Monday, June 16, 2008

Lighthouse Vote

The lighthouse on Lake Pontchartrain is under consideration for restoration, but it needs our help. I'm hoping you will take a sec, (and it only takes a sec) to help out. Our lighthouse on Lake Pontchartrain in New Orleans was destroyed by Katrina. Built in the 1890s, the lighthouse has been a lakefront landmark for years, guiding boats in and out of the Orleans Marina and the Municipal Yacht Harbor. Some of the original materials were salvaged and they're trying to rebuild it but of course it takes money the city doesn't have right now.

There is a company that restores lighthouses and has a contest going on right now to donate new windows and doors for a lighthouse in need of restoration, and the Canal lighthouse is on the list! PLEASE help out and vote for New Orleans!!
www.jeld-wen.com/lighthouse

Sunday, June 15, 2008


Radar indicated that 3 to 5 inches of rain fell this morning in an hour and a half over much of New Orleans. As much as 1 to 3 inches more is possible. About 3 to 6 inches of rain has fallen in Jefferson Parish, including Metairie, Harahan, Old Jefferson, Bridge City and Avondale.

A rain gauge at Audubon Park collected 4.42 inches from about 8 a.m. to 10 a.m., the weather service said.


I was afraid it wasn’t going to stop raining there for a while. We are on high ground here on Annunciation but for the first time in 9 years we had to move our cars and saw water covering our street. If it was bad here I know it was much worse in other parts of the city.

Of course, this is nothing compared to Iowa and Indiana. I was tooling around looking at photos of the flooding and noticed this side bar from the IndiStar.com (hat tip Celcus)

Experts advise that storm victims do the following to help maintain their mental health:
- Get plenty of sleep.
- Eat a healthy diet.
- Exercise.
- Talk to friends and family members.
- Avoid caffeine and alcohol.

It took me back to the first weeks after Katrina and the federal flood.
-Sleep? Who could sleep? We took sleeping pills and still could not sleep.
-I must have ate a healthy diet ‘cause I gained 10 pounds in a month and a half.
-Exercise… we walked every morning because we had no place to be.
-Avoid caffeine and alcohol. *snort* that one cracked me up the most. I remember when we moved out of our in-laws house into my brother-in-laws place my first words were “I want to get blotto” 5 minutes later I had a martini sitting in front of me and it wasn’t the last. You better believe caffeine and alcohol are in my "disaster kit."

Friday, June 13, 2008

Weekly Photo Challenge: Tawdry

It's too hot for me to go outside and look for something to shoot, though I'm sure it wouldn't take me long to find a suitable subject. These are from a holiday boat parade in south Florida, I think it was Pompano. These maybe more gaudy that tawdry but it's all I got handy in the archives.





The parade theme was "movies" and you can sort of see that in the first and last one. Got to love "Christmas somewhere over the rainbow"...

Saturday, June 07, 2008

Weekly Photo Challenge

This week was a free-for-all. So I picked two of my fav pics from today's walk.



Click on 'em to see them bigger.
Lafitte Corridor - Blazing (hot) Trail


G and walked the Lafitte Corridor today. It was a lovely though hot day and there was a good turn out. We almost missed it; we were pulling up to Armstrong Park, the meeting place, at 10:01 and the group had already taken off! We drove up to the front of the group and found a parking spot and joined in. A couple of other bloggers were there: Dangerblond, Tugboat Captain, Celcus and Michael Homan. And of course Editor B was leading the show. He runs a tight ship and has a quick stride. I almost got left behind a few times because I stopped to take pictures. I finally set up a Flickr account and you can see more photos there. link


We passed the abandoned Winn-Dixie that prompted a discussion about the lack of grocery stores in this area of town. Past the Lafitte housing complex – half still standing, half gone. Inside some of the units there were still people’s possessions inside. There was that terrible post-federal flood stench of moldy, rotting stuff. We passed the traffic light graveyard, warehouses, the shuttered Mercy hospital, Bayou St. John. Stopped at the new Massey’s on S. Carrollton for blessed AC and free lunch!



After lunch, we pushed on along the still existing rails passing Delgado, Holt Cemetery (in bad need of a mow) and ending up at Canal Blvd. We made quick time and had 30 minutes to kill before the arrival of the bus Massey’s got to take us back to our cars. Some of us wandered over to the Bulldog for a pint. The last time I was there was after Ashley’s funeral.

The walk was gritty and urban, and not very pretty. It would be fantastic for it to be redeveloped as a greenway with a path and be a link from the Quarter to Mid-City. The hope is for next year’s walk, part of it will be a trail. The Friends of Lafitte Corridor’s web site says they need to only raise $3,422 more. The state will match every dollar with $4! If you support this effort, go and donate to help make this happen. And if you live in City Council Districts A, B or C, let your representative know you support it.

Friday, June 06, 2008

New Roof

I finally have photos of our new roof.


G has also been busy building shutters for the windows. Note the new shutters on the front of the house. G doesn't have to keep as much plywood on hand and should save some time when a storm threatens.


The new part in the back with new window and shutters.

Wednesday, June 04, 2008

Do it!

Please go to YouTube and watch our latest Public Service Announcement!

If enough people watch the video, it will earn a place on the homepage of YouTube where it may be viewed by millions!

The video shows why we all need the 8/29 Investigation - a truly independent and complete analysis of the Katrina levee failures on August 29, 2005.

Click here!
http://youtube.com/watch?v=pqjIryjz1Ws

Best if done by NOON THURSDAY JUNE 5.

Help launch Levees.Org to the top of the YouTube charts!

Want to do more? You can also:
1. Register at YouTube and rate the video.
2. View and rate our other videos on YouTube.

Help spread the word. Help show why New Orleans and people nationwide deserve the 8/29 Investigation. We have shown that the levee study done by the government is flawed and controversial. We also know that the review done by the ASCE was shoddy and biased.

Thank you!
Sandy Rosenthal
Founder and Executive Director
www.levees.org

Monday, June 02, 2008

Obviously...


Kenner police seize 16 pounds of marijuana
by The Times-Picayune
Monday June 02, 2008, 3:56 PM

Kenner police arrested a suspected drug dealer and seized more than 16 pounds of marijuana this morning at a house in the Lincoln Manor neighborhood.

Palma L. Jefferson, 29, was arrested without incident during the 6:40 a.m. raid on his house at 3128 Jasper St., Lt. Wayne McInnis said.

Police said they confiscated almost 16-1/2 pounds of marijuana, 81 Ecstasy tablets, a loaded .40-caliber semiautomatic pistol and $27,000. The marijuana was found in one-pound bags and has a street value of nearly $10,000, McInnis said.

“This stuff obviously wasn’t for personal consumption,” he said.

Jefferson was booked with possession with intent to distribute marijuana, second-offense marijuana possession, simple possession and possession with intent to distribute Ecstasy, possession of a gun in the presence of illegal drugs and being a convicted felon in possession of a gun.