Five years since Katrina

It was 5 years ago yesterday, that we went back to see the neighborhood where we used to live in Slidell, Louisiana.
Five years after Hurricane Katrina, that stench still lingers in my mind

Hurricane Katrina, Slidell, Louisiana

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Swinging carefree in the heart of St. Tammany

This is our granddaughter, Sophie, enjoying a swing at the trailhead park of the Tammany Trace hike and bike path from Slidell to Covington, LA.   THe trail is old rail line right of way that was abandoned back in the 1980's.   I was trying to capture that carefree feeling of swinging.  I think I got it, even if the focus wouldn't cooperate.
--steve buser

Kids, fun

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Hurricane Katrina's collection

This is what awaited us four years ago when we returned to the old neighborhood where we lived back in the early 80's. Of, course we didn't have to wait to get to this neighborhood to see this. Hurricane Katrina had left destruction in every single street in the region. This neighborhood in Slidell had about 8 feet of water.

What you don't see in this picture is something that was happening in neighborhoods all over -- the residents were hauling everything out of their house, including sheet-rock and cabinets. When they needed a break, they would stand around with neighbors and commiserate that they had not "home" to go back into.

--steve buser

Hurricane Katrina, Slidell, Louisiana

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Katrinaversary

Remembering Katrina -- four years ago. This was taken about three weeks after the storm in Slidell, Louisiana. The top of the house in the background did not start out there before the storm. It is from at least a half mile away.

The scene is a canal (under the rubble) about a mile and half from Lake Pontchartrain. If you are interested here's the location (Google Maps).

It's interesting, this is the first time I have posted this photo. It makes me think. There must be millions (maybe billions) of pictures out there that the world has never seen.
--steve buser

Hurricane Katrina, Slidell, Louisiana

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Its looming, I'm zooming... home

I caught this image some time ago in the New Orleans suburb of Slidell. When you see something like this closing in on you, it's time to put off the grocery shopping and head home.

--steve buser

Nectar sucker

This photo of a Painted Lady butterfly is dedicated to Abraham Lincoln at Brookville Daily Photo for his amazing butterfly, birds, and lots of other animals and insect photos. The photo is from my brother-in-law, Tommy Melton's "meadow" in Slidell, the eastern suburb of New Orleans.

This fellow was quite elusive, until he landed on this flower which must have been filled with nectar. You can see his proboscis -- sucking tube for nectar -- pointing out and down from his head into the flower. His two antennae which help him smell for nectar and other things in the environment are clearly visible pointing up from his head.

You can see two of his legs and probably assume he has two more on the other side. He does, but like all insects the butterfly has 6 legs. Two of these are usually very hairy and held up close to his body. You can see one of those hairy leg hanging down on the other side by his head. Butterflies use all of their legs for smelling what they are alighting on.