A Drowsy Afternoon in Louisana

It's a balmy 90 degree day here. I'm located in Laplace, Louisana not 200 yards from the Mississippi River. In fact, a little while ago, I saw a tanker pass by headed upriver. I had to look up to see it. The water must be a little higher on the other side of the levee. I'm slowly getting acclimated to his life down here. It seems precarious at best. Most of the news everyday on the television is about recovery from Katrina, or preparations for the next level 4 hurricane to hit Louisana.

Most everyone around here has a hurricane story. Even out here, 20 miles west of New Orleans, the hurricane was strong enough that time is now divided before Katrina or after. I suspect that this is much like New Yorkers think of time as either before or after 9/11.

Summer is gathering strength now. Yesterday was the first day of the year that a sea breeze sprung up and delivered us an afternoon thunderstorm. It is truly hard to believe that back home in Michigan, the lilacs have yet to bloom. Michigan seems like a dream when I am down here. Louisana seems like a dream when I am in Michigan. Perhaps both are only real at the same time at 30,000 feet above Missouri when I am in transit.