Complaints

I realize some who may read my blog on a regular basis may be starting to become a little wearied about all my posts on Hurricane Katrina. I too am becoming weary. Not from writing about it but from having to live here in Mississippi. It's been 6 1/2 months and still things are nowhere close to being normal.

There are still shortages at grocery stores. Blank shelves abound where your favorite items are supposed to be. No bookstores have as yet reopened. Mail delivery is still messed up. Though power has been restored, you still see numerous crews out rebuilding the power grid. Phone crews are also out in full force.

A massive amount of demolition and clean-up has been done. But there is still so much more to do. Most of my pictures lately have been of the beauty that can be gleaned here and there. But the reality is that it is few and far between.

What the pictures of the pelicans don't show you is the other side of Hwy 90. A tourist pulled up, from Wisconsin. She wanted to know all about the destruction she was seeing. To her, it was just a bunch of bricks and mortars piled all around. To me, it was the hotel where I would go to see the Comedy Zone shows, the marina that used to be so beautiful to take a midnight walk, the mausoleum where so many locals had their kin buried. In other words, it's home to me and though the pain is lessened, it is still there.

I've talked to people from Virginia and California. The one from Virginia has been down here since September with a two week break. He has talked to many people like me and had some understanding of the need to get away and also the feeling of dread in coming back. The one from California said it didn't look like much had been done. I just explained that it was a lot worse just a couple of months ago.

These are some more views of what it is still like down here. What I and the rest of the population in Biloxi, Gulfport and the other cities still see on a daily basis. It is wearying.





Broadwater Marina - Biloxi, The beauty is long gone. But it will return. This was where the President Casino was moored. Beautiful boats used to grace the marina.





Southern Memorial Park - Biloxi, yet another cemetery Katrina did not respect.








Sometimes I have the urge to pull up stakes and move elsewhere. But this is my home and I can't envision living anywhere else. Things are improving day by day but it is so slow. I'm not very patient. I want it done yesterday.