Happy Mother's Day!

SunHerald.com : Mississippi soldier killed in Iraq

SunHerald.com : Mississippi soldier killed in Iraq: "JACKSON --
JACKSON - A Mississippi native serving in Iraq was killed by a roadside bomb Thursday.

The Department of Defense and the family of U.S. Army Sgt. Jason W. Vaughn confirmed his death Friday."

WLOX-TV - The News for South Mississippi: More Chinese catfish samples test positive for illegal antibiotics

WLOX-TV - The News for South Mississippi: More Chinese catfish samples test positive for illegal antibiotics: "JACKSON, Miss. Seven more Mississippi grocery stores have been ordered to stop selling Chinese catfish after samples of the fish tested positive for illegal antibiotics."

Lately, I have been questioning why I persist in doing things that are bound to fail ... all odds against success. Then I reason that there is a slim chance for anybody to beat the odds and maybe it will be me. A reasonable person living in an area that has been in an ongoing drought would not plant delicate flowers but I do ... because a few may survive. The seemingly impossible can happen, it did today. My daughter saw that I had been putting statues and gazing balls in my flower beds so she offered me her concrete birdbath which I readily accepted. On my visit today I saw it was lying in the drive in two pieces waiting for my son-in-law to bring it to my house. On leaving I asked, "Anita can I take the birdbath?" She said, "Mom you can't lift concrete, even Dave has trouble." "The top alone is 200lbs. and the base is twice that." She continued loading the back of my car with plants she had given me from her yard. I walked over and easily picked up the top and brought it to the car and went to get the base. Yes, the base, was heavy and awkward but I picked it up and carried it to the car. I had help from my daughter sliding it into the car. We marvelled at what I had done. How could I, who finds carrying a gallon of milk heavy, carry concrete and not be winded? It's simple really ... I never thought for a moment that I couldn't do it. Before going home, I took pictures of new construction. The first two pictures are of the back of a house that faces the beach.

WLOX-TV - The News for South Mississippi: Atlantic's First Named Storm Of 2007 Forms Early, 3 Weeks Before Season's Official Start

WLOX-TV - The News for South Mississippi: Atlantic's First Named Storm Of 2007 Forms Early, 3 Weeks Before Season's Official Start: "The first named storm of the year formed Wednesday off the southeastern U.S. coast, more than three weeks before the official start of the Atlantic hurricane season, forecasters said."

WLOX-TV - The News for South Mississippi: Turkey Creek Achieves Historic Designation

WLOX-TV - The News for South Mississippi: Turkey Creek Achieves Historic Designation: "The occasion is national recognition of Turkey Creek and its addition to the National Register of Historic Places.

Modest homes now fill this community, which was organized by freed slaves just after the Civil War. Turkey Creek was nominated to the National Register two years ago."

WLOX-TV - The News for South Mississippi: Indiana Firm To Build Cottages For Mississippi Katrina Families

WLOX-TV - The News for South Mississippi: Indiana Firm To Build Cottages For Mississippi Katrina Families: "Mike Womack, director of the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency, said the award for the Park Model cottages went to Forest River Housing Inc., of Elkhart, Ind."

WLOX-TV - The News for South Mississippi: Damaged Gulfport Condo Finally Cleared Off Waterfront

WLOX-TV - The News for South Mississippi: Damaged Gulfport Condo Finally Cleared Off Waterfront: "What was left of Chateau de la Mer teetered on pilings just above Highway 90. And then, with a simple push of a track hoe shovel, the first battered and beaten section of the condo complex toppled over. Johnny Frazier runs EZ Haul, the company hired to tear down the condos."

SunHerald.com : Street repaving has four-year plan

SunHerald.com : Street repaving has four-year plan: "PASCAGOULA --
City leaders are sinking more than $1.4 million into paving projects over the next four years.

Brian Nelson, the city's public works director, said the city is focusing its efforts on the streets in worst shape."

New Construction - Pascagoula

M & M Bank

Pascagoula Library

Each day it seems, I grow more weary. Maybe it's because I give much of my attention to what is going on in our storm riddled area and see the underlying outcome of what is transpiring. Governor Barbour said in an article that living cheap on the Coast is gone. People of modest income can no longer live close to the water in their "little" houses but people who can afford to build to code (the wealthy) can. To me, it makes no sense as the modest income people ("worker bees") play a big part in keeping the "wealthy" on the beaches. Renters occupy the majority of the FEMA trailers as they wait for rental properties to become available to them. It will soon be 2 yrs. and that hasn't happened. Also building to code is nonsense ... there wasn't anything that could stand against Katrina. Somewhere in one of my many posts, I talked about the hotel in Gulfport that was part of the Grand Casino. I mentioned to many people over the years that it was leaning to the right. After Katrina made landfall, the lean to the right was very pronounced.... it was taken down. Homes that had structures of steel were destroyed. The steel remaining was twisted and worthless.

