Slidell / Pearl River Katrina Update

There is still a curfew here but the time has moved to 11 p.m. rather than the previous week where is was 9 p.m. Old town Slidell looks like everyone decided to have a garage sale at once on the sidewalks and streets but nothing is really worth buying. The stench of sunbaked refuse lingers in the streets. National Guardsmen are seen all around the city as well as utility vehicles that zoom and scurry about as they attempt to rewire the grids.
It was eerie going to my all-electric neighborhood for some towels out of my home and hearing the generator motor sounds vibrating in the air. Here are some more highlights -

• A few fast food places are open albeit in reduced hours.

• The grocery stores are still a bit bare. Supply lines have been cut since most came from New Orleans.

• Could use another chain saw and fresh blades. Few remain around here.

• Time spent cutting trees and setting game plan.

• Dennis' brother's house has a foul smelling, black river mud all over the floors. Amazing.

• At every turn you notice that there's something you wish you had including better fitting clothes as the sweat turns your garment into a blister creator.

• Cell phone reception is very patchy at best.

• Church telephone works well and has answering machine - (985) 643-8215.

• Electricity and water are up at church building so it becomes the command central.

• We took "Arkansas" baths in the sink.

• Baby powder is from heaven.

• Five of us sleeping in the worship area and children's teaching room, never thought I'd see that.

• Displaced family's remnant belongings are scattered in the sunday school room for storage.
  
  
• Black mother and two children show up in parking lot misdirected from a shelter so we drive them to where they need to go and help them with modest finances.
  

• Tomorrow we continue to clean up and meet up with two families who see insurance adjusters to determine whether their homes are worth rebuilding.