Melinda Palacio
This weekend in New Orleans Spanish lovers and Francophiles
will vie for attention during the
El Encierro Festival, the running of the roller derby bulls (now a whole weekend plus worth of
events), and Bastille Day, both occupying the same long weekend in the same
general vicinity of the French Quarter. El Encierro festivities are bit newer (7
years) to the
Bastille Day celebrations,
but, then again, the Spanish arrived first in New Orleans.
I'm not sure which events I will attend, but one thing's
certain, my days will begin with a walk through Audubon Park. Since moving on
up to Uptown, two blocks from Audubon Zoo (I can see giraffes from my window),
every morning at about six a.m., my husband and I take a vigorous two mile walk
around the park. Two miles may not seem like much, but at 6 a.m., 80 degrees and 80% humidity, everything seems like an enormous feat, especially keeping up
the fast paced march of someone who naturally wakes up much earlier than I do.
After a shot of coffee and some water splashed on my face, I'm good to go, prepared
to march and sweat. I'm grateful for the heavy cloud and tree cover.
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| The walk/cycle path through Audubon Park |
On days when I want to snap a photo, I must be prepared to
jog in order to catch up to my fast companion. There are dozens of egrets,
ducks, sparrows, crows, sandpipers, geese, and always the handsome lone swan.
It's fun to see the occasional, unexpected bird that's not in a big flock, such
as a woodpecker, hawk, or a western reef-heron.
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| an egret |
The most unexpected dweller at Audubon's bird island is the aquatic
Nutria. Last year, I went to a Nutria fur fashion show. Nutria have overrun
South Louisiana. They have big chompy teeth like beavers and long skinny tails
like muskrats. Tabasco mogul McIlhenny brought nutria from South America for
their fur. Yesterday, I
saw four nutria, two in the lake where the swan likes to bathe and two hanging
out on land with the ducks and geese.
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| Ned, the Nutria |
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| Two different types of duck. |
I have even adopted a bird theme in my house, in honor of
being so close to Audubon Park. When I emailed my friend Susan in Santa Barbara
the picture of my desk. She remarked on me having the 'bird by bird' curtains
for inspiration. True, Anne Lamont's
Bird by Bird has become a sort of bible or handbook for anyone facing a big writing project,
such as a novel. But when I put up my bird curtains, I simply liked the
pattern. Now whenever I look up from my computer screen, I will be reminded of
my friend Susan and my friend whom I've only met through her books, Anne
Lamont, and how a big project is possible by breaking it down into smaller
parts, bird by bird.
Next month, August 6 at 6pm, I will read with Nancy Harris at Octavia Books at 6pm in New Orleans.
