Farewell to Florida

We'll push off through Alabama and Mississippi today, hopefully spending tonight in Louisiana. I've decided to go ahead and drive through New Orleans. I've always wanted to see the French Quarter, which is rumored to be largely intact, and I must confess curiosity about the devastation elsewhere. I've heard that you don't really get it about how seriously Katrina demolished the city until you see it close-up.

Hurricanes touch every life in these parts. Moxie & I spent last evening catching up by candlelight with J & J on the porch of their house on the water just west of Pensacola. They're still rebuilding from Ivan, who caused the water to rise man-high in their house in 2004. I plan to take I-10 across Mississippi today. Tracing it along the map my finger skims Gulfport and Waveland -- names I remember from Katrina news coverage. I wonder how far they've recovered.

This small green friend hung inside the electrical box when I went to make my tea this morning. We enjoyed our stay at his home here at Big Lagoon State Park. I've realized, though, that the state of Florida isn't a place we'll call home. It's fun to visit, but we prefer cooler climes.