The most disheartening thing that is happening here is that we, the people, aren't fighting for our rights, we are just laying down for the count. One, two, three. You're OUT!

Pictures taken in Pascagoula yesterday .......

Lake Avenue

Tornadoes in Kansas and Oklahoma

SunHerald.com : Cheap living on Coast is over

SunHerald.com : Cheap living on Coast is over: "The days of people of modest means living near the lapping waters of the Mississippi Sound may be drawing to an end, Barbour conceded when asked. Mississippi was one of the last places in the country where such was still the case."

WLOX-TV - The News for South Mississippi: Volunteers Help Clean And Restore D'Iberville Marsh

WLOX-TV - The News for South Mississippi: Volunteers Help Clean And Restore D'Iberville Marsh: "Volunteers helped unclog the wetlands around Fountain Pier in D'Iberville Friday morning.

Picking through the marsh grasses, they're finding plenty of storm debris."

Today has been a very hectic day. To have the police at my house at approximately 9:30AM isn't something I am use to. They came back again at 4:30PM and said what happened is revenge on the neighbor's part because I asked that they not put their garbage cans in front of my house. He was ordered this morning to take the "eyesore" down but, he didn't, instead he drove iron bars into the ground from the corner of my fence to the concrete pillar that cities use to mark property lines. He also put his garbage can on my side again, just not in front of the house. Needless to say, my yard doesn't look good. I don't know what he is trying to prove, the line has always been there. The police will patrol. Even if I hadn't been delayed and frazzled by the bizarre actions of a neighbor, I couldn't take pictures because of the rain. As soon as the skies clear, I will be driving around looking for progress.

This doesn't look any better, does it?

There were actually three patrol cars here. All they could do was tell the neighbor to take down the contraption even if he thought it was on his property because it is an eyesore. So at this time the neighbor is trespassing all over my side yard with a huge measuring tape. I guess he didn't hear eyesore or obstruction of view.

WLOX-TV - The News for South Mississippi: Katrina Victim "Will" Identified As Pass Christian Man

WLOX-TV - The News for South Mississippi: Katrina Victim "Will" Identified As Pass Christian Man: "Coroner Gary Hargrove made a big announcement Friday morning on WLOX News. One of the two unknown Katrina victims has been identified.

The man known as 'Will' has now been identified as James L. Blair, a 78-year-old male. He lived on Hurricane Circle in Pass Christian."

Neighbors

Every once in awhile I veer from the storm and touch on my personal life .. this is one of those times. What do you do with a neighbor that is driving you crazy? Unfortunately, subdivisions have houses that are very close to the neighbor on either side. I spent months out of the two years that I have been here trying to get a neighbor to stop blowing leaves off his driveway into my side yard. I am happy to say that has stopped but putting garbage cans and debris in the front of my house hasn't. So two weeks ago when the pickup guys were there I went out to tell them that all the "junk" wasn't mine. We are to put "our" garbage in front of our property as there are fines for what you put out as garbage ... like paint cans or old batteries. His wife came out to see what we were talking about and said to me that she didn't understand why I objected to it. The "guys" explained to her that it was to be in front of their property and in the proper containers before they will take it. They didn't take anything they had out that day. When that happens it remains in front of my house for weeks. At this time, there is an open container of garbage sitting out there since Tuesday that wasn't picked up.

Late last night I heard hammering noises at my side window and when I looked out I couldn't believe the "tacky" mess I saw. What in the world is he doing now? It is over the property line and attached to my side fence.



This can be seen as you drive down the street .. the flowers I have planted pale in comparison to this. We still haven't gotten much rain, only a slight drizzle!

Waiting On The Rain

WLOX Weather Forecast

Thu	Fri	Sat	Sun	Mon	Tue	Wed
Hi 82 F Lo 75 F Isolated T-Storms	Hi 78 F Lo 70 F Numerous T-Storms	Hi 81 F Lo 68 F Few T-Storms	