Mardis Gras Time at the Plantation

This is a busy week ahead. Mardis Gras preparations are in full swing along with all the other activities and crafts going on. I have the chair finished and it looks great. We decided not to put it into the auction but will take it home and see if someone close to us wants it!

All around us, spring has sprung. The Red Bud trees and the Seedless Pear trees are all in bloom. They look gorgeous along the roadside as we travel. Monday was a stormy day because of the heat so we went north to the Eastern Shore mall to buy the TV for our bedroom – still replacing equipment from the power problems we had in December. Barb needed more fabric for a quilt project so lots of shopping done today!

Back in February, we dropped Jim & Lydia a note about the Mardis Gras celebrations here and being party revelers, they decided to “come on down” and arrived on Tuesday. I’m sure there won’t be a dull moment during their stay!

Wednesday sees me in the clubhouse kitchen taking Cajun Cooking lessons. We all had a good time learning and eating a savory Cajun lunch! Barb continued with her quilting and carving projects. With Jim & Lydia here, it’s like ‘ole home week! Dinners, games and lots of laughs prevail!

Friday was a windy cool day so 8 of us went to the show to see The King’s Speech’. It was a perfect way to spend a less than desirable weather-wise afternoon with friends – oh, it was a good movie too! Today was the start of Mardis Gras here at the Plantation. Dinner, entertainment and the selection of the King and Queen for the festivities! Cupcakes were served as dessert and a tiny doll was hidden on 2 of them so when you bit into the cupcake and ‘found’ the doll, you became Royalty! They were escorted off to another room to adorn the ‘Royal’ cloaks and paraphernalia, and then back into the hall with the ‘Royal Entourage” for the Coronation with all the necessary pomp and circumstance! After they received their ‘crowns’, they sashayed around the hall so the peasants could pay homage!

Saturday, we attended breakfast at the club with the King and Queen and wandered around the craft show and sale. It demonstrates how many talented people there are here at the Plantation. Soon after, we are heading off to our first Mardis Gras parade – Krewe of Mullet Mates in Point Clear. It was raining as we drove over but stopped as we arrived. We had to double park – maybe triple park and quickly find a spot at the street edge as the parade arrived with music playing and trinkets landing all around! A fun time for all! Lots of loot being tossed!

After the parade, we head off to Camping World then to dinner at the Fish River Grill for all you can eat cat fish! Yummmm! You have to appreciate the area here, we started at the Plantation – about the middle and then to the eastern shore of Mobile Bay! Then to Camping World way over on hwy 59 then almost all the way back to the Grill close to the eastern shore again! It’s a good thing fuel is cheap!

Sunday is quiet until the Ice Cream social at the club house. We decide to head on down to LuLu’s for an early dinner – we know there will not be any time after the social as skits and music are on the program! We lucked out and had a table overlooking the Intercoastal Waterway. It was a bit cool but we were in the sunshine and love’n it!

Back to the Plantation for the evening of Mardis Gras entertainment! Barb and Lydia are in different skits on stage. This is certainly outside the box for Barbie! Lydia, well you gotta know her to understand she couldn’t resist the opportunity! Barb has been in knots all week working on her lines and costume for this event! It’s been fun!

Monday brings the Plantation’s own Mardis Gras parade through the campground. It is just a crazy opportunity for a lot of adults to act like a bunch of kids in a bike parade! Everything was decorated from golf carts to lawn tractors, walkers, antique farm tractors, scooters and of course the local fire department was on hand with their units! It was a hoot! After, we were off to the clubhouse again for a parade lunch. After lunch, there were more skits and the grand finally was the auction of 11 caned chairs with the proceeds going to Escapees Care in Livingston, Tx.

Monday was a beautiful day so we decided to go down to the beach in Gulf Shores before the night Mardis Gras parade in Fairhope by the Krewe of Magnolias. The beach was a little cool but we were able to have a walk and watch the antics of the Pelicans. There was a construction crew there moving large plastic pipes onto the beach so they could ‘vacuum’ the bottom of a small lagoon and pump the sandy silt onto the beach for disposal.

Fat Tuesday is the culmination of our Mardis Gras festivities here at the Plantation! The day was a normal day with the various crafts going on in the clubhouse until about 2PM. Fat Tuesday dinner and ‘ball’ started at 5:15PM with the arrival of the King and Queen for their last official function. The meal was followed by skits and music, a great end to a busy 5 days of celebrations.

Until next entry, we hope all is well where you are.