Tuesday, September 30, 2008

First Post of the Week

This is my seconded trip and it has already been just as good as the first one. We left Minneapolis at 3:15 p.m on Saturday. We arrived in New Orleans at 9:00 p.m. Sunday morning I was up for sunrise shooting at 6:30 a.m. We went to Laffite LA, to drop Anthony off. It was an hour drive from the city and we weren't to excited about it at first, but it ended up being a really cool experience. I meet a Keith Harrison who was sitting in this chair in front of a pile of garbage left from Gustuav. He told me his job was to sit there and issue tickets to people that were dumping the wrong things. People were allowed to dump anything other than vegetation and anything electric. Later back in the city we took a Katrina tour. A lot of it was things I knew, but there was some things I did not know that were very interesting to learn.









Monday morning began at 6:30 once again. This time we went over to lakefront and the lower 9th word. I met some people again that were telling us about Brad Pitts foundation make it right houses. They seem to be bigger and very modern like, not the original New Orleans style of houses.












Today- Tuesday morning shoot once again at 6:30. I went with Becky, Ryan, and Keith to the Lakeview area. A lot of the houses were coming back strong. It seems to be a common thing now which was not the case in March when I was here. We were lucky to meet Chuck Byrne who is 60 years old and has lived in his FEMA trailer for two years now. He sad a quote today that stuck he said 2 years in 200 sq feet. That's how long he's been in the trailer and how big it is. His story was so sad like many others. His old house stood up on stilts now behind his trailer, Marked with the x also like so many. He said He evacuated before Katrina hit with his wife and two daughters. They left food and water for the pets for three days. They didn't think they would be away for longer also like so many others. When they came back there house had water up to the street signs. His daughter found her rabbit dead and there bird and snake were rescued. His wife was devastated and wanted to start fresh somewhere else. Chuck on the other had couldn't leave his house he had grew up in it and wanted to pass it on to his daughter. Currently Chuck is leaving in the FEMA trailer and rebuilding his house on his own free time. His wife and he are divorced and his youngest lives in Tampa with his ex wife and his oldest lives just in mid city. His dog spunk was hit by a car after the storm and lost one leg. Even though this man lost his home he had grown up in, he was divorced after the storm, and is still having trouble getting the money he needs to rebuild, he still has a good look on the future and life. I also got to go visit Ms. Gibbs today who I met last time. She is an elderly lady and young at heart. She was so glad to see me come back and give her pictures I took when I met her in March. I hope to keep coming down here and visiting these people. The things I have learned from these pepoles stories is remarkable. I admire them and there stranght to keep going each and every day and to just be happy to be alive and well.




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