okkate

Citadel Marchers in Orpheus at St. Charles and Delachaise

February 16th, 2010

Carnival season is finally coming to an end. When it started, I didn’t want it to ever end. But if I’m being completely honest here, I’m ready to get back to my regular life (this is partly because I know there will be more parades and celebrations just around the corner). There will be plenty of time for regular life after tomorrow, but tonight I wanted to get out and see one more parade. So I hopped on Rhoda and tooled up the St. Charles to catch Orpheus. I snapped this picture of the marching unit from the Citadel as they moved the bayonets from shoulders to ground. I have seen them at least six times now–along with the same school bands, some of the same floats, the same dance troupes from the parishes. And yet I’ll be out again in the morning, catching the paraders for the last time this season. As for these guys, those bayonets are the real deal, but they don’t have instruments or twirlers or cheerleaders or flag wavers or steppers. I prefer the local high schools, most definitely. I look forward to biking all over town tomorrow for the last parades of what has been a most wonderful carnival season.