The Wandering Disciple

In the early days of Louisiana, one could become a pharmacist with little to no training or experience.  With just a six month apprenticeship, you could begin compounding and issuing you own medicinal blends with little guidance.  In 1804, Governor Claiborne enacted a law creating standards and licensing for pharmacists and Louis Dufilho became the first to past the exam and open a pharmacy in Louisiana.  To showcase the history of pharmacy medicine in Louisiana, the New Orleans Pharmacy Museum was opened in the French Quarter.  Here you can walk through a historic pharmacy and see how the pharmacists worked and lived.  (Photo: November 22, 2017)  

  A trio of Nutria huddle together at the Audubon Zoo in New Orleans.  A cross between a rat and a beaver, the Nutria is a semi-aquatic rodent found in the swamps and bayous of Louisiana.  An adult Nutria can reach up to 20 pounds but some have been found in excess of 30 pounds.  The Nutria found here at the Audubon Zoo are part of the Louisiana Swamp exhibit, a sprawling exhibit featuring native wildlife from Louisiana.  (Photo: November 22, 2017)

  A P-51 Mustang flies high over the World War II Museum in New Orleans.  The P-51 was a workhorse of the US Army Air Force during World War II.  Manufactured by North American Aviation, the P-51 was the primary choice to provide escorts for the heavier and slower bombers during bombing campaigns.  The aircraft saw war time service again during the Korean War before being retired by the Air Force in 1957.  Today the P-51 lives on in museums like the World War II Museum and in the civilian market with many Mustangs still air worthy and flying in air shows around the country.  (Photo: November 22, 2017)

If you look closely at coins minted in the United States, there is a little letter code on the face of the coin that will tell you where it was made.  The most commonly found codes are D for Denver and P for Philadelphia.  But in late 1800's there was a letter O in circulation and that was for the New Orleans Mint.  Located in the French Quarter presses like the one pictured here turned out a steady supply of coins all pressed with the letter O.  The New Orleans Mint had two operational periods, one from 1836 to 1861 and the other from 1879 to 1909.  During this time, the mint produced over 427 million gold and silver coins with a face value of over $307 million US Dollars.  While mint is no longer in operation, you can still visit it today and see some of the equipment used to make coins in the mint museum.  The building also houses the New Orleans Jazz Museum and Louisiana Historical Center.  (Photo: November 21, 2017)

The table has been set and its time for formal dinner circa 1850's in the French Quarter of New Orleans.  Furnished to represent life in 19th century New Orleans, the 1850 House transports visitors back in time.  The historic antebellum rowhouse on the edge of Jackson Square features a unit decorated with fine New Orleans silver, Old Paris porcelain, a six piece bedroom suite and paintings from famous French artists that moved to New Orleans.  Operated by the Louisiana State Museum system, the 1850 House depicts life for some of the immigrants to immigrated to New Orleans seeking life in the United States.  (Photo: November 21, 2017)

 When people think of New Orleans, one of the first things that come to mind is Mardi Gras and carnival season in the big easy.  Carnival typically begins on the Epiphany and runs through Fat Tuesday.  During this time, krewes like the Krewe of Endymion and Krew of Bacchus throw elaborate parades nightly filled with brightly colored costumes and decorated floats through the streets of downtown.   The history of Mardi Gras can be seen in an exhibit at the Presbytere Museum in Jackson Square.  This historic building hosts two permanent exhibits that tell the story of New Orleans.  A story of celebration in the exhibit "Mardi Gras: It's Carnival Time in Louisiana" and a story of resilience in the exhibit "Living with Hurricanes: Katrina and Beyond".  (Photo: November 21, 2017)

  Much of the buildings of New Orleans and particularly Jackson Square have quite the history.  The Cabildo is no different. The current Cabildo was built in 1795 after the original one was burned down during the Great New Orleans Fire.  It was originally built to house the Spanish seat of government and the Spaniards ruled from here and later upon transfer to the city of New Orleans, the city council operated from this historic structure.  The Cabildo also served as the Louisiana Supreme Court, a temporary headquarters for the Louisiana State Police and today serves as part of the Louisiana State Museum system. Over its 200 plus year history, the Cabildo was site to many historic moments including the signing of the Louisiana Purchase and the hearing of the landmark Plessy vs Ferguson racial segregation case.  Today you can learn about the history of this building and the region at the museum that is housed here.  (Photo: November 21, 2017)

A large container ship sails the Mighty Mississippi in New Orleans.  The second longest river in the North America. the Mississippi River runs 2,300 miles from its source at Lake Itasca in Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico in Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana.  Along the way the river passes through some of the biggest cities in the Midwest including Minneapolis, St Louis, Memphis and New Orleans.  (Photo: November 20, 2017)

An Atlantic Sea Nettle swims through a reef tank at the Aquarium of the Americas.  The Atlantic Sea Nettle is a jellyfish found along the Atlantic coast of the United States.  It is a protected by tentacles containing thousands of cnidocytes that deliver a toxic venom to its prey.  The Atlantic Sea Nettle defense mechanism limits its predators to mainly sea turtles and other jellyfish.  The jellyfish is one of the 500 plus species on display at the Audubon Aquarium of the Americas located along the Mississippi River in downtown New Orleans.  (Photo: November 20. 2017)

Usually boasting a crimson red color, this crayfish is a colorful blue. When researchers at the Northwestern State University Aquaculture Research Center discovered this rare trait of the Red Swamp Crawfish, they donated them to the Audubon Insectarium. By the time this batch of crayfish shed its skin, the entire second skin was completely blue and this phenomena has researchers perplexed.  You can take a look at these rare color changing crayfish along with other rare and interesting insects from around the world at the Audubon Insectarium in downtown New Orleans.  (Photo: November 20, 2017)

"Who dat? Who dat? Who dat say dey gonna beat dem Saints?" "Who dat" The chant from the Who Dat Nation rings loud and proud throughout the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.  The Superdome was opened in 1975 and is the home of the New Orleans Saints.  In addition to hosting the Saints home games, the Superdome is also home to the annual NCAA Sugar Bowl and New Orleans Bow as well as the rivalry Bayou Classic between Grambling and Southern Universities.  The stadium also host high school games, concerts and other special events.  (Photo: November 21, 2017)

High atop the Drury Inn and Suites in downtown New Orleans is a rooftop oasis.  Because of limited land on ground levels in big cities, hotels like this choose to turn their rooftops into pool decks, bars/lounges and many other amenities for their visitors.  Having the pool on the roof allows you to enjoy a relaxing dip in the water under the backdrop of the Big Easy from high above the city streets. (Photo: November 23, 2017)

Saving lives and protecting property is a big task in the Big Easy. The almost 400,000 rely on the New Orleans Fire Department to keep them safe. With 31 stations and over 650 employees, the NOFD protects 350 square miles including 170 square miles of water. New Orleans suffered two major fire before the fire department ever existed. The first fire department came to New Orleans by the way of a volunteer fire department in 1829 which served the city until the present day paid organization was established in 1891. Today the department responds to over 40,000 calls a year within the city of New Orleans. This photo is Engine 29 from the French Quarter onscene of a call for service during our 2017 trip to New Orleans. (Photo: November 23, 2017)

New Orleans, Louisiana: Along the banks of the Mississippi River sits one of the newest additions to the New Orleans riverfront, the Audubon Aquarium of the Americas. Under the watchful care of the Audubon Nature Institute, the aquarium is home to over 10,000 marine animals spanning over 500 species. Your journey through the two story aquarium begins with an underwater journey to a sunken Mayan city. A walk through the tunnel surrounded by colorful fish leads you to a world filled with lion fish, eels, spiny lobsters and more sea creatures that live around the submerged city. The trip though the Great Mayan Reef and the sunken city leads you upstairs and transplants you right into the middle of the Amazon Rainforest. This humid oasis is home to many jungle critters transported right from the rainforest into southeast Louisiana. In the canopy of the rainforest trees you get to listen to the sound of the macaws while walking through exhibits filled with piranhas, pacu fish an...

I would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas.  I hope you and your family have a safe and enjoyable Christmas.  Thank you for following my photography site.  (Photo: November 20, 2017)

The Higgins Boat was an unsung hero of World War II.  The landing craft was a crucial tool in the Allied troops attacks on beaches during the war.  It was so important to the effort that General Eisenhower claimed that if it wasn't for these vessels, they could have never stormed a beach.  The Higgins Boat here is on display at the National World War II Museum in New Orleans.  As a result of the impact of these boats on the outcome of the war, it was decided to built the museum in New Orleans, home of Higgins Industries and the main location of the construction of these vessels.  (Photo: November 22, 2017)

A coin press sits on display in the basement of the Old US Mint in New Orleans.  A small museum in here pays tribute to the New Orleans Mint that was in operation from 1838-1909.  The mint was the only one in the country to print currency for two nations, the United States of America and the Confederate States of America.  (Photo: November 21, 2017)

Sitting rooms like this one here in the 1850 House in New Orleans was a place for high society to entertain their guests.  The 1850 House Museum operated by the Louisiana State Museum highlights the homes of affluent citizens in New Orleans during the mid 1800's.  (Photo: November 21, 2017)

The infamous urban search and rescue markings were all over New Orleans and the areas effected by Hurricane Katrina.  These marking were used by first responders to identify the structures that were cleared post storm as well as findings and hazards encountered.  Today, the Louisiana State Museum has an entire gallery that focuses on Hurricane Katrina at The Presbytère museum in the French Quarter.  (Photo: November 21, 2017)

One of the most prized artifact on display in the Louisiana State Museum, the Napoleon Death Mask attracts visitors to the Cabildo at Historic Jackson Square in the heart of the French Quarter. The mask is one of only four death masks from Napoleon Bonaparte in existence. It was created from a mold by one of Napoleon’s physicians Dr Antommarchi about forty hours following his death in 1821. In 1834 Dr Antommarchi donated the bronze mask to the City of New Orleans. (Photo: November 21, 2017)