Sisters Memories--and the French Quarter

Sister Mary and I returned to New Orleans from the Islands then picked up Sister Jo at the airport. The relatives were gathering for a family reunion the last week in May so Mary, Jo and I were going to enjoy a mini reunion of sisters beforehand.

The very first request from Jo, "Can we go walk on the levee?"  That was not such an easy request for Jo as her Parkinson's was doing nasty things to her legs but that didn't stop her--she went right to the top and got a long look at the muddy Mississippi.

It is universal that our childhoods will pull us back.  There is an undeniable urge to return to 'where it all began'.  Nostalgia is powerful--sometimes good and sometimes not.  The above is the house where the three of us and mother lived for approximately 18 years.  

The grade school is still in operation but the junior high school burned to the ground last year.  I didn't try to find the high school--somehow it held too many negative memories for me.

The next stop was the French Quarter.  Jo had not been here in 50 years so she had a fun time remembering her teen years ...

when the Quarter was our introduction to the 'wild life'.  

Not one of the three of us was so 'wild' as to shock anyone with our behavior but we each had vivid memories of some fun times and some really uninhibited people.

These two could have stepped right out of memory banks.  Please note what is on his backpack.

Yep.

NEW ORLEANS

First sighted as Indian Portage to Lake Pontchartrain and Gulf in 1699 by Bienville and Iberville.  Founted by Bienville in 1718; named by him in honor of the Duke of Orleans Regent of France.  Called the Crescent City because of location in bend of the Mississippi.

Like any city, anywhere, New Orleans has it's good features and its not so good.

The very best thing about the Quarter is its respect for its history.

(Beignets and Cafe au Lait)

Second best would be the food.

And third would be its art and music culture.

Agreed, it is dirty and smelly, mosquitoes thrive, humidity is sometimes unbearable.  But the good parts outweigh the bad--at least for the length of a vacation.

(Crossing Lake Pontchartrain on the causeway, the longest bridge in the world--23.83 miles.)

Next on our itinerary was to head east toward the Gulf Coast.  We were going to spend the week camping and exploring the beaches of Mississippi, Alabama and Florida and get back in time for the reunion.

The Good, The Bad, a new Beginning...The Virgin Islands

April 26 to May 7

It has now been one year since Irma, the Category 5 hurricane ravaged the U.S. Virgin Islands.  The wounds are still evident though the islanders are doing their best to heal the scars.

Mary, Tom and I managed to enjoy what is best about this island and found....

most of the important things cannot be blown away by a hurricane.

Tom's apartment was headquarters for many weeks for some of the islanders that suffered damage to their homes.  The balcony became the center for nightly barbecues to cook up all the food that no longer had refrigeration.

This little gal is Tom's next door neighbor and a real darling.

Sitting here it is hard to believe the turmoil of the past year.

Honeymoon Beach was our go-to place for sunbathing and swimming....

...and it was perfect.

Tom is working several days a week ferrying tourists from downtown Cruz Bay to Honeymoon Beach. The beaches throughout the national park are still beautiful, however the trails to and from the highway need clearing and there were no park rangers on the Island to do the work.  Volunteers are showing up and trying to help but it is an overwhelming task.

First of all, were do you put the debris once the landfill is filled?  There are few answers to a job that requires major government intervention.  

People are waiting for the insurance companies to come through but a year later finds them still waiting.

Tom had damage to the Sadie Sea and, even though the insurance company has approved the repairs, he is still waiting.  In the meantime he uses Sadie Sea to run supplies back and forth from Island to Island.

 

Kenny Chesney, the country western singer has been St John's major benefactor. He has done much to get the island back on its feet and everyone I spoke to praised his efforts. 

As we drove around the island we learned that every local boat had been destroyed by being rammed up onto the shore or sunk.  

In total, all 401 boats were destroyed!  All except the Sadie Sea.  Tom's boat had dents and scratches from other boats careening into her and all the windows were blown out but she survived the storm.  I credit Tom's 20 years in the Coast Guard with acquiring the knowledge that it took to survive the storm.

And how strong was that storm?  Some of the gauges on the island registered 240 mph!  How strong is that?  Hang your head out the car window at 60 mph then multiply that force by four.

This flagpole couldn't take it.

I learned that in the midst of the storm Tom ran out into the street in an effort to stop the church steeple (shown above) from blowing down the street.  When I asked him what he was thinking he just shook his head and said "I don't know.  I just wanted to stop it from blowing away."  The blue tarps on the church roof show they are still waiting for the insurance company as well.

But the island is coming back.  The spirit is alive and well and Sadie Sea is waiting at anchor for the tourists to return.  (She is the red one in the middle of the boats in the photo above.)

Mary was starting to worry about the lava in Hawaii and was on the phone several times a day checking with Jim.  

On the plane back to the mainland I sat next to a young woman who was heading home to check on her husband and daughters.  It had been her third trip to St John since the hurricane.  She was a volunteer who was helping to rebuild homes, clear trails, paint school rooms, etc.  She said this trip was not her last.

Anyone wanting to assist the island in any way get in touch with.... 

www.lovecitystrongvi.org

LOVE CITY STRONG

5000 Estate Enighed,  Ste 102

St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands

00830

April, 2018--My Summer begins

January to April, 2018

After a few months of doctor's and veterinarian's appointments, Daisy and I took off for an easy trip back to Ft Worth to visit Aunt Louise.  She was doing better and surprising Suzanne and the Hospice nurses with her daily vital sign readings.  I told her my heart rate and blood pressure should be so good.  I was sure Aunt Louise would recover from this latest round and be back to her old self again soon.  

(Me and Aunt Louise two years ago)

 So I stayed for a few weeks, kissed her goodbye and promised to return at the end of my summer tour.  I never expected that would be the last time I would see her.

(Joby at 92)

My next stop was to Shreveport to see my 94 year old cousin, Joby.  She is  still working, full of great energy, keeps a lovely garden,  and has a superb outlook on life. 

(Kim, two years ago)

 I was expecting to see cousin Kim as well.  Kim usually drove from Houston several times per month to check on Joby and we were expecting her when we got the call that Kim had been admitted to the hospital with severe stomach pains.  It was worrisome but neither Joby nor I expected what would develop.  A few days later, I said goodbye to Joby and headed toward New Orleans.

In less than a week I called to see how Kim was doing when Joby gave me the unbelievably sad news that Kim had died of stomach cancer--a condition she never knew she had until it was too late. 

It was with a heavy heart that my summer started.   I had first met Kim in 2014 while searching for the Lambert family,  and we had bonded immediately.  She was enthused about my nomadic life and promised to go with me on a trip to Alaska when she retired.  She was only a year away from retiring from her law practice when the cancer struck.  If I get to Alaska I will take her memory with me.

Sister Mary flew into New Orleans to join me for a trip to the Virgin Islands.  It had been almost 3 years since my last visit.

 

(Mary and Me)

And it had been a year since the devastating attack of two category five hurricanes that swept through the islands.  I wanted to see how my son Tom was faring and what recovery had been made on the island of St. John.

(Kim, Mary, Me and Tom)

Tom and his first mate from the Sadie Sea picked us up at the airport.  Tom warned us that a lot had changed since my wonderful trip there in 2015.

The beaches were beautiful,

tourists were slowly coming back, 

sailboats were arriving to drop anchor and stay awhile, but things were different.

We played tourist with the best of them.

These guys survived the storms,

and so did the chickens that appear everywhere looking for a handout.

Mary and I were looking for 10 stress free days just lolling in the sun,  Then Mary got word from her husband Jim, that the volcano was starting to come alive and was spewing hot molten lava just a few miles from their home outside of Hilo.  Before it had barely started, this summer was becoming one for the memory books.