A Christmas week with family ends

So my mom, my sister and my nephew, The Spud, were all here for most of the past week. And as luck would have it, I was sick and my leg as messed up. Still, we managed to get some things done.

Wednesday I got them out into the swamp on an airboat.

We were out for about three hours. And Spud got to be helpful by picking up some trash.

Hard to believe that he's going to be 18 in a month.

It was a sunny 75 degrees and we saw nutria a-plenty and even a few gators were out--rare for December.

Thursday we did the World War Two museum and Friday it was a river cruise on the Steamboat Natchez.
Here's a well-known performance artist (sigh) getting hold of my mom and teaching her how to be a mannequin. I only allowed this because I know who he is and I can find him again easily enough if I have to...but I kept a close eye on him all the same. And my mom had a ball.

Last night--Christmas Eve--was a trip down to Lutcher and Gramercy for the Christmas Eve lighting of the bonfires. Here every year, they build and light off bonfires on the levee all along the river for miles, tradition says to light the way for Papa Noel and his sleigh.

They touch them all off at once, with much celebration and not a few fireworks, and it's a spectacular sight that, alas, my camera really couldn't get. This year there were 138 permitted bonfires on that levee and it was a beautiful sight indeed.

Then I took them out for something Spud hadn't had before--raw oysters. He said that he liked them, but he only ate three. Maybe he'll mature into them.

This morning, we had a final breakfast then I drove them around parts of New Orleans for a bit, from the Bywater to the lower Ninth Ward to the Lakefront, before dropping them off at the airport.

Murphy and Belle are going to miss their Great Grandma.

Here they are panhandling as she tries to open some dog treats that she brought them. As you can see, she has their undivided attention.

Murphy got a ball for Christmas, among other swag.

Bells just wants attention from my sister, who is always glad for someone new to talk to.

Now they're gone, and it was a pretty good Christmas. I hope that each and every one of you had a great Christmas as well.