On 10/3/05, Sid Barras <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Hi pentax gang, > I'm back in Lake Charles, actually been back 5 days now, but I also > have a phone line that works with my modem now too. Still no > electricity. > > But I'm much more fortunate than about 50% of the population here in > Calcasieu Parish. (and about 100% of the population of Cameron > parish, our southern, coastal neighbor) > > A full report to follow, with pictures; as soon as I get the trees > off my roof, and tarps laid down to keep the rain out of my attic. > Structure of my house is basically undamaged. The vast majority of > the lovely old live oaks in this area survived. The "water > oaks" (what I've always called them-- a taller oak tree, with a > smoother, whiter bark, and an upright growth habit, and these are > deciduous, though their leaves don't "color" as they drop in autumn) > are what have mainly devestated the area around here. These trees > have fallen over, roots and all (and they seem to share a shallow, > weak root system) and crushed many, many homes around here. Most pine > trees that have not survived "snapped" in the middle of the trunk, as > opposed to simply toppling over as the water oaks have. These oaks > and pines are probably 95% of the trees that fell. Of the others, the > most common "fallen" varieties are sycamores, magnolias, and cedars. > Most of the pecans and other hardwoods still stand. > > Well, I'm blathering on. More to follow, and more to the point, pics > for pentax people to peruse.. > > Sid > > PS: Mark, I saw your post-- a South Louisiana pdml gathering sounds > great. I'm sure we have a few fellows within the "Houston to New > Orleans" sphere as well... Also, did you hear that Avery Island has > fairly well survived too?
Sid, you're not blathering. Thank goodness that you're (relatively) unscathed from Rita, at least compared to some of your neighbours. I'm sure you have a great deal of work ahead of you, but it certainly sounds like you're one of the fortunate ones. Thank goodness you're safe, and thanks for the report/update. cheers, frank -- "Sharpness is a bourgeois concept." -Henri Cartier-Bresson
