Epilogue:
Touching, beautiful, joyous, and incredibly well attended – we've walked St. Anne several times before, and seen the crowd reach 1,000, but this was surely 2,000 or more. To do it with friends from New York and Elsewhere and to see old friend meet new friend, my brother smiling again for the first time since "The Thing" (in fact to see almost EVERYONE smiling again)..well, those things are priceless.
To finally appear after the five hour march at Canal Street, and have the Rex parade just beginning ( a salute to Louisiana authors and books including a gigantic float of Ignatius P. Reilly) seemed flawless juju, as did the six straight days of perfect weather.
To be thanked so many times for coming to something that one wouldn't have missed for the world, to tip magnificently and often, to BE IN THAT NUMBER – even in our interesting and bohemian lives there aren't too many experiences like this. I will remember it all.
Like the sign said "N.O. is Eternal"