It's Raining Men - Southern Decadence

Labor Day weekend brought three days of rain.  Non. Stop. Rain.  Not that something like a tropical storm or a hurricane could put a damper on the Southern Decadence celebrations.  In 2008 when Hurricane Gustav was approaching the city, the only party still going on was Southern Decadence.  While deciding whether or not to brave the rain this year I checked the festival's website and its statement "It's raining men" was too funny for me to not go to the parade.  Here's some of what I saw. 

What to do when you get rained out

...and this is the festival BEFORE it rained.

I took the streetcar down to the French Quarter to check out Satchmo Festival for a while on Sunday.  It was ridiculously hot and steamy out, even for New Orleans.  I should've know that by the time I got down there, the sauna would quickly turn into a shower.  Tourists ran for cover, I figured I'd get bloody mary and try to wait it out.  A few spicy beans and olives later, I was ready to move on, rain or not.

There's something refreshing about going for a long walk in the rain.  The water clears the streets of people and its normal layer of grime.  It cools everything down to an almost tolerable temperature.  I covered block after block through the Quarter to Canal Street.  I walked into the casino a dripping mess, promising that I was only passing through.  Crossing under Poydras St. I came out to walk along Convention Center Blvd. through more rain, thunder, and the pools of water now starting to converge on the streets.

As nice as the rain can be, covering over a mile in it on foot can leave you open to relief.  I veered into the Riverwalk, happy to be in public place where I could wander around and people watch while I dried off.  After looping the colorful sights and smells of the food court I paused to listen to a damn good parody of Cee Lo Green's "Forget You" as done by the guy doing the fudge making demonstration.  Stopping to take a few photos of the candy dispensers, somebody who was undoubtedly a veteran fresh from a visit to the National WWII Museum down the street asked me if I was inspecting for bugs.  Why yes, sir, I am, but only in the Skittles and Chiclets.  Nobody, man or bug, would ever eat a Mike and Ike.

I emerged from the Riverwalk to find that the rain had finally stopped.  A few blocks up to St. Charles, and I was soon back on the streetcar heading home.  My clothes were soggy for the next couple of hours, but altogether, not a bad way to spend a rainy afternoon.

Must. Do. Something.

So the south isn't immune to winter gloom either.  Does anybody else find it difficult to get motivated to do anything when it has been gray and stormy since 5 am?  I'd love to stay inside and watch old rainy day favorites, but I'm already at the midpoint of my long weekend.  Time to go for a swim.