Mardi Gras 2012

So here's the thing. Every year I try to get Mardi Gras pictures up. And every year I end up too exhausted to actually do it in a timely fashion.

This year I'm delivering, baby. Mardi Gras pictures. Even before the street sweepers have come through to wipe away the purple, green, and gold.

"How are you doing this?" you ask.
Because. I'm awesome. I thought ahead. Planned. Organized.

Schemed. Schemed is more like it. Schemed and lied.

These pictures are from Mardi Gras LAST YEAR. You know. The ones I was too exhausted to post.

Sure makes this year a breeze!
Stay tuned next year for this year's pics.
You'll remember, right?
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These pictures were taken as we followed the Tee-Mamou Courir de Mardi Gras, the way Mardi Gras is celebrated in Cajun Country.

Masked horseback riders (although many organizations use trailers too) travel through the rural areas of South Louisiana begging households for ingredients to make a community gumbo--which is shared that night.

More information on Cajun Mardi Gras customs can be found here.
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This was the first stop on the Tee-Mamou run. The Capitaine, who is responsible for keeping the group in line, has asked the homeowner for permission to approach the house. The Mardi Gras then crowd around, singing their begging song.

The highlight of running Mardi Gras is chasing--and ultimately catching--a chicken. After all, what kind of gumbo wouldn't have a chicken? (Well, seafood. But it's much more fun to chase a chicken than a shrimp.)

Allons, Mardi Gras!

I'm mere feet away from the chicken chasing and really getting into it. Trying to get the best possible shots I can.
Next stop...a field out in the middle of God knows where.
Not too bad.

Chaos all around.

Gumbo tonight, cher!

Mardi Gras are known to play tricks. This one has "snatched" The Boy away for a dance. Minutes later, I was snatched away too.

This was our last stop of the day before heading to Iota, Louisiana so the Boy could play fiddle. The Mardi Gras still had a ways to go before their day was over.

This stop proved to be comical. Mardi Gras took over a news van.

Took over a swingset.

And the chicken ended up all over the place. In the trees. Under a shed.

I saw this as my chance to get really close. And I did.

This is the last shot I got before the chicken flew right into my chest.

I chose to hold on to my camera instead of grabbing the chicken.
I've had a whole year to think about this.

Most days I wish I would have snagged the chicken. I would have been that awesome chick who caught the chicken that fooled the Mardi Gras for so long. Instead of that poor girl with chicken shit across her jacket.

Another one for the books.

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