New Orleans Daily Photo is 1 year old

Before I explain the picture, let me do a little rejoicing. Today is the anniversary of New Orleans Daily Photo. On April 21st of 2007, I started the adventure. Please don't go back and look at those first few days, because I had no clue how to do all of this. It was about a week later that I started letting people know about it -- had to get rid of the rookie jitters first.

Now, the picture. We went up to Norco yesterday to check out the Bonnet Carre' spillway. Because of high waters flowing down the Mississippi River from heavy rains and Spring melting, the water is about as high as anyone cares to see it. The Bonnet Carre' allows water to bypass New Orleans on its way to the Gulf. It lets the water flow into Lake Pontchartrain.

The purpose is not so much to keep the water level low as it is to keep velocity of the flowing water to a manageable level that doesn't erode and weaken the levees.

While were up on the levee, we notice a tanker ship out in the middle of the river with three tugs apparently trying to push the ship toward the opposite side of the river --the west bank . The tugs were huffing and puffing -- you could tell by the smoke billowing from them and from the fact that they were tilted to one side straining.

When we left about a half hour later, there were only two tugs -- one at the bow and one behind the ship -- they appeared to be just holding the ship stationary. I suppose they were waiting for reinforcements because the ship was closer to our side -- the East bank -- than when we first started watching.

Oh, the picture. The levee by the spillway gates was crowded with people there to observe and be part of the event. There were quite a number of fishermen and three or four people with casting nets like these guys. Apparently water isn't the only thing spilling over the gates -- logs, dead cows and a lot of fish that got swept away from their tranquil creeks are just some of them.

Okay, now I have just 364 more posts until my second anniversary.


--steve buser