Alive from the Levee!

Tuesday morning

Finally a chance to post some pictures. I'm sitting on the balcony of LeRichelieu. To my left one block is Doc's place with the Mardi Gras flag flying from his balcony. To my right 2 blocks is the fog hanging over the river. It is about 70, give or take a degree. After chasing the boat downriver on Sunday and riding the 2:30, I gave up and called it a day without riding the dinner cruise, considering the day had started at 3:30AM. Monday I was able to make the whole day: first loading up with a 2 day supply of pastries from Croissant d'Or by the BK house and then biking over to the NATCHEZ for the 11:30 cruise. I finally saw my 'grandson' Matt Dow, after 2 years. He and his friend Rocky are deckhands at this stage of their stay. Matt played the calliope on the turnaround, and the comments in the pilothouse were: just like Captain Hawley! I did notice a bit of Debbie in his Saints rendition. He is picking up from everyone he hears. I forewent? the 2:30 in order to play 9 holes of golf out at City Park North, near the lake. I didn't even mind my lousy score and the wait to hit, considering I was sitting in 75 degree sunshine and RI was getting 6 inches of snow... After a delicious meal of gumbo and chicken caesar salad at a brand new little diner on Esplanade, Creole Cottage, I headed back over for the dinner cruise. The Dukes are playing inside so they aren't heard up in the pilothouse, but there was enough chatter to occupy the evening. We do a little narration as we leave the wharf while the Dukes are on break, and it is a bit difficult now with it being dark from the beginning of the trip. But I got lucky as we were following a loaded down bound ship which was making the change from NOBRA to Crescent pilot, so I was able to describe that activity and the pilot setup for the foreign ships on the Mississippi. There seems to be more ship traffic, at least there were 7 ships in the General Anchorage in addition to those underway. We had 2 cruise ships in Sunday and 1 Monday. The QoM is tied up above the bridge at Thalia Street. I don't think she is running yet. The AMERICAN QUEEN is still over at Perry St. She is scheduled to go out on her first trip this Saturday. She was turning her wheel this weekend, so I guess she'll make that deadline this year.
During the NATCHEZ layup back in the Industrial Canal they worked on replacing some stairs and the major repair was to the Ladies Room and Specialty Bar, both behind the big NATCHEZ sign on the port side. They had to cut out a section of that sign in order to put in the new decking, but the new section wouldn't be noticed. The Ladies Room is still a work in progress, with a handicapped stall being put in along with all new fixtures and decking, so you have to check the signs on the bathroom doors to make sure you're going into the right one during this time. The NATCHEZ is running all 3 trips daily from the get go this year and the crowds have been good. The parade season of Mardi Gras gets going this weekend so the tourist business should be steadily increasing for MG and then spring break.
These first pictures were taken from my Delta flight's landing approach. For years I'd be sitting in my courtyard and see planes come over the city, yet I was never on one of those flights, until Sunday. We came over Biloxi, Gulfport, and the Intracostal Waterway and then inland enough for me to see the Mississippi from well below Lower Nine Mile Point up past the Destrehan Bridge. These pix aren't the greatest, considering I just had my little Canon and the plane windows aren't always very clear...
1) Looking back downriver at Lower Nine Mile Point and Algiers Canal
2) The General Anchorage and the Industrial Canal on bottom right
3) and there's the NATCHEZ! First time I've seen her from the air. Look closely at the bottom left center.

Now from land...

1) Downbound Sunday at 11:50. I was on the levee just below the Industrial Canal and was holding up a container of cookies, hence the whistle.
2) from Algiers Point
3) Note the list as it goes through Algiers Bend...

The FQ buildings

1) This is the sad state of my former apartment in the Beauregard Keyes House. This was my living room and kitchen. Since I left when the new clown on the board got them to almost double my rent 4 years ago, it has been nothing but a storeroom and dumping ground... that was the easiest $350 a month they could ever hope for, and they need every penny to survive. The wise guy is no longer on the board or even associated with the foundation! (Ah the sound of car alarms going off down the street as the tow trucks haul them off for street cleaning and money making for the city)
2) Looking up at LeRichelieu from a lounge chair by the pool Sunday night
3) the pool on Sunday night

More landside

1)looking up Barracks St. from my balcony. Doc's house has the Mardi Gras flag flying from the balcony.
2) looking toward the river. That is the Gov. Nicholls St. wharf
3) same view this morning, with fog on the river

On board the NATCHEZ

1) Climbing the ladder of success: up on top is Capt. Steven Nicoulin, climbing up is Capt. Matt Dow and on the deck is Matt's friend from Lake George, Rocky. Matt has his Inland Waters Captain's license on Lake George, which does not connect to the river system and hence is not issued by the Coast Guard. He is working as deckhand through layup and Mardi Gras/spring break season since the LG boats aren't running.
2) the beautiful newly-painted wheel, 26 tons of white oak and steel
3) Matt on the sternline, for the first time in several weeks. But he still had it, 'its all in the wrist'...

sorry, I see even with this new laptop, the verticals still flop horizontally...

On top of the world

1) in the pilothouse with Capt. Troy C. Delaney and Capt. Don Houghton
2) the hazards of playing a steam calliope with the wind in your face..Matt Dow
3) after the turnaround its a bit clearer

Judy,

Is there anything ticking off of the sternline telegraph down in NO,LA. that John Sutton has left the AQ?

Last Day

I just came in from my warm sunny balcony - looks like today will be the warmest of the week, and then reality Thursday! Last night's trip ended under the cover of fog and I got some interesting pictures. Unfortunately I can't get them uploaded today, so I'll wait until I get home to post. The QoM was still up at Thalia and the AQ was still over at Perry St. yesterday. Yesterday Dave Link and his wife and younger daughter stopped by enroute to a plantation tour. Dave was Roddy's longtime roommate over on Polymnia and like Roddy, is a train buff, but earned his living on the water. They'll be riding the NATCHEZ today, as will Richard and Suzanne Martinez, who are in town to catch the AQ's first trip out on Saturday. I'd like to suggest to any who book the AQ out of NOLA to make a trip on the NATCHEZ part of your pre or post cruise experience. Support 2 steamboats at once!

Thanks so much for sharing. Reminds me so much of my own trip to NOLA in April a couple years ago to board the AQ for her shakedown and being greeted by you and ushered aboard the NATCHEZ for a wonderful evening cruise down the river. Wonderful memories!