New Orleans has a charm unlike any city I have ever visited. Our decision to move here has left me homesick for the smell of salt air and the comfort of friends, but new beginnings, or so I’m told, are a good thing. Within this historic city are many parks graced with old oak trees, draped with Spanish moss. Palm trees and plenty of other vegetation flourish in this hot, muggy climate. I’m always reminded of a Tennessee Williams story when I feel my skin begin to glisten with moisture as I walk out the front door. It’s different than the climate on the island but a climate I am familiar with having grown up in the Houston area of Texas. I also wonder how people survived this place before the invention of air conditioning. Maybe that history of survival is what enriches the lives of lifelong residents? They do possess a joie de vivre like none others!
Mr. T. and I discovered Coliseum Park while walking to pick our granddaughter up after school this past week. It is a quiet park, except for the lone trombone player who practices his scales under the shade of an oak tree….note after note with plenty of repeats and starting over! Music is definitely the heartbeat of this city. I have never been in a place where a band or musician can be found on any corner and certainly in a park like this.
The fountain is cooling as we wait for the school bell to sound and the gates to open as throngs of students begin to gather in the large school yard area. I am reminded of the inner city schools in New York City as little smiling faces recognize a parent, friend or grandparent there to greet them at the end of a long day.
Miss E comments that the nail polish on my toes matches the crepe myrtle blossoms that have fallen on the sidewalk as we make our way to the fountain where her grandfather sits waiting for us. Of course I had to take a picture to share with you all. New beginnings!
