John & Anne Wiley

Flying out of New Orleans, one of the first things we noticed was the aftermath of hurricanes in general and Katrina in particular. Lots of missing homes.

0600 Missing Neighbors

Many of the driveways lead to empty foundations, some to new homes, and a few still to apparently damaged and abandoned buildings. The same sort of destruction was scattered all along the Gulf, including this large waterfront hotel complex near Biloxi.

0619 Checked Out

The barrier islands show every sign of changing at the whim of wind and wave. In this pic you might also make out the tiny wake and canopy of a kite surfer near the lower middle.

0653 Wind, Wave, Sand

We were blown too, while idling along at 115mph and clocking up to 190mph (getting 25mpg fuel economy) with our tailwind. That put us at about the same speed over the ground as this jet going the other direction into an airport to land.

0662 Slow Jet

Getting to St. Augustine ahead of schedule, we had time to wander the back streets and discover the slowed contrast of this relaxing little restaurant.

0677 St. A. Dining

Even the main tourist walking strip is a quiet and calm contrast with New Orleans where we’d been in the morning.

0695 St. Augustine Walk

Flying to every U.S. state and Canadian province we’ve seen so many beautiful vistas and met so many wonderful people. But it’s been surprising to me not just how different our experiences are in each place, but how there’s a distinct “feel” to each region. After departing Galveston we flew along the barrier islands toward New Orleans, and it gave us a richer feeling for the lifestyle that the phenomenon named New Orleans emerges from.

0139 Life Line

The life along the seemingly endless line of sand between the open Gulf and miles of wetlands is a relaxed yet precarious one.

0176 Water Line

From the air it’s clear how close these homes are, not just to water’s edge, but to the high water line. A little storm surge, climate change, or even heavy rain can make a home into a small island. Yet the attraction is so strong that even after disaster strikes they rebuild. Often trying new methods of withstanding the water.

0178 New Design

Many of the newer homes are based on a steel frame that might survive most storms, and able to tolerate a rush of water that will sweep away everything on the ground floor. A man once told me the quality he most aspires to achieve. “I want to be permeable, so that life can flow around and through me.” This sort of ease and flexibility seems to me a key element in the lifestyle of the Gulf Coast region. It was infusing our hearts as we approached the Big Easy.

0234 To New Orleans

Revisiting [connoted by the (2) meaning this is my second post about it] our departure from Galveston I found more pix to share. Here’s the view northeast along the island past downtown Galveston in the distance, as we climbed out of the airport.

0091 Past Galveston

Looking at this pic, or even a map of the city, one of the first things that comes to mind for me is, “How?” How has this charming little city survived hurricanes, at an elevation of seven feet? Maybe two answers are heritage and determination, both demonstrated by the massive cemetery representing both a deep ancestry and the courage to continue living (and rebuilding) there.

0095 Galveston Graves

After flying up the island, as we turn to cross near downtown I was struck by how close the defensively-raised houses are to the city center.

0112 Downtown Mix

Across the street to the right from that white tower are block after block of homes. A few blocks further from it beyond the lower-left edge is this wide old boulevard that has surely seen a series of storms.

0115 Aston Villa

The stately square red-roofed 1859 Aston Villa probably survived due to sturdy brick construction, but presumably some of those adjoining empty lots had more recent buildings that have been swept away. Crossing the bay I wondered if this shipwreck were left over from a recent hurricane.

0125 S.S. Selma

I was surprised to learn just today that this concrete ship has been there since she was deliberately scuttled at the tender age of three, in 1922! Continuing along the Bolivar Peninsula we got a glimpse of some relatively new homes and even a few mansions like these, that stand right on the beach as if defiance and determination are enough to stop a rising sea.

0131 Fort Defiance

What looks like the remains of a swimming pool in the now-vacant lot next door seems to foretell the possibility of Change blowing in some day.