Hurricane Rita

	We were finally allowed passage on Monday, September 26, 2005 to check on our home--two days after the storm struck. As we traveled down the road, sights like this disheartened us. See the watermark about two feet higher than current water level?
	As we got closer to our home, we realized many of our neighbors had not yet returned and had no idea they had water up to their windows just two days before.
	About half a mile from our home, we saw our friends' goats on the highway. They swam there to get away from the water . . . .which means they swam over a fence to get there. That's how deep the water got in their pasture. There was a Great Pyrenees guarding them as they walked along the road or grazed on the shoulder of the road. On a sad note, someone in a vehicle hit the dog, killing it, before the owners could return.
	Just about a half mile below our house is a small store with gas pumps along the bayouside. Someone used their trucks to corral these horse which had swum to higher ground. They seemed very confused by their new surroundings.
	This is a better view of the makeshift corral.
	By the time we reached our house, the camera batteries were dead, so this photo was taken the second day I went down. We were very fortunate in that the water only came up between 4and 6 inches in our house. Of course, all the carpet and flooring was ruined, along with some furniture. But all in all, we were relieved that it wasn't worse.
	Canoes and pirogues tied to mail boxes was a common sight.
	The second day, I went down alone. The third day, my friend Diane came to help me with the kitchen. The fourth day, my sister Heather, drove down from the northwest corner of the state to help me for a few days. We were quite fashionable in our hip waders! My sister, Carol, drove down from Luling with extra box fans to help dry out the floors. I was glad to have all their help. (photo: Heather)
	If you look closely, you will see a generator outside the door on the right-hand side with a yellow extension cord running to the other trailer. This was how I powered the fans which were drying out the floors for days afterward. Generators were also a common site until power was restored.
	This was the beginning of our trash pile. Ours was small compared to many who lost all their worldly goods from floor level up to four feet off the floor. Like I said, we were fortunate. I did lose my washer and dryer, but my refrigerator survived somehow.
	It might be hard to tell what this is, but it was my bee yard before the storm. This shows how the water washed away the wooden hive boxes and destroyed them all. Our neighbors found bee boxes as far away as 100 yards. The whitish color is the salt left behind by the saltwater tidal surge.
	This a group of people from all over the country who volunteered their time through the Salvation Army. They brought us hot meals, cold water, smiles, and encouragement every day around noon. The Salvation Army truck was a welcome sight at a time when the heat was sweltering, the humidity overwhelming, and our thirst ever present.
	From the Salvation Army group above is our new friend Steve from Connecticut. He wanted a copy of the book to take back home with him. On behalf of all the people on the bayou, I would like to thank Steve and all his co-volunteers who met our needs for weeks as we battled the heat and the stench to work in our homes. We really appreciate all of you taking time off from your jobs (some without pay) to come down here and serve us.

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