Tonight was the first parade of Carnival, and I could not be more excited.  I remember last year’s Krewe du Vieux–it was really cold, I was too shy to scream for beads, and I didn’t really get what was supposed to be fun.  And parking was a nightmare.  But this year was completely different, mostly because I have my bicycle.  I got myself dressed up and rode down to the Marigny, first to a house party, and then to meet friends for drinks and dancing.  The weather was perfect–I didn’t even need my jacket–and parking my bike was easy peasy.  Now, Krewe du Vieux is different from the big krewes that roll Uptown, and their smaller size means they roll through the Quarter.  The floats are pulled by horses, and between floats march brass bands.  One float, though, was pulled by bike.  This, of course, was my favorite.  My other favorite moment was this photo, because the guy in the orange and brown stripes?  He works at the bike shop where I picked up my new wheels today.  It’s a small town, New Orleans.  And my new bike is looking forward to exploring each and every inch.  Maybe she’ll even catch a parade or two.