I'm back...

Well- I could not get emergency leave from my commander unfortunately, but I was able to get a pass for the Labor Day weekend which I used to go home. I would have posted something sooner, but it's been hard to do much of anything after seeing all that I saw of what is left of my town. I don't have all of my pics yet, as most of them are still in my best friend's hands in Mobile, AL.

So, my trip began sometime Thursday afternoon and I arrived in Pensacola at a friend's house at 0530 Friday morning. The drive took forever because I was fearful of taking the more direct route through Alabama due to rumors of gas shortages, so I took I-95 down the East coast into Jacksonville, Florida, and then headed west only to find that gas was short from Tallahassee westward. Fortunately, I brought 8 extra gas cans with me. I also brought along MRE's and water for whoever I ran across. After a thirty minute power nap, I left my buddy's place at 0615 to meet my cousin Brandy, her husband, as well as my Great Aunt and my other cousin Amy, then bee-lined to Waveland. All looked normal on I-10 west until we reached the Mississippi-Alabama line. It was as if we entered a war zone at that point. Shrimp boats and yachts lined many spots on Interstate, and you could see where the storm surge had bent or snapped all of the trees inland. Also of notice were the casino billboard ads which were also completely annhilated.

Once we arrived to Hwy 603 and into Waveland it only got worse. Cars, boats, and trees lined the roads as if a Giant had forgotten to pick up his toys. The smell was not indescribable to someone who has been to a third world country. I've been to several, and the one it remineded me the most of was Haiti. A putrid aroma of urine, pine sap, fuel, mold, raw sewage, and death combined with 90% humidity made the air thick and nauseous. The streets and stragglers were lined with this "mud" making it seem you were no longer in America. Trees were everywhere and oddly the ones still standing looked like they were all dead or dying.

When we arrived to my cousin's I went in first with my Landrover's 4WD and parked in a safe place. My cousin stayed back and walked it in. While I was waiting, I made my first contact with people, except they didn't look so happy to see me. They apparently thought I was a looter bc I was by myself with a truck and was obvioulsy not from around their neighborhood. The two men approached with baseball bats at the ready. At this point, I was regretting having left my firearm back in NC, but I had my blade, and was praying that these guys weren't looking for trouble (I surely wasn't). After a prolonged pause, I broke the stare-down with my best Mississippi accent and asked if they knew anyone around that may need some food, water, and supplies, or even a ride out. They immediately began to question me, but their countenance noticeably changed. Within a few minutes we were trading war stories (which I had made up), and the rest of my little gang showed up to give me legitimacy as to being on the property as they recognized my Aunt and cousins. The two fellas ending up giving me some good tips for getting around, where to go and where to avoid.

I then proceeded alone to my part of town to see my dad's house which was closer to the beach (not even a mile away).

*** To be continued...