A little local excitement around here. The Bonnet Carré Spillway, located in St. Charles Parish, Louisiana, is being opened for the 9th time since 1937. It was built because of the Great Flood of 1927 that inundated much of the Mississippi River basin. It diverts water from the Mississippi River to the Lake Pontchartrain. The rest of the time there's a park on one side where you can jet ski or have a picnic and swim while on the other you can drive 4-wheelers, dirt bikes, and the like. However, once they open the gates it's all flooded so all the activity is brought to a stand still, well aside from the aquatic animals swimming around.


Here you see the guys pulling up what they call needles with a crane with the river rushing through:

Here are some pics of the water rushing through the needles themselves due to the current height of the river:




Here are a couple of alligators that were swimming around:


And finally, a ship that was passing by on the river...you can see the ship is as high as we are on the levee:

*Well, since it's been so long since I've blogged I figured I needed a new one and what's a better blog than one with kitties?

Napping Krystal:







Napping Toulouse:



What a life, huh?

Just wanted to wish everyone a very Happy Valentine's Day!!!






Hugs and Kisses!!

Teresa

Well, it's the time of year again .... Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday). I thought it might be fun to list some facts about the holiday:



1. What is Mardi Gras?
Literally, it means "Fat Tuesday," the day before the season of Lent begins. For centuries, people around the globe have sowed their wild oats in preparation for the Christian season of fasting and repentance prior to Easter.



2. What are krewes?
Krewes are private social groups that put on parades throughout Mardi Gras. Here are some of the names: Krewe of Bacchus, Krewe of Zulu, Mardi Gras Indians.

3. When was the first Mardi Gras parade?
The first Mardi Gras parade was held in New Orleans on Feb. 24, 1857. The Krewe of Comus began the tradition of presenting parade floats followed by a masquerade ball for the krewe and their guests. A century and a half before, in 1699, French explorer Iberville threw a celebration on "Mardi Gras Island" near New Orleans.



4. What is a King Cake?
The "king cake" is another Mardi Gras tradition. The cake is named for "les trois rois" or three kings and the feast, Epiphany, that is celebrated on Jan. 6. The cakes are a party staple for the duration of the Carnival season. The person who finds the plastic baby inside the cake (a bean was once the "prize" placed in the cake, but the dolls are more popular now) is crowned king, and custom says they have to buy the next cake and/or host the next gathering.

5. What are the Mardi Gras colors and what do they mean?
The official Mardi Gras colors are purple, green and gold. These colors were instituted by Rex, King of Carnival, in 1872. The colors have meaning: purple -- justice, green -- faith and gold -- power.



6. What is a Masquerade Ball?
Masquerade balls are an important custom of the Mardi Gras celebration. The "pre-Lenten" balls began in the 1700s under French rule. During the season of Mardi Gras, krewes have masquerade balls. Each ball has a theme, and people dress accordingly. At the ball, people who receive invitations are "called out" from the audience to dance with the member who invited them. Favors are given to the "call out" partners in exchange for the dance.



7. Has Mardi Gras ever been canceled?
Yes, it was canceled during World War I and World War II, but not during Prohibition.



8. Who was the first celebrity monarch of Mardi Gras?
Danny Kaye was the first celebrity monarch of Mardi Gras. In 1969, a new krewe called Bacchus wanted to reinvigorate the celebration so they made the biggest floats ever seen and invited a celebrity to ride as the king.

Well, the inevitable has finally arrived...my eleventh 29th birthday...so it's party time!!!


So eat:



(Thanks to Angel for the sandwiches...yum)

Drink:





For the kiddies:




Dance:






and be merry!

Oh and no I didn't forget the cake!!




Finally here's some Tylenol for in the morning!!!


Please spam away!!!