New Toulouse

At this time of the year, I always get an urge to discover spooky things. And this morning I hit the jackpot. The first thing I spotted was a mysterious corpse in the pigpen at Pazzo’s old Spanish stable. And the pigs looked fat. I wonder if we ever will see him again.

At Lin Laundry at the south end of Shotgun Row, the Halloween pumpkin was a kitty!

Next to the laundry is Missedabracket Salvage, where a nice Cthulhu was hanging on display. When I went to visit him, I swear someone threw pumpkins at me!

I ran for my life to hide in the Maison Rose, and then I saw that a new business, the Mud Bowl, had moved in there. The dead fish looked nice.

Quite calmed by the friendly skeletal fish, I strolled down the road and found a pair of cute, tiny skeletons hanging in the food stall at Carousel Park.

This made me hungry, so I went to Bijou Impromptu, where my spirit fed upon the short Frankenstein movie playing there. That put me in a romantic mood, so I went for a quick visit to the bayou to roll in the catnip, and at the Cloche du Chat, I found the cutest pumpkins I have ever seen.

Suddenly longing for the rooftop party that the Krewe of Bast (my krewe!) are throwing this weekend, I took my tubcopter to Gloryville and got myself a preview of the goodies.

Keep it spooky!

The Ghost of Liza Veliz fell in love with New Toulouse at first sight. She publishes books by various authors; find them at her reading cafe on Shotgun Row. She also operates a bookstore and tattoo parlor in Gloryville, at the corner of Royale and Rossignol.

Pictured are Nikita Weymann, Gigi Lapin, and me. We sit among some of the prizes you can get at the Post-Storm Pirate Booty Hunt that runs till September 1 in New Toulouse.

Last night was the hunt kickoff pub crawl, in which we enjoyed rum and went around to all the places where treasure chests are to be found. So much stuff washed ashore during the last hurricane that Taloosters have made these chests to get rid of it. The pub crawl was so much fun, but today I am completely exhausted. So I went to see Niki at her house on the bayou, and Gigi joined us, and I showed them some of my treasures.

The lovely little frog on the barrel, the washed-up trellis bench, and the junk shop lawn chair are from Noctis. The vampire gentleman and the zombie head trophy are from Harley’s Hotel. The zombie is wearing a black leather beret from the Old Spanish Stable.

Dare Munro’s book Musings in the Dark is published by my very own company, Darker Shadow Productions, and you get it from the Ghost of Liza Veliz Books & Poems at La Coquette. The book chaise Niki is lounging on is from Galerie Shotgun/Argonaut Travel on Shotgun Road.The kraken-themed rugs are from Look What the Cat Dragged In, #2 Spiegel Hall. The candle bowls are from Grimalkin Workshop in the bayou. Look out for bats—just saying.

The Paradiso Firepit is from Lei’s Café on the Bayou. The Poe’s Raven plushie I’m holding is from Ravenwood Arts & Curios on Shotgun Road. Do I need to mention that it says “Nevermore” when you touch it?

I am wearing the fish hat that Francesca Alva designed and put in her chest at the Green-Eyed Fairy for scurvy knaves to find. There’s a version for tinies too! To be totally honest, I was expecting us all to turn into fish people when the flood after the hurricane took so long to dry up, so I enjoy this cute hat very much. It is hilarious to watch it cuddle people as if it wants to eat them when they sit on my lap.

You should totally do this hunt! There are so many fun treasures in those chests that you can find all over the city and bayou. If you are feeling lazy, you can always use the list of treasure spots.

The start of the pub crawl, at the Still House Tavern

The Ghost of Liza Veliz fell in love with New Toulouse at first sight. She publishes books by various authors; find them at her reading cafe on Shotgun Row.

As the rain begins to fall and the skies thicken, Cavalco, the farrier, jockey, and factotum of the Old Spanish Stable, waits patiently while the pig family takes the last bites of the weeds behind the stable. The padrone of the stable and sheriff of New Toulouse, Pazzo Pestana, hoped his pigs would help abate the weed problem. (Photo credit: Pazzo Pestana.)

The grand opening of Gamaliel’s Vintage Toys & Dolls is delayed by troubling weather, which didn’t stop Mr. Gamaliel from composing verse. (Photo credit: Nikita Weymann.)

New Toulouse jockey Cavalco drove to third place in the Awesome Breed Creations “Crown Cup” for sulkies on April 27. Cavalco drove the American Standardbred “Gallant Gray” for Little Ascot Stables but wore the colors of New Toulouse from the Old Spanish Stable, and his steed emerged from a chaotic field to place third, by one ten-thousandth of a second. The owners (breeder Nikita Pantland and trainer Zacklol) had retained Cavalco at the beginning of the racing season, and he was able to post two of the fastest times, which allowed Gallant Gray to be included in the final field.  He also qualified the Little Ascot horse Toulouse Rendezvous—named for our fair city—for the Crown Cup final.

Nikita Pantland (owner/breeder) and Zacklol 
(owner/trainer) with jockey Cavalco. Note the distinctive fleur-de-lis of New Toulouse on Cavalco’s silks.

Cavalco, seated on the sulky pulled by Gallant 
Gray, with Nikita Pantland and Zacklol.

Jack Mondieu, Ace Reporter, is a figment of your imagination.

Photos courtesy of Pazzo Pestana.