Showing posts with label Roadtrip. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Roadtrip. Show all posts
8.23.2016
Fantasies filled with Hot Wieners, Fire on Water, A bike going nowhere, A dog with scurvy, ubers that saved us from perceived walkable distances, new friends and friends I haven't seen in years yet seemed like yesterday... hours of laughter followed by far too many hours on 95. The sleep that followed was restless as usual and my own bed felt unfamiliar even after 2 days. I think I have a slightly skewed sense of Providence.
2.02.2016
Our little jaunt to Bainet.
The driver said, "hey, it will only take about 45 minutes. We'll have a nice fish on the beach, it will be great!" And everything about the day was. Even after the 45 minutes that turned into 2 hours along roads that made no sense. Even now that i'm pretty sure that fish is what is causing the "issues"... the town was wonderful. Bainet was hit just as hard as everywhere in Haiti, homes fell, churches collapsed, and in true Haitian spirit, they are rebuilding and will continue on. Everyone I've met has yet to make this drive so I feel honored to have seen Bainet. It's a small town, where I found folks not only welcoming of our cameras, but us, the foreigners. The beach was sparkling and the landscape along the way stunning. If you make it to Haiti - I recommend a day or 2 in Bainet. We only had a couple hours but if, and when I return, I will definitely spend more time there.
The driver said, "hey, it will only take about 45 minutes. We'll have a nice fish on the beach, it will be great!" And everything about the day was. Even after the 45 minutes that turned into 2 hours along roads that made no sense. Even now that i'm pretty sure that fish is what is causing the "issues"... the town was wonderful. Bainet was hit just as hard as everywhere in Haiti, homes fell, churches collapsed, and in true Haitian spirit, they are rebuilding and will continue on. Everyone I've met has yet to make this drive so I feel honored to have seen Bainet. It's a small town, where I found folks not only welcoming of our cameras, but us, the foreigners. The beach was sparkling and the landscape along the way stunning. If you make it to Haiti - I recommend a day or 2 in Bainet. We only had a couple hours but if, and when I return, I will definitely spend more time there.
8.28.2010
Katrina - stronger then the rest.
She certainly left her mark. Some wear it like a tattoo while most hoped the scars would have faded away by now. Memories are often harder then reality. Sadly, throughout the south She still shows her face too often. If it wasn't Katrina, it was the rest of the family Rita, Gustav and Ike... a horrible family to know. Watching the news and the videos all week I'm reminded of a storm on two fronts - one in New Orleans and one at home. My mother was just waking from the haze of the unknown, unable to comprehend what was happening to her let alone New Orleans. We explained it over and over every time she asked but it was just as hard for us to understand. 5 years later Mom has recovered just fine, the south... still struggling amidst a new battle.
She certainly left her mark. Some wear it like a tattoo while most hoped the scars would have faded away by now. Memories are often harder then reality. Sadly, throughout the south She still shows her face too often. If it wasn't Katrina, it was the rest of the family Rita, Gustav and Ike... a horrible family to know. Watching the news and the videos all week I'm reminded of a storm on two fronts - one in New Orleans and one at home. My mother was just waking from the haze of the unknown, unable to comprehend what was happening to her let alone New Orleans. We explained it over and over every time she asked but it was just as hard for us to understand. 5 years later Mom has recovered just fine, the south... still struggling amidst a new battle.
8.27.2010
circling back to Alluvial City.
I suppose I should be asleep, but I'm not. Searching through images, remembering events, looking for something to post. This one is from the bayous outside of New Orleans, Alluvial City. A gas station at a True Value no longer. One hurricane after another left the place deserted. The only residents were spiders. Big spiders. Me hopping back 5 feet - slowly sneaking back to take a pic - spiders. A quiet spot along the road where everything else is gone, Alluvial City.
I suppose I should be asleep, but I'm not. Searching through images, remembering events, looking for something to post. This one is from the bayous outside of New Orleans, Alluvial City. A gas station at a True Value no longer. One hurricane after another left the place deserted. The only residents were spiders. Big spiders. Me hopping back 5 feet - slowly sneaking back to take a pic - spiders. A quiet spot along the road where everything else is gone, Alluvial City.
8.18.2010
Trapped.
after being on the road for 3 weeks taking photos, I feel like a fly in a spider web. I try to edit and upload what I can, but it's become a slow process after working all day. Not complaining, just explaining. Eventually all of the images will be uploaded to flickr, a lot of them are there now but I do have 6 more days of shooting to trudge through... then what? I need to show these live, not web size. Suggestions?
after being on the road for 3 weeks taking photos, I feel like a fly in a spider web. I try to edit and upload what I can, but it's become a slow process after working all day. Not complaining, just explaining. Eventually all of the images will be uploaded to flickr, a lot of them are there now but I do have 6 more days of shooting to trudge through... then what? I need to show these live, not web size. Suggestions?
8.12.2010
To be continued...
Our first night in New Orleans was quiet, the whole of the south was quiet. I had really hoped for some excitement but was happy to just wander. After a few hours of hmmm, we happened upon the To Be Continued Brass Band and they made my night, if not my trip to New Orleans. Standing on a corner quietly, I noticed the tattoo on his forehead. Next thing I knew it was hours later and I had taken photo after photo with the only camera I had with me, the iphone. I'm pretty sure they thought I was crazy but they appreciated my enthusiasm. The colors may be distorted but the feeling is spot-on. You can view all of the pics on my flickr, and check them out on their site too. Such fun on the corner of Bourbon and Canal Street.
Our first night in New Orleans was quiet, the whole of the south was quiet. I had really hoped for some excitement but was happy to just wander. After a few hours of hmmm, we happened upon the To Be Continued Brass Band and they made my night, if not my trip to New Orleans. Standing on a corner quietly, I noticed the tattoo on his forehead. Next thing I knew it was hours later and I had taken photo after photo with the only camera I had with me, the iphone. I'm pretty sure they thought I was crazy but they appreciated my enthusiasm. The colors may be distorted but the feeling is spot-on. You can view all of the pics on my flickr, and check them out on their site too. Such fun on the corner of Bourbon and Canal Street.
8.11.2010
Signs, signs, everywhere signs....
My roadtrip down south was an adventure that I will decipher for months to come, filled with ideas and signage I could not pass up. Obviously BP was on my mind and the independent owners were out to make their point. I've had an issue with the protest of the BP gas stations since this began... the renters of the BP logo aren't the problem, they are just pawns in this game. I've said this before, so let me say it again: protest BP's oil by not buying water bottles. By riding a bike. Walk. Be conscious of what you buy and what you throw away. It's not just what goes in your car, it's our future. sigh...
Back to the signage... I wish I would have stopped for every sign along the road. I must have laughed about the beer sign in Savannah for days, and how often do you see "playboy" and "quality" in the same sentence? Thank you for the smiles.
My roadtrip down south was an adventure that I will decipher for months to come, filled with ideas and signage I could not pass up. Obviously BP was on my mind and the independent owners were out to make their point. I've had an issue with the protest of the BP gas stations since this began... the renters of the BP logo aren't the problem, they are just pawns in this game. I've said this before, so let me say it again: protest BP's oil by not buying water bottles. By riding a bike. Walk. Be conscious of what you buy and what you throw away. It's not just what goes in your car, it's our future. sigh...
Back to the signage... I wish I would have stopped for every sign along the road. I must have laughed about the beer sign in Savannah for days, and how often do you see "playboy" and "quality" in the same sentence? Thank you for the smiles.
8.09.2010
Family.
The last leg of my trip was surrounded by family and lots of kids with every emotion played out for the camera. Even with tears streaming, after every pic comes "let me see". They will never know what it means to wait for film to be processed, to look at summer photos in the fall when you finally drop off the film. The pleasant surprise of a lost memory. Snap. Look. Snap. Look. Download. Edit. Post. I'm just as addicted to the now.
The last leg of my trip was surrounded by family and lots of kids with every emotion played out for the camera. Even with tears streaming, after every pic comes "let me see". They will never know what it means to wait for film to be processed, to look at summer photos in the fall when you finally drop off the film. The pleasant surprise of a lost memory. Snap. Look. Snap. Look. Download. Edit. Post. I'm just as addicted to the now.
8.05.2010
8.03.2010
Andrew.
Walking the streets of New Orleans on my last day, gathering gifts and seeing what I could before we made our way back east, I found Andrew - a drum and a corner outside the smoke shop. Originally from Ghana, he has been in New Orleans for some time. We talked about going back to Africa, the street musician community in New Orleans and of course, the heat. A wonderful spirit, if you see him, stop and say hello.
Walking the streets of New Orleans on my last day, gathering gifts and seeing what I could before we made our way back east, I found Andrew - a drum and a corner outside the smoke shop. Originally from Ghana, he has been in New Orleans for some time. We talked about going back to Africa, the street musician community in New Orleans and of course, the heat. A wonderful spirit, if you see him, stop and say hello.
7.30.2010
Alluvial City
Take a look at Alluvial City on Google maps. There isn't anything there but blank spots where homes stood. They were hit by Katrina, Gustav, Ike and Rita. Recovery is a bitch and now they are dealing with the oil spill. We drove to the end of Hopedale Road looking for oil but all we found was BP and the National Guard. Couldn't get anywhere near the water and since I wasn't looking for a $15k fine, I turned around before they could ask me what I wanted. On the way out we talked with the Charter Boat "Dude", they are still going out but maybe 5 boats a day instead of 15, and yes, he has an attorney. They all do. I hoped to get a ride out but they were on BP's clock so that couldn't happen. They told me the oil is out there, 2-12 miles off shore, lot's of it, around the barrier islands and floating nearby. The small boats mostly transport folks from shore out to the cleaning barges and back again. As we made our way out of town I spotted the folk up above actually working on something other then oil so I had to stop and talk. They are allowed to crab in a small designated area but that is it, yesterday's catch included a tar ball, a souvenir for now. The stories are often the same and the big question is always about the dispersant - not the oil. What is it doing to the food chain? How many years until we see the affects? Our ocean filters the Oysters... how do they filter dispersant?
Take a look at Alluvial City on Google maps. There isn't anything there but blank spots where homes stood. They were hit by Katrina, Gustav, Ike and Rita. Recovery is a bitch and now they are dealing with the oil spill. We drove to the end of Hopedale Road looking for oil but all we found was BP and the National Guard. Couldn't get anywhere near the water and since I wasn't looking for a $15k fine, I turned around before they could ask me what I wanted. On the way out we talked with the Charter Boat "Dude", they are still going out but maybe 5 boats a day instead of 15, and yes, he has an attorney. They all do. I hoped to get a ride out but they were on BP's clock so that couldn't happen. They told me the oil is out there, 2-12 miles off shore, lot's of it, around the barrier islands and floating nearby. The small boats mostly transport folks from shore out to the cleaning barges and back again. As we made our way out of town I spotted the folk up above actually working on something other then oil so I had to stop and talk. They are allowed to crab in a small designated area but that is it, yesterday's catch included a tar ball, a souvenir for now. The stories are often the same and the big question is always about the dispersant - not the oil. What is it doing to the food chain? How many years until we see the affects? Our ocean filters the Oysters... how do they filter dispersant?
7.29.2010
Dulac.
Katrina, Rita, Ike, Tony, etc. - after reading about the Michigan oil spill, I hope we don't start naming spills. This one would politely be called Tony, but there are much stronger words used. Dulac is a small shrimping community near Houma where a large percentage of the boats work for BP now. They aren't allowed to do anything but man the boat since they haven't taken the class to move the oil soaked booms correctly. BP trained workers come in the morning and do the work, Curtis just drives the boat. He said BP has been very good about paying him but it's not enough, that the rules change daily and no one is ever sure what the day will bring. The shrimp in the lake are big and he wants to get out there, but the waters and the marine life need to be tested again and again before they will let that happen. Many of the fishermen go out and just pay the fines, anywhere from $2k to $4k. Seeing BP only pays about $2k for a day of sitting, it's a toss-up.
Katrina didn't hit Dulac but the follow-up Rita destroyed it. Many of the homes sit waiting for demo. Eventually a crew comes and takes the Cypress beams for reuse, then the demolition crews tear down the rest. A very slow process, that again, after 5 years, seems ridiculous. The feds have decided the best answer is to lift all of the homes so they won't flood again, all along the road you see strange sights of trailer homes 15 feet in the air with elevators on the outside, too many stairs for most and look like if everyone moved to one side they'd tip... the feds did the work, I'm sure it will hold just fine.
The blessing of the grill.
Curtis
Joseph
Rita
Rita
Katrina, Rita, Ike, Tony, etc. - after reading about the Michigan oil spill, I hope we don't start naming spills. This one would politely be called Tony, but there are much stronger words used. Dulac is a small shrimping community near Houma where a large percentage of the boats work for BP now. They aren't allowed to do anything but man the boat since they haven't taken the class to move the oil soaked booms correctly. BP trained workers come in the morning and do the work, Curtis just drives the boat. He said BP has been very good about paying him but it's not enough, that the rules change daily and no one is ever sure what the day will bring. The shrimp in the lake are big and he wants to get out there, but the waters and the marine life need to be tested again and again before they will let that happen. Many of the fishermen go out and just pay the fines, anywhere from $2k to $4k. Seeing BP only pays about $2k for a day of sitting, it's a toss-up.
Katrina didn't hit Dulac but the follow-up Rita destroyed it. Many of the homes sit waiting for demo. Eventually a crew comes and takes the Cypress beams for reuse, then the demolition crews tear down the rest. A very slow process, that again, after 5 years, seems ridiculous. The feds have decided the best answer is to lift all of the homes so they won't flood again, all along the road you see strange sights of trailer homes 15 feet in the air with elevators on the outside, too many stairs for most and look like if everyone moved to one side they'd tip... the feds did the work, I'm sure it will hold just fine.
The blessing of the grill.
7.28.2010
Katrina.
Waveland, nothing left but a porch.
It's hard to be in the South and not talk about Katrina. She tore up the place. She moved buildings across roads and left nothing but the trees on the lot. A real mess that five years later still cannot be covered up... I knew there would be scars but I was still surprised by the loss.
It's hard to be in the South and not talk about Katrina. She tore up the place. She moved buildings across roads and left nothing but the trees on the lot. A real mess that five years later still cannot be covered up... I knew there would be scars but I was still surprised by the loss.
Waveland
Gulfport
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