:: POSTCARDS. of a different sort ::
K A T R I N A' S .. . W R A T H
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Washington/LaFontaine ... Front Beach/Harbor Rd ... Shearwater/Gen. Pershing/Calhoun
Ocean Ave/Jackson ... 90 Bridge/Front Beach-West of Washington
Journal <1> <2> <3>... Art from Katrina
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Oakshade
Morning Journal - Sat. Nov. 5, 2005 - 6 a.m.
. ..... . . 
Sitting on the porch with a second cup of coffee...
it is perfectly still as far as the leaves
go. I woke at 5:20 this morning and heard the song of a bird.
In the distance a dog barked softly, and now a little black dog trotts past without any notice
of me...he headed east on La Fontaine. A squirrel walks on the
one dead branch which hangs straight down from the oak at the west
corner of the driveway. Signs of life seem few and far between when it comes to animal life. From this porch, I can now see the
water and part of the remaining Biloxi skyline in the near distance. Last year, that was not possible.
:: <<<< :: >>> ::
The brick house across the street had two feet of sewage in it.
Rolo,
the orange tabby, lived there when we were here last year. Now a large debris pile is out front which consists of household items
and toys no longer of any use. A refrigerator sits in front of
the garage and a big screen T.V. sits by the
road. The family
is not there. They rode out Katrina in the house with their children
and pets and when a window blew out the Rolo fled the scene. He
was later found and is fine. The family evacuated with childrin,
several dogs, Rolo and their white cat, Jakey, to another part
of O.S.
This white sweetheart-of-a-cat has two different colors of eyes, one of which is an incredible blue!
Jakey was very unhappy in the new place and meowed and cried,
so they brought him back to his own ground where he remains. Each
day they come to feed and water him. I can only imagine what he
must think and wonder. What must any of the animals that survived
think...
Jakey sticking his tongue out... what a little character. He was ready to eat.
:: <<<< :: >>> ::
Damage is so close...
yet the small apartment house right next to Oakshade seems to be fine. People are still living there. Just a few yards to the west of them, an old blue house sits broken in half from KatrinaÕs power. The owner was in the hospital when the hurricane hit, but her cat was still at home and survived. (We later saw it sitting close to it's former home on Sunday evening meowing with a weak little sound.)
Just west a few more yards from the blue house, a house is gone, and the one across from the blue house has been gutted by Katrina. Where La Fontaine meets Washington Ave., there is total obliteration. Debris is everywhere. Just last year when we were here in Nov., a large new home was in progress on the southern most part of Washington... it is gone. The circle drive and mailbox remain and the trees in that area are filled with debris, are thinned of leaves, thinned of branches, or are broken or just gone.
This morning the temperature is perfect. I could stay here forever. The ragged trees here at Oakshade look remarkably well and are in full form, just thinned of leaves, with only very few minor branches gone. Miraculous is how it feels here, being so close to the total destruction. It feels as if the trees, with their outstretched arms, protected this special place, which I called Magical when I was first here last year in November. Yet somehow, the multitude of large oaks encircling the home on Front Beach that I photographed last year and named ÒHidden Treasure,Ó werenÕt up to the task. They were no match for holding back a surge. Just south of where I sit this morning, a block perhaps, as the crow flies, that lovely home is gone. The circle of trees remains.
:: <<<< :: >>> ::
Last night we went down to Front Beach...
and parked where we did last year, across from the house I dubbed "Hidden Treasure." I got out to hear the water, but could only hear the strong breeze blowing off of the water. It was loud as it passed my ears, so I turned away to face the house place. I stood and starred at the circle of trees that remained, and looked up at the overhanging branches above me, and I starred and cried as I thought... where is that family now? What happened to their life that was lived in that house on that small piece of land with the massive circle of oaks? How can it be that the house is gone? And the trees remain? I was stunned by the stark reality of the passing of life and the passing of things. Nothing is permanent. The ebb and flow of the tide is the ebb and flow of life. Ever-changing. In and out. Here now, then gone.
We drove around Front Beach to Harbor Road which returns to La Fontaine. Back at Oakshade I broke down. It seemed to me that was the saddest experience I've lived in a very long time. The images were vivid and dense in my mind. The trees I stood under actually looked sad against the night sky with the multitude of clouds flying overhead. There was only one remaining street lamp and it was further down the road. It was dark all around, yet light enough to see, given the clouds were low, it was very desolate, dead, sad, and so hopeless feeling. No one was around. No lights on. The neighboring house on the west side was partially standing, but gutted and leaning. The neighboring apartments on the east side were gone. Hidden Treasure was a pile of rubble...a fairly small pile. The sound of the emptiness against the wind was deafening. That night all I heard and didn't hear, all I saw and didn't see, all I felt and couldn't begin to feel was burned into my mind, my heart, and my soul. I am in awe at the changes that have occurred in just one year to a place that spoke to my heart and soul and so inspired me.
<2> - morning walk at Hidden Treasure
<3> - last day in OS
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