Vacation is Over

Today was our last day at the beach here in North Carolina. The kids took a long walk on the beach in the sunset. It was a beautiful evening. We tried to soak up the beautiful sights as much as we could. When we get back home, all the destruction will still be there waiting for us. Or maybe I'll be surprised at how much has been cleaned up while we were away.

Tomorrow we head back to Slidell. We'll probably spend the night somewhere and get there on Sunday afternoon. It was nice having a little break. It's nice having grandparents who live in a pretty place. There was nothing to do in Slidell this past week anyway, except scavenge the grocery stores and wait around for the insurance adjuster to show up. We haven't even been able to start fixing anything yet since he wants to see the damage before we can make our claim. He is supposed to be there on Monday morning bright and early.

The kids start school again on Monday too. Their teachers called to find out if they are returning. From talking to the teachers, it sounds like there will be a good turn out at school, and attendance will be much better than I imagined. That's wonderful news. I guess we'll see for sure once it starts. I better go turn in early to get ready for the long drive tomorrow!

Hanging out in NC

Hi everyone. Just a quick note to let you know that we are back in civilization again. We arrived in North Carolina this afternoon. It was 836 miles. We drove all day yesterday and then spent the night at a hotel last night and finished the trip today. It went really well. My kids are great little travelers.

I forgot to mention that on Sunday I recruited two more people to walk dogs at the Noah's Wish shelter in Slidell. They were so happy to help. One of them is my neighbor Kathy who is taking care of my dog Oscar's eye until Hubby gets back tomorrow. I'll write more later. Just wanted to let ya know that we're here, safe and sound!

On the Road

I'm so glad my friend Jimmie in Houston dodged the Rita storm! I know it probably feels like that whole evacuation mess that Houston had was a big waste since the storm mostly missed you. (But what if it hadn't?!) I know I felt that way last year during all the Hurricane Ivan evacuation mess. Our evac during Ivan was a complete disaster and we had many of the same problems that Houston did. It was so bungled, that my family decided we were better off staying home than getting stuck on the highway during the storm. We got lucky and missed it.

I think it was a big dress-rehearsal. Louisiana learned so much from that bumbled evac, and this time when it was really important, it went SO much better.

Last year during Ivan it took people 20 hours in their cars to make it 25 miles. Rediculous. And only 80% of the people evacuated. This year, the estimates are that 90% got out and there were no long traffic delays to speak of. It was all very orderly. So, Houston, think of the Rita evac as practice for the next one.

Speaking of being on the road, I'm taking the kids on a long car trip to Grandma and Grandpa's house in North Carolina for the week. Their school doesn't start for one more week, so we're going to hit the beach and try to relax if possible. It's a long drive and we'll probably take two days to do it. Just letting you know since I probably will be away from the blog temporarily.

Also, I don't know if anyone has noticed or not, but I changed the title of my blog from "Hurricane Katrina Refugee" to "Hurricane Katrina Returnee". It just seemed more fitting. :-)

Walkin' Dogs

A few folks have called to check on us with the latest weather, namely Rita. Don't worry, we'd be the first people outta here if we thought we needed to evacuate. The wind started last night, but it's bearable. It probably wouldn't be a problem at all if the community weren't still reeling from Katrina. There is SO much debris outside right now -- much more than there was immediately after Katrina hit because now everyone has returned and is emptying their flooded homes and piling it up outside, where it is now blowing all around. We lost some more of our fence, and someone's blue roof tarp is in our back yard. There's not much rain though, so that's good, especially since we don't have our tarp installed yet. Hubby is outside taking down the flapping parts of our fence before they hurt someone. More than anything, the wind is annoying. It's also really hot AND humid. It's almost 4 PM and it's still blowing. Normally a little breeze feels good, but right now it just feels like hot breath.

This morning I ran into Bob again while evaluating a tree that is about to fall in a neighbor's yard. He is the one I mentioned who has been working with the animal rescue group and making the city facility available for them. The group is called Noah's Wish and their main focus is to help animals during disasters. Bob said they desperately needed volunteers to help walk dogs in Slidell, so I headed over to become a dog walker for all the homeless dogs.

They currently have over 500 animals at their temporary shelter in Slidell. It appears chaotic at first, but it is actually all very well organized. Most of the volunteers were from around the country. They have different people in charge of certain groups of animals, and veterinarian volunteers as well. The dogs need to get out of their crates to go potty since most of them hold it while they are in there. While they are out being walked, another volunteer cleans their crate and replaces the food and water. The animals are all tagged and everything is documented on the sheet attached to their crate so they don't miss anything. Those dogs were so happy to get out and go potty!

They can only be walked one at at time. I helped walk dogs for about 3 hours, so at about 10 minutes per dog, I only did about about 20 dogs. They want to have them all walked at least twice a day, so they need a lot of volunteers. I'm going to try to go back and help as much as I'm able during the next couple of weeks. It will probably be a lot easier once this hot wind stops blowing.

Many of the animals belong to people who have returned to Slidell, but can't care for their animals because they are staying in shelters, hotels, or they are camping in RVs until they can get their houses livable again. While I was there a couple of dogs got to go home with their owners who were so happy to see them. Other animals have not been identified yet, and the group tries to help locate their owners. Eventually, they will foster out the animals locally so their owners can visit them while trying to repair their housing, and then eventually the rest will be adopted.

If anyone in Slidell is reading this and you want to help walk dogs, the shelter is over next to Heritage Park. There is someone at the gate who will tell you where to go. You have to be at least 18 years old to volunteer. Be prepared to get dirty, and you have to use a baggie to pick up whatever poop your pooch pals produce. :-)

Also -- Anyone in Slidell who just needs pet food or leashes or kennels to house your animals, they that available also. There is no charge. Just go talk to them and tell them what you need. I'm sure a lot of people around here can use a dog kennel of some sort since there aren't many backyard fences left standing.


As for my little dog, Oscar, he seems to be doing better. The swelling in his eye has gone down quite a bit and he is no where near as stressed out as he was initially. He still has to wear his big plastic Elizibethan collar though, since he'd still like to scratch at it. The ulcer looks a little better (at least as far as I can tell), and he has a follow up appointment at the vet on Monday.

Smart Kid

I said one of those mom-isms today. You know, one of the things that all mothers say such as, "Careful or you'll put an eye out with that!" What I said was, "We are going to do some house cleaning today -- starting with your bedroom before it is declared a disaster area."

My darling Maddie gave a quick witted reply and said, "Well, Mommy, technically ...it already is!"

When did 9-year-olds get so smart?

Another Slidell Family Blog

I ran across this blog today by Ned and Linda, a family in Slidell, who are dealing with the daily struggle of cleaning up and rebuilding. Their struggle is SO much more difficlut than ours. I do not know them personally, but I am so glad they are able to share their experiences in their blog which was created to keep their family and friends up to date. They give a detailed account of digging out their flooded home and also having to deal with an army of trees that collapsed onto it and other family member's homes as well.

They write, "It'’s Hard to Remember What Our Lives Were Like". It's so true. I've talked to many people with similar circumstances to theirs and it's heartbreaking at the sheer numbers of folks dealing with it. Spending several days helping my friends gut their flooded house really gives perspective on what is involved. Linda writes about the ridiculous cost of tree removal services (I have to agree that it's outrageous!) and the stench of freezer sludge and the removal of flooded belongings. She talks about the huge pile of debris in their front yard and says that, "There is no house in our area that does not have a pile just like ours in front of their house."

She's sure right about that. Almost every neighborhood has those huge piles of debris, and in some neighborhoods I've seen, the piles are almost higher than the houses. Even our neighborhood (which took much less damage by comparison) has huge piles, although nothing like the flooded neighborhoods. The garbage trucks come by and remove the bags of household garbage, but they leave all the debris. Like everyone else in Slidell, we are all hoping that someday the bulldozers will show up to haul it off "somewhere". I don't know where there is a hole big enough for this much debris.

Right now it's raining thanks to the new hurricane in the Gulf, Rita, and all that debris is getting even wetter. It's such a monumental amount of garbage, that I don't even know where they can begin.

I gotta hand it to Linda though for keeping her sense of humor through all of it. I loved yesterday's blog entry where she writes about a dead baby alligator they found in the driveway and it's subsequent burial. She cracked me up. The photos of their damage are amazing, and she keeps up her humor throughout with captions like "the new atrium in the kitchen". Good for her. She's not letting her spirit down despite the monumental clean up job they still have before them.

I just sent them a note about some volunteers at Grace Memorial Baptist Church in Slidell who have come with chain saws and are helping people remove trees for no charge. I don't know if they are still available, but it's worth checking out.

In their photos they also posted a collection taken at the cemetery next to their house. I now have a much better understanding of why the cemetery I wrote about earlier has not had any attention yet. There are obviously many MANY small cemeteries just like this that have been suffered devastation, and it's just going to take some time to get to them all.

Keep up your spirits Ned and Linda. Your account is inspiring.

Tropical Storm Party

I can't stress enough how important it is to stay in touch with your neighbors during a crisis. It's often the best way to get helpful information, and just a great way to feel in touch with your surroundings.

Tonight we had sort of an impromptu block party in my next door neighbor's driveway with neighbors from five different houses who happened to be outside. We stood around exchanging stories and recapping our first week home. We commented on the unusually beautiful sunset and strong breeze courtesy of Hurricane Rita. We are all waiting for the rain and tropical storm winds that we should get soon and that have most people around here rather tense at the moment. One party attendee was Bob, who is staying with a friend on our street after his Slidell home was demolished to a pile of rubble. He was a first responder here in Slidell and had lots of interesting things to share about those first few days when there was no contact with anyone in the city.

Bob also helps with an animal rescue group which is now serving as our Slidell animal control since the regular building was so badly damaged. He says they have about 500 animals over there right now, tons of kennels and truckloads of pet food (so please don't send any more pet food at the moment, but come get some if you need it!). Many of the animals belong to people who returned to the area but are unable to live in their homes because of the flood damage and are being cared for temporarily until they can make arrangements for permanent living. Day by day a few more animals go home with their owners which is good to see. It broke my heart to hear of a few of dogs that were rescued from roof tops in Slidell and have burnt feet from spending several days on hot tar shingle roofs. They got on the roofs during the flood and then were unable to get down after the water receded. Bob says that five local vets have been donating their services to help.

The makeshift animal shelter is at one of our city parks. Bob told us how some "helpful volunteers" keep catching a gaggle of geese every day and locking them up at the shelter. Bob has to keep letting them loose again because these geese actually just live at the park all the time. But he says with a chuckle that it "gives them something to do".

Before we knew it, it was dark outside and we had only the light from the garage to keep us going. Then the power started to blink and the lights faded in and out for a few seconds. Time to go home and dig out the flashlights just in case. Turn out the lights, the party's over!

Grave Tragedy

About a mile down the street from my youngest daughter's school is a small cemetery that was damaged badly by the storm. Several of the above-ground tombs were displaced by the tidal surge. In fact, three of the tombs are across the street from the cemetery in the ditch (see photo of one of them). Power lines and downed trees are all around them.

What's worse is that over in the cemetery is a coffin that is completely out of its tomb. I made some phone calls to report it. First I called the environmental control office, who told me to call the sheriff's office, who told me to call the coroner's office. So I called the coroner's office and talked to their answering service, and I was told that they are already aware of it. I guess having a coffin sitting out in the open for over three weeks is not a problem for them.

I found an article about the family who owns many of the plots, so I guess they are aware of it, but from the looks of it, they probably don't have the money to fix this.

I am hoping that by posting this photo of one of the tombs in the ditch, it will get someone's attention and light a fire under the right butt at the coroner's office (or wherever) to at least come pick up the coffin until it can be reinterred. The displaced tombs are one matter, especially with the power lines around them, because at least they are still sealed. But, the coffin out in the open after three weeks just seems so wrong.

I should give them the benefit of the doubt though since I don't know the condition of the coroner's office building or equipment, and they may not have any of their employees available either since the may be homeless or living somewhere else now. They are aware, so hopefully they have a plan. Hopefully they are doing everything they can. At least I tried.

Need Some Prayers

My poor little pug dog was behaving strangely yesterday. I finally realized that he could not see -- at all. His vision has always been a little impaired because he is mostly blind in one eye, but now he has suddenly lost the vision in his only good eye. He somehow scratched the eye surface and an infection quickly set in and clouded his whole eyeball. I took him immediately to the vet and he is on oral and topical antibiotics and a pain killer. He is very distressed and kept scratching at it with his paw. He has to wear the plastic collar to keep from injuring it further. This morning it looks even worse to me, and is developing into a corneal ulcer. The vet says it's possible to regain his vision, but it's a slim chance. Right now he has a good chance of needing the whole eyeball removed if we can't stop the infection. He's a good boy and needs some prayers.

Also needing prayers are the folks in Texas about to get hit by Hurricane Rita. I hope my friend Jimmie is getting out of there. People here in Slidell are already starting to panic about the storm. There is a run on gasoline again, and people were yelling at each other in the gas station this morning. Lots of folks ere also filling up gas cans too. We have decided that it is a bad idea to store or travel with full gas cans and if we have to evacuate again, we will bring our EMPTY cans with us. I am also REALLY hoping the blue roof guys get here to install our tarp before the rain comes. It is already getting a little bit windy outside. One way or another we're going to get some more rain soon. Many people here in Slidell are evacuating now anyway because their housing situation is so unstable, especially those camping out in tents and RV's, although many of those are building contractors I suspect.

Oh, our insurance adjustor called us yesterday and says he has to reschedule, and that he will call us next week. Apparently he had to go home for an emergency -- he lives in Houston and had to get his family out before Rita gets there. I wished him good luck. He needs some prayers too. I hope his home and family are safe so that he can get back here to help us folks in Slidell as soon as possible.

I went to the grocery store this morning. The kids thought pizza for dinner would be good. I literally bought the very last frozen pizza in the whole store. There is plenty of other food available, but it's just so strange to not be able to walk into a huge grocery store and buy what you want. Apparently they are in need of employees too from the "help wanted" sign on the door. Many of the businesses around here are looking for workers.

My friend Mike who was here to gut his house left today to head back to his family in Texas. They are in the Fort Worth area, and he needs some prayers for a safe journey. The highways in Texas are jammed right now.

Everything is an emergency around here all the time. It's really getting to be exhausting.

Not So Lovely Rita

I don't have much to say about the poor folks in Texas with the approaching storm, Rita, except this: "Get out!" If they call for your area to evacuate, then just do it. Don't evaluate it or try to "decide" if you can ride it out. It's not worth the risk. It's just not worth it.

Oh, and one more tiny bit of advice, take some empty gas cans with you if you have any! You may need them to get back home again. And don't forget your pet's vaccination records. You will have many more options if you have them with you. Oh, and take the milk in your fridge with you or just pour it out! It's only a $4 gallon of milk and it could save you HOURS of work later if you just get rid of it now. And if you are going to stay with family, then take as much out of your freezer as you can and just bring it with you and put it in your family's freezer. You'll need something to eat while you are there anyway.

Good luck Texans. :-(