Fairhope, AL - Mardi Gras Parade

In PA Dutch country and parts of Europe it is Fastnacht Day; other places it is known as Fat Tuesday, but here on the Gulf Coast it is Mardi Gras.  In all the years we've been here at this time of year (mostly in NW Florida), we have never attended any Mardi Gras events, but this year we decided to travel with Bill and Mary to the Eastern Shore of Mobile Bay to enjoy a parade that was held in Fairhope, AL.  Not known by most of us from the North, it is Mobile, not New Orleans that was the birthplace of Mardi Gras in 1703 when the city was the first capital of French Louisiana.  Other than some difficulty in finding a place to park, we had a fun evening of catching beads and a host of other things, including moon pies, that are cast into the crowd by the folks riding on the floats. Click here for photos.

Another Saturday Night in Alabama

It is another Saturday Night here in Alabama at Johnny's Lakeside RV Resort.  While there is quite an array of daily activities here, our favorite is the weekly dinner and dance.  Since our arrival here in late December, we've atteded this event every Saturday and we can always count on enjoying some great food, good music and a fun evening of dancing.  This week's main food event was some excellent smoked pork butt and chicken, provided and prepared by Johnny and his staff [a full 2 day cooking event] and, as usual, some very tasty dishes made by all the folks attending.   These events are well attended and there is no question that everyone has a good time.
Lots of folks participate in the line dancing:

...and, as in prior events, Deb was invited to join the band for a few songs.