I left for New Orleans after my last day of work. I was taking advantage of a package I won at the HRC Gala last year: A week in NOLA at a house located in the Treme. NOLA, late spring, neighborhood living…what could be better for some down time, wandering, music, bourbon & history?

The plane landed in the middle of a thunder storm. A bumpy ride jerking through sheets of rain culminating in temps in the mid 80’s with 100% humidity. Ahhhhh… The weather remained stormy for the trip, but with the rain came breezy thunder claps and lower temps.

I took two walking tours, both included cemeteries, which in all my trips to NOLA had never managed to visit. I went into Lafayette No 2 and St. Joseph for a particularly creepy wandering on my own. I was the only living soul in both of those cemeteries – that I knew of. Any creak or clack gave me the heebie jeebies and sent my blood rushing. The rain had left pools in the neglected and overgrown and well worn cemeteries. The pools created many opportunities for capturing reflections of the tombs.

I visited Lafayette No 1 with a tour group then went back on my own to take photos. It was around lunch time and about 90 degrees when I went back so the crowds had thinned out. Every now and then a person carrying a camera would wander out from behind a tomb or appear at the end of a long street – both with unique and jittery effects on my nervous system.

One day I came out of Rouses to find two groups of musicians setting up to play. They were part of a musicians collective that plays together in order to raise funds for projects. These two bands has just bought a boat to take on an Island Tour, planning to stop and play at various islands and ports. They needed money to fix up the boat and buy gas – so here they were!

The week went quickly; I didn’t get to see everything I wanted to. But now I have a reason or two to come back. Until then, New Orleans.