Joyce Parker-Hyde  

August 30, 2005 - Missed by the storm
Sitting on the porch, watching the lazy waves of the water that was emanating from the London Avenue canal; having lively conversations with passers by.
Live theater passing in front of the door.
This is how life looks in New Orleans. Something happens-you  come out after the storm and keep on keeping on.

This was not a new or strange site; nothing out of the ordinary except the water they were walking through.
Buses and bicycles and cars going too fast are the normal conveyances to be seen. But it didn't raise an eyebrow on this day to see canoes and floating doors turned into barges; shopping carts being pushed through 2 feet of water-but the street was underneath.
A set of 4 week old twins floating in a styro-foam boat; an old crippled man leading an old blind man who was his life long friend.
Cats walking on rooftops, dogs swimming alongside tadpoles; whirling helicopters overhead.

And when darkness fell-it fell hard.
Night without city lights is black.
Complete silence until morning.

A new pass-time presents itself with the daylight and the prospect of another 8 hours in the heat of the day-
"What's that floating in the yard?"
Most things were pretty easy to identify-trash cans, trees; the expected remnants of lives tossed out unexpectedly into the street to float down past the houses of your neighbors.
Oh, that's Donald's...floating.

The one that stumped me for the longest time was this white object; it looked to be about 6 feet by 4 feet. It looked like some kind of white board floating there-turns out it was a refrigerator.
It was held back from the street parade back by the chain link fence .









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