Oh wait…I forgot.

Yesterday (unlike today) was beautiful and windy, so Jacob, Charlotte, Karan and I went to Clyde Fant to fly a kite. Just as we got there, of course, the wind died down, but there were enough gusts to keep us occupied for quite a while, especially since Karan was willing to go for a bit of a run.

We took cameras, music, beverages, and (lots of) sunscreen and had a blast. It was a bit hot, and the sun was bright, but I was so grateful for some good, solid Spring weather.

Here’s the Flickr set. I’m soooo looking forward to Spring and Summer weather. Today might as well still be Winter.

So. Mardi Gras is over. Shreveport’s last big parade was on Sunday, and that’s the only one I went to this year. I grew up, of course, going to Mardi Gras in New Orleans, but that’s another post. I’ve been in Shreveport for the past three Mardi Gras, and I’ve only gone to that many parades.

My first Shreveport Mardi Gras parade was the first year one of the two “big” krewes rolled. I was probably 9 or 10 and used to Mardi Gras in New Orleans. I don’t remember whether it was Centaur or Gemini, but it suuuuuuuucked. I was so disappointed. There were like five floats, all shittily handmade, and very few riders. And maybe one band. They threw next to nothing.

The next (and only other) time I went to one of those was a couple years ago, and it was passable. Like one of the smaller Metairie parades. As I’ve said before, though, this is Shreveport, and beggars can’t be choosers.

There is one Shreveport parade I do enjoy: Highland. 2011 marks the third year I’ve been. It’s a family parade, so the street is full of kids, and there’s relatively little drinking. That said, I always pull out my traditional Mardi Gras beer: Budweiser, king of beers. (Note that Mardi Gras is the only time I drink it. I prefer Guinness.) I had a couple more than my share this year.

I didn’t take many pictures, mainly because I figured that holding a beer in one hand and a camera in the other wouldn’t help my expert bead-catching skills. But I did pull out the iPhone and snag some video:

Before the parade, Palmer made hamburgers. They were pretty damn tasty.

I only took a couple photos at the parade. Here’s one of an empty float:

They’re surprisingly common. At least three or four floats in Highland only had a couple of people on them. Shouldn’t people be clambering for a spot?

And here’s another. I’m surprised every time I see these guys, especially when I see them at neighborhood parades.

In the video, you can hear the crowd hush a bit while they walk by, but jeez. It’s a family parade! If these guys tried to walk in, say, Bacchus, there’d be a riot.

While I drank my beer and shot my video, Palmer and Jacob took pictures. I’ll post some of my favorites.

Palmer (here’s his Flickr) took these:

(Yes, that’s me, eating the hot dog I caught.)

I took that one (I think), but Palmer made it look purty. What a tasty-looking Moon Pie.

Jacob (Flickr) took these:

Last, but not least, is my very favorite. Here I am, triumphantly covered in beads after the parade:

BONUS: We made the news! For like two seconds with the backs of our heads.

So. It’s been a while. Here are some pictures of Sean shaving. And here’s the set.