Horrific

[Joe Wordsworth]

It took three days of planning (with the lack of gas at stations, the exhorbant prices, the closed main thoroughfares, and the need for official access to I-10), but my girl and I managed to bounce down to the Coast and rescue our Lawyer friend. If you've never driven through a hundred miles of post-hurricane devestation (and winding up right on the beach where the Beau Rivage and the Hard Rock and Mary Mahoney's and all that are), it is the most terrifying place I have the ability to soundly imagine.

Trees, powerlines, mounds of house/car/wood/etc. blocking things, ending upon back roads in the woods where cellphones don't work, houses have no power or telephone (people are there even if they did), and emergency services are at such a thin that it's a veritable no-man's-land.

Some of those roads were goddamn terrifying.

We ended up taking wrong turns, due to blocked highways and lost signs... but we made it. We got to him, picked him up, and took him out of there. He's been riding horses and doing light farm since.

Never want to see things like that again, especially not at night. The coast itself... the pictures on TV just don't tell the story. It's unbelievable. The whole landscape is unrealistic at ground level. It's like a war was fought and lost right there on the beach.

But, thanks to those who've been in e-mail contact, I appreciate the support. My Girl managed to raise a bunch of money for disaster relief and got a little special nod from the people in the driver's seat for those things. Makes me proud.

Sincerely,
Joe

 

[LadyJeanne]

You and your girl did a good thing. I'm glad you are all safe and riding around on the ranch.

 

[English Lady]

JOE! *massive hugs*


It is sooooooo good to hear from you, I've been worried. I'm glad you managed to get to your friend,send my best wishes and thank you's to "My Girl" and oh..

*more hugs*

I cannot imagine how horrifying that journey must have been, I'm just Glad God was listening to my prayers and kept you safe!

oh and

*more hugs*

 

[amicus]

Yes, a good thing. I gambled at the Beau Rivage after watching it be constructed, been to Mary Mahoneys and the Bombay Bicycle Club, all gone, destroyed.

Not sure if you know Gulfport and Long Beach, but lived and worked in both and all the landmarks are gone.

T'is truly sad and I share your grief.

Thank you.

amicus...

 

[Couture]

It took three days of planning (with the lack of gas at stations, the exhorbant prices, the closed main thoroughfares, and the need for official access to I-10), but my girl and I managed to bounce down to the Coast and rescue our Lawyer friend. If you've never driven through a hundred miles of post-hurricane devestation (and winding up right on the beach where the Beau Rivage and the Hard Rock and Mary Mahoney's and all that are), it is the most terrifying place I have the ability to soundly imagine.

Sincerely,
Joe

I'm glad that you are all safe and sound. That's the most important thing. Things can be replaced, but people can't.

 

[Joe Wordsworth]

amicus...

The only place I ever gambled was the Beau. Me and my lawyer went there when I turned 21 and I lost a few hundred dollars. Seeing it, in person, standing there in the middle off all the piled of debris and collapsed buildings was just surreal.

I know Gulfport only passingly well. Biloxi I know better, Ocean Springs I know the best.

 

[English Lady]

On the first day i metmy husband in the flesh, we got to know each others erm, flesh, underneath the shelter of a horse chestnut tree in the park where I lived with my parents. A few years later I walked through and it was gone, replaced by a big concrete slab, which is now a baseball court.

I felt hollow right then, as if a little piece of me was gone.

It's the only emotion I can pull on that comes close to the devastation you must have seen. And it's miniscule in comparison.

take care! (or else, I'll get all mean and growly and stuff *L*)