We find "fish camps" around the bays where people have the homes on stilts and come to on weekends for fishing. Many are still destroyed from Katrina but for lunch and to hide out in storms we have found a few to hold out at. Just using their porch and getting out of storm is great. Friday we were near where Freddy is staying at one of his friends places on Grand isle so we decided to head their for lunch and see if storms were going to hit. Wow air conditioning and a great place to hang out. Even got to see a bit of the US Open while storms came through. We thought that we may get in trouble from Melissa, who is the wildlife person and birder not golfer for going there to lunch. She was really exhausted and so she got a nap and we got some golf to watch.
No good deed goes unpunished. Late afternoon out on the gulf our boat broke down right about 5:00. We had to get someone out to tow us in about 6 miles. It seems there is a lot of bad gas, no pun intended. The marina supplies gas for free to wilflife agencies and boat captains. Several baots are having troubles. The boat that picked us up got hit by lightning that day. A little scary out there at times.
We ended up getting back around 7:00 pm after talking with the director about possible jobs. He is trying hard and seems positive.
I decided I would take the time as crews are full for now and come back to Fl for rest and to take care of some things. I have a wonderful clientin in Riverbend ,Betty Forsythe who had offered me her place while she is in Boston for the summer. What a blessing for me. I needed to break down the camper and leave it at the state park until I return., I packed up FRI night at 7:00 for 2 hours set up my tent with the bugs eating at me. Took a shower ate some nuts and breakfast bar for dinner and tried to sleep. I got up around 2:30 am and took down rthe tent and started driving for FL. After 14 hours and 890 miles I am back in paradise enjoying every minute. Got back and got a little sleep Sat night. after watching US Open Sat and Sun. After tennis with Larry and unloading car at Jay's I proceeded to get sick from dehydration and overdoing it. What a Surprise!!!! So after resting more today and y and sleeping more I hope to play some golf this week with Jay.
Also get rid of about 40% of the stuff I had borught on my camping trip. All warm clothing for mtns, GONE, Porta Pody, never used GONE, Ouside shower never used GONE, Several containers of supplies, kayak, golf clubs and tennis Racqet GONE. Car is cleaned out and will be so much easier when I get back to not deal with so much. Keep trying to simplify my life.
It is so wonderful to be home enjoying the ospreys, herons, cranes, none of which are oiled or feeding in oiled waters. Just sleeping in a condo with water and microwave and Tv to watch the US Open for a couple of days is such a great pleasure. I feel so appreciative of all my friends here and time to catch up and enjoy their company gives me the energy to head back next week and just keep DOING IT.
Hope you enjoy the pics from Bird Island with all the baby pelicans, guls, terns and herons and roseate spoonbills. The islands are now more protected and hope that some of this generation of hatchlings can survive the year. Any storm and more oil coming depending on weather and currents may cause more challenges. FL has had more time to prepare and hopefully be in a better situation then La. As it comes ot the panhandle it may end up coming through the gulf stream and on to the east coast with all of our nesting turtles and baby's. The baby's who are attracted to seaweed piles in the ocean, look just like the oil slicks in the water. So from underwater they think they have a place to feed and keep protected and instead are coming to the surface in the oil. What a nightmare it could be and just hope and pray for survival of all the critical species and eco-systems being affected.
The people living in the gulf are so challenged by Katrina and now their livelyhoods and still so tough and resilient. Yet is has hardened and angered and hurt so many. Some people seem to be living in a daze. Just existing and going through the motions. Not caring about or taking advatage of the situation. It is challenging for me to be surrounded by this culture. But it has helped me grow and step into their shoes and see how their lives have been so different then the blessing we all take for granted. Their is little spirituality here and makes it really hard for me to find like kinded people. But the hours and days are so long their is little time for me. I am one of the oldest in the group and the younger crowd can HANG a lot better than me. My tired worn out body after 11 hours on a boat is just too beat up exceptto get a nice cold shower cocktail and somthing to eat.
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