyard, this time featuring a birthday cake honoring the NATCHEZ, along with the food fare and PP prepared by my neighbor Ott Howell. If you've ever taken a tour of the BK House and your guide was a tall man with an obvious love of this place, that was Ott. He lives in the normal sized apartment across the courtyard from my place and hopefully the new thinkers on the board won't do anything dumb to jeopardize losing him too.
1) Most of the group: Debbie Fagnano, Ott Howell, Capt. Troy C. Delaney, Doc Hawley, the legs of Suzi Cobb longtime purser and gift shop manager, Bobbi and Bill Steinike
2) Debbie and Doc cut the birthday cake while Ott watches.

Judy,
Looks like it was a great PP Party (as usual), and with the added bonus of a birthday celebration! Did any of the younger generation happen to stop by like they did last year?

Younger generation

Not a one... I guess they needed you here to lead them!

If only I had been there... ah, shucks!

Mel, Thanks for the "hey" and here's one back to you: HEY!
I don't post and am not used to using the "board" so I hope this gets to you.
After all the "moving" we did in N.O., with Judy's help, we had a great time.
Bill and Bobbi

Hey Bill you are welcome! Im glad ya'll had a good time in NOLA. I have an old photo I want to send you soon as I can get the scanner working again. I hope you and Bobbi are enjoying retirement years and those grandkids as they are growing up on you quickly. Tell Heidi hey for me and someday I will email her.
Mel