Cranes in the sky

Everyone seems to want to know "when will we see cranes in the sky?" But since the vast majority of project in New Orleans are repairs or renovations to existing buildings -- "building for the inside out, not the outside in" I like to say -- cranes are not the construction tool of choice in most cases.

But there are plenty of projects with cranes, like this project on the London Avenue Canal that I drove up upon one day.

Lagniappe -- I didn't find any construction photos on the City Daily Photo blogs today, but I have to say there are more amazing shots out there today than I have ever found amassed in one day. Let me point you to a few of them. (or take the tour yourself -- here)

Ruby-throated Hummingbird -- Brookville, Ohio
Bottles -- Chateaubriant, France
Italy -- Quick Snap 365 (London)

-- steve buser

Weather ball signals winds of recovery

Work has begun on converting the old Falstaff Brewery into 149 apartments -- bringing an eye sore into a key landmark at a high visibility intersection for the New Orleans recovery effort.

The statue above (King Gambrinus, a 12th century Flemish nobleman who legend has it brewed the first beer) sits atop the 204,000-square-foot former brewery. More famous is the 125-foot sign below with 10 foot high letters that would light up. The ball at the top would change colors to predict the weather.

The ball turned green to signal fair weather, red to tell of cloudy skies and a flashing red light was warning of rain. If the letters of the Falstaff name were lit from the bottom up, the temperature was rising. When they were lit from top to bottom, the temperature was falling. Flashing lights on the letters meant a constant temperature.

Close up:
The brewery operated from 1936 to 1978.

Here's a great collection of old photos of the closed-down brewery.

Maybe just one more legend. Hank Williams chauver, Charles Carr, reported the country crooner was drinking Falstaff on the night of his death.

You remember, of course, Jerry Jeff Walker's line in "Up Against the Wall, Redneck Mother" -- 'He sure did like his Falstaff beer. He liked to chase it down with Wild Turkey liquor.'

--steve buser

The eyes of New Orleans are upon them

The New Orleans Saints return again to the Superdome tonight for their home opener against the Tennessee Titans. It was exactly 1 year ago that the Saints returned to the Superdome after playing their 2005 season home-based in San Antonio. That was while contractors did break-neck-paced repairs (below) to get the Superdome back into playable shape from damages sustained in Katrina.
The return to the Dome was such a momentuous occasion it was commemorated by a special display in the NFL Hall of Fame and captured the 2nd largest CNN audience ever as the Saints chalked a victory against the Atlanta Falcons.

The $125 million in repairs beat an initial time-to-complete estimate of 16 months by 3 months.

So with the Saints faltering in their first two games this season, the Saints fans will be pouring more team spirit on the field than ever. The game will be the Monday Night Football game this week.

--steve buser

Mighty neighborly

I was in this neighborhood of New Orleans on Versailles Street the other day. It reminded me and I hope it reminds you that New Orleans has not standing water, and many neighborhoods are as livable, some more so, that before the hurricane. This area probably had about 3 feet of water or a little less (that's how I read the maps -- though it's hard to read them precisely.)

This was one of the nicer neighborhoods before the storm and this three or four block area on the Lake side of Claiborne (you don't say "north of" or "south of " or words to that effect in New Orleans. It's always "toward the lake" or "toward the river." Because the river and lake bend, those are always north or south directions.

Anyway, the neighborhood was meticulously groomed with beautiful landscaping. There were a few gardeners here or there, but not much sign of ongoing construction. Ward Beaver would have felt comfortable here.

--steve buser

Missing pieces

This was my alternative picture for September's Theme Day -- Street Lamps or Street Signs. If you missed the theme day, it was September 1 -- just page down a couple days and see what I posted and what other City Daily Photo bloggers put up for the theme.

This just seemed to capture the spirit of New Orleans from me -- struggling not just to rebuild all the damaged housing and businesses, but struggle to get the amenities back that we take for granted -- street lights, street signs, parks, walkways etc.

But, celebrating life and not giving up traditions as we do it.

--steve buser

Street sign of the times

Today is September Theme Day on City Daily Photo blogs. The theme for the month is "Street Signs and Street Lights." I thought this sign on Claiborne Avenue seemed to be appropriate -- it speaks to where New Orleans' spirit is.

Broadmoor is one of the neighborhoods hard hit by Hurricane Katrina. The residents there have banded together to provide a civic leaership to get past the hundreds if not thousands of issues it takes to bring a neighborhood back from rampant destruction.

It is a key signature of this recovery == neighborhood organization have assumed key leadership roles. They have become information clearing houses for people still scattered around the country and have put together work teams to lobby and conjole for actions from dozens of city, state and federal agencies. They have stood watch over hurricane protection projects to make sure their area is given its fair due.

These are far more powerful and far reaching groups that the neighorhood organizations of regular times.

The sign, then, seems to assess the mood. Though tattered, it still carries it's message of hope and determination. Similarly, the neighborhood organizations still work tireless, if some what battered by having to fight a now two-year-old battle for help that was promised when the storm was still blowing.

--steve buser

Check out the other City Daily Photo blogs participating in September Theme Day:Seattle (WA), USA - Ocean Township (NJ), USA - Cottage Grove (MN), USA - Cleveland (OH), USA - Menton, France - Monte Carlo, Monaco - Singapore, Singapore - Boston (MA), USA - Mexico (DF), Mexico - Kajang (Selangor), Malaysia - Mainz, Germany - Evry, France - Port Angeles (WA), USA - Sequim (WA), USA - Maple Ridge (BC), Canada - Nottingham, UK - Toulouse, France - Wassenaar (ZH), Netherlands - Manila, Philippines - Mumbai, India - Montpellier, France - Bellefonte (PA), USA - Stayton (OR), USA - Moscow, Russia - Paris, France - Saint Paul (MN), USA - Austin (TX), USA - Lyon, France - Stockholm, Sweden - Hyde, UK - Hong Kong, China - Joplin (MO), USA - Seoul, South Korea - Chandler (AZ), USA - St. Louis (MO), USA - Arlington (VA), USA - Anderson (SC), USA - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - Villigen, Switzerland - Sydney, Australia - Ampang (Selangor), Malaysia - Montego Bay, Jamaica - Norwich (Norfolk), UK - San Diego (CA), USA - Bandung (West Java), Indonesia - Albuquerque (NM), USA - Melbourne, Australia - Nelson, New Zealand - Quincy (MA), USA - Kyoto, Japan - Tokyo, Japan - Bend (OR), USA - Wellington, New Zealand - New Orleans (LA), USA - Cypress (TX), USA - Nashville (TN), USA - Bucaramanga (Santander), Colombia - Detroit (MI), USA - Saigon, Vietnam - Selma (AL), USA - Phoenix (AZ), USA - Miami (FL), USA - Arradon, France - Sheki, Azerbaijan - New York City (NY), USA - Inverness (IL), usa - North Bay (ON), Canada - Melbourne, Australia - Port Vila, Vanuatu - Tenerife, Spain - Auckland, New Zealand - Forks (WA), USA - Rotterdam, Netherlands - Chateaubriant, France - Madison (WI), USA - Wailea (HI), USA - Orlando (FL), USA - Saint-Petersburg, Russian Federation - Ajaccio, France - Baltimore (MD), USA - Crepy-en-Valois, France - Rabaul, Papua New Guinea - Budapest, Hungary - Lyon, France - Saarbrücken, Germany - Adelaide (SA), Australia - Le Guilvinec, France - River Falls (WI), USA - Stavanger, Norway - Naples (FL), USA - London, UK - La Antigua, Guatemala - Philadelphia (PA), USA - Montréal (QC), Canada - Paris, France - San Diego (CA), USA - Trujillo, Peru - Haninge, Sweden - Prague, Czech Republic - Oslo, Norway - Grenoble, France - Shanghai, China - Toronto (ON), Canada - Durban, South Africa - Zurich, Switzerland - Cape Town, South Africa - Singapore, Singapore

Don't look up!

Don't look up. You just might get a sense of vertigo with all the construction going on around here. I've been watching this particular building construction for several weeks now. They are renovating an old building downtown and adding several floors.

This "spanner" is maybe 7 stories up, and he steps across the gap as if he was on the sidewalk. I get that crunchy feeling in my stomach just watching. But if you look down just below him, you can see his safety harness.

--steve buser

Watch the house reappear

When you're renovating your house, you sometimes find more problems than you wished.

You may wish your house would disappear. The magicians come in. Drape your house. Poof. It's gone.

Or at least your problem disappears. This is a treatment sometimes used for termite treatment. Cover the house and use gasses to rid the pesky critters.

That was yesterday morning. Below is yesterday evening. Prestidigitation. Suddenly magically before your eyes, the house reappears. Say the magic word.

--steve buser

Building Back

I caught this picture on day driving over in the Pass Christian, Mississippi, area along the beach. Notice that the tree is struggling to build its leaves and branches back. The houses are nearing completion -- everything along here was wiped out in Hurricane Katrina about 18 months before this picture was taken. The fog rolling in off the gulf and the passing truck add to the somber scene.
-- steve buser