Day 14 – April 22^nd.

I have been buccaneered!

It has been raining most of the night and continues to do so this morning. Not looking good for today’s Pinch a Palooza Festival over at Deanie’s in Bucktown. Deanie’s is a Seafood Restaurant and has a fine food selection. https://www.deanies.com/restaurants/bucktown/

Stew phoned around 10:30 and said that he and Carol would be over around noon. We are going to drive over to Bucktown regardless of the weather to see if the music is on.

We have time to go to Envies’ for a quick bite to eat. The rain is just starting to ease off. No lines at Evie’s today. We both ordered Pan Perdu (Lost Bread/French Toast). That is better, the sun is trying to break through.

Just read that the New Orleans Pelicans had a clean sweep against the Portland Trail Blazers and will now advance to the next stage of the NBA playoffs (Basketball). I remember a few years back that Kate told me the Pelicans was a hopeless basketball franchise. Not anymore, the result will surely make the locals’ party even harder.

We got over to Bucktown at 12:45. The rain has cleared, and the music is on. Yeah. Pinch a Palooza is a free music afternoon and the beer is only $3. Plenty of Crawfish to be eaten and there is also a kids and adult’s crawfish eating contest. The Bucktown Allstars played a great set (as always). The kid’s Crawfish eating contest put me to shame. I am still coming to grips with eating these little crawdaddies. There were two heats for the adults with the winner of each going through to the final. The heats consist of eating three-pound of Crawfish as fast as you can. The final sees you having to eat at least ten-pound of Crawfish in ten minutes. I got to talk to last years winner and he told me that he consumed 11.7 pounds of Crawfish in the allotted time. That many would take me three hours to eat. http://www.pinchapalooza.com/

Stew pointed out a local legend by the name of Vince Vance. He has the most amazing hairstyle. Sort of Donald Trump but straight up. Have a read here for a fun story about a local music eccentric http://www.nola.com/music/index.ssf/2011/09/vince_vance_looks_back_at_40_y.html

We headed back to the French Quarter so that Stew and Carol could have a look at the Tall Ships. It was worth a second view for us. The ships head out tomorrow. We are all getting a little hungry. We are close to Harrah’s Casino and end up at one of the food places inside the Casino for a baked potato (humongous), mine with Angus Beef.

Another great day thanks to another couple of New Orleans friends.