Throw Me Somethin’, Santa!

You might think this Santa is waving at the crowds. He’s not. He’s on a float in a Louisiana Christmas parade, and he’s just thrown a pair of beads! Down here, a parade’s just not a parade if the riders aren’t throwing something. It isn’t just at Mardi Gras. They throw cabbages and carrots at St. Patrick’s Day parades, candy and toys at Christmas parades. And, of course, beads. Always beads. In this case, red and green.

Clinton (in East, not West Feliciana—sorry!) is a wonderful little gem of a town full of antebellum civic buildings and homes. In addition to putting on a fun Christmas parade, once a month—twice a month right before Christmas—they also hold a community market on Saturday. Every time we go, I’m stunned anew by how friendly people are up there, how much they laugh, how relaxed they are. Their next big event is the reenactment of the Civil War battle of Jackson Crossroads. We saw the photos of last year’s reenactment, and I’m determined not to miss it again.


Oh, and my back is much better. Thanks to all who wished me well. And the best part is, I’ve just sent off the revisions of WHERE SERPENTS SLEEP!