Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday) means different things to different people and I do not wish to tell you what it should mean to all people. So what is Mardi Gras? No single picture can symbolize the meaning of Mardi Gras but I believe that this collection will give an idea of the festivities. I bring you the news as it happened. It was funny, hilarious even, satirical with dark humor at times. People enjoyed the day with ingenious costumes in a parade virtually unknown to the outside world. Many large parades are being held in the two weeks before Mardi Gras but this one is unique in the sense that it is organized by locals just getting together in their own way.

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The official Mardi Gras colors were selected in 1872 and are Gold{representing Power), Green(Faith) and Purple(Justice).

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This is the last from the series so we leave the Painted Desert hoping for an opportunity to return there again some time. In 1987 10,000 Maniacs with Natalie Merchant produced the song " The Painted Desert" a beautiful work which went largely unnoticed but it is well worth listening to if you have the time.

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Thank you for visiting the Painted Desert with me. I will always have a soft spot for this part of the world and if it is ever for sale please let me know...

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5/. Is it possible that a river once flowed here?

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A dust Storm hit this area hard just a few days before our visit and the colors were subdued by the layer of gray dust covering most everything.

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1/. Petrified sand dunes

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8/. See the pharaoh?

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1/. Petrified sand dunes

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8/. See the pharaoh?

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As the waters of Lake Meade recedes in the dry, grass gains a foot hold in the fertile silt and transforms the desert into a lush prairie. One of two things can happen next. Either the snow in the highlands will melt and gather here via the mighty Colorado River to drown the grass or an extended drought will eventually claim the grass. But for now it looks like the Painted Prairie.

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Magic in the Desert...

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6/. Roger's Spring

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8/. Fresh water daily