Garnish Grows near Gargoyle Guards

Built in 1871, the magnificient St. Stephen's Catholic Church on Napoleon Avenue in New Orleans is adorned near the top with these gargoyle guards. Originally gargoyles on churches were for water runoff spouts. I don't think these serve that purpose.

Notice the green plan growing on the left of this 40-some-odd high creatures. On the right, and even on the top, if you look closely, you can see some new sprouts, trying to get hold. They are totally white, which to me, does not signify they have got a good lease on life yet.

--steve buser

Gargoyles, Church

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Aerial assaulters

I was getting read to delete this photo when I saw the sing. Manatee area? Mandeville? Times have surely changed. When I was a young man living in Mandeville, you could hardly get the courage up to swim in Lake Pontchartrain.
To me this shows what we can do when pay respect to our environment.

Now, what to do about those Manatee hunting gulls?
--steve buser

Gulls, Mandeville, Louisiana, Manatee

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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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