Anniversary Katrina: A Nascent Effort

Katrina Trash Piles, 2005Tossed

Very tired. Have been in Maine for a bit, visiting the first born of my sister, Violet. The blessing was moved back, so I had to stay longer than anticipated, which meant that I would have to face the possibility of missing the Katrina Anniversary in NOLA. Not a chance.

So for the first time in my life, I flew somewhere for one day. Charged it. Saw so much.

This is not the end.

This is a landmark, but not the end of the story. Nagin is so quiet; now I feel that I can say, "It has been a year, let's go!"

Forgive me, I am not a writer, but I have to say that it has been a year and we have not said or shown enough to amount to a beginning of the communication of loss -and what has been done...it is not enough to amount to half as much as what we have communicated.

Lower Ninth, still, today August 29, 2006

Marched in the Lower Ninth today. Such sadness. Such strength and hope.

This man lost four generations of his family.
Please don't think it's over: do not forget us.

Ruthie Monday XIX

Was supposed to be themed: Winks and Licks



Ruth-Anne is at Miranda's...she sent this pictures for me to post:

But I cannot upload any pictures because my connection is spotty and it interrupts!

Trying to figure it out.

Until I don't know when....

On the Road

Well, posting -t'aint so easy on the road. I currently do not have the oppportunity to upload pics, and will try to do so on Monday.

We zipped over from Knoxville to NYC to stay with B's dad for a night and then rushed over to see my new neice Violet in Alfred, Maine.

Leaving for Sorrento after breakfast in Springvale with my mum.

Hopefully Sorrento, where we are staying above the post office (one of about three structures in town) will have a hook-up so I can continue my series on Monday with a double or triple post.

We'll see.

Katrina Anniversary Series

I owe you one. I have been zipping through the south, on my way up to Sorrento Maine. I am currently sitting in the Java Cafe, Old City in Knoxville Tennessee, frantically updating business crap.

Flood Boy

ANYWAY, here is a double dose for today, the first, of course is the Lower Ninth, but taken just this past Sunday. The second was taken last week in the part of Central City that is on the other side of Claiborne Avenue, around where the Latino workers stand under the live oaks waiting to be picked for work every morning.

Late Summer Cat's Claw

Swamp Tour in the Lower Ninth

July 26, 2006

Ruthie Monday XVIII

Ruth-Anne's size as compared to a cookie dough, hot pepper-eared, string bean-tailed Dacshund sculpture:


I will out of town until mid-September (swooping back in for the anniversary, of course), and will be handing the baton of puppy responsibility over to Miranda. She will be providing the pictures for Ruthie Monday, which I will post from afar...

Katrina Anniversary Pictures: New Orleans Today

Someone picked through the rubble of a house where (perhaps) a loved one last lived and separated the collections from the rest. There was a memorial, a very dead leafed/flowered memorial, marking the sight of the house the day this picture was taken. Make your own story...

yeah, and alert today.

DuckLower Ninth Ward
July 26, 2006

Katrina Anniversary Pictures: New Orleans Today

Lower Ninth Ward
July 26, 2006

Katrina Anniversary Pictures: New Orleans Today

The Bulldozing of Lower Ninth Ward homes:

July 26, 2006

Katrina Anniversary Pictures: New Orleans Today, Elements of Home IV

Lower Ninth Ward
July 26, 2006

Ruthie Monday XVII

Ruth-Anne may be getting bigger, but so are the Elephant Ears.

Katrina Anniversary Pictures: New Orleans Today, Elements of Home III

Lower Ninth Ward

Taken July 26, 2006

Katrina Anniversary Pictures: New Orleans Today, Elements of Home II

Lower Ninth Ward

Taken July 26, 2006

Katrina Anniversary Pictures: New Orleans Today, Elements of Home I

Lower Ninth Ward, July 26, 2006

Katrina Anniversary Pictures: New Orleans Today

Lower Ninth Ward, July 26, 2006

Ruthie Monday the XVI

To offset the New Orleans a Year Later photo series, Ruthie Monday will remain the anchor of my blogging week as always.

My garden is OUT OF CONTROL big right now. This is the time of year when I let go and let the jungle do it's thing.

Ruthie loves it, though.

Lower Ninth Ward, July 26, 2006: III

The anniversary of Katrina approaches and I am posting* current pictures of the city -not in memoriam, but as updates on our progress here in New Orleans (or lack thereof).

Our hurricane season starts in August and lasts
through October-ish and I am starting to get nervous.

*I don't spend much time at my desk during the weekends, so pictures will crop up during the work weeks to follow.

Lower Ninth Ward, July 26, 2006: II

Lower Ninth Ward, July 26, 2006

Faceless House Update

taken early November, 2005

This is the closest faceless house to mine. I have been keeping tabs on it. The thing is right in the middle of busy, busy non-flooded New Orleans. The neighborhood has been dealt terrible architectural blows this year with the collapse of mansion-sized buildings along with the burning of the Coliseum and the very, very old Baptist church on Camp Street.
Two weeks ago, I saw what appeared to be a meeting between a contractor/engineer type person and a very old man. They were standing in front of the house, on Erato. I thought, "Oh good, they will save it." There is a nice house under that asbestos siding.

Well, a few days ago, the front part of the roof, once seemingly supported by a Tupperware storage container, fell onto the sidewalk.

taken yesterday, July 24, 2006

Very sad. Maybe the man who owns it is just to old to deal? Maybe the old man lives there and was curious as to whether or not the owner would ever fix it?

There are four active mailboxes on this this house, by the way. I have seen the mailman deliver and evidence of life within. That is even more sad.


UPDATE: I was trying to get the pictures to upload all day. I wrote the text this morning and this afternoon I saw the elderly man standing across the street from the building, embracing himself, staring at the building very sadly.

Ruthie Monday XV

Miranda's back in town!

Missed you, woman.

Air Hockey at Pal's

Mid-City

Ruthie Monday XIV

How Ruth-Anne gets caught being bad.

Lichen, Ivy and Phantoms of Creeping Things

The edge of Audobon Park

The Falstaff Building

Mid City, New Orleans, on a rainy (thank God) day.

Falstaff is an American beer originally produced by Lemp Brewing in 1903 and discontinued in 2005. In its later years, it was brewed by Pabst.*


* Taken from Wikipedia

Jess + Manna = Violet!

My sister Amanda had a little baby girl! She came out at home* on July 4th, at 11:57 am 7lbs 14 oz. Yay!

(Us)

Manna+Jess

= Violet!

*with the help of two midwives, Kelcy and Maureen.

Love you, Manna!

Ruthie Monday XIII

A Perk of Being Wee:

After a nice, long morning walk, Ruth-Anne doesn't mess around. She heads straight for the doggie fountain and settles in for a refreshing soak... I wish I could do the same. She actually turns around three times before plunking.

1. climb in

2. find the perfect place to plop down

3. Ahhh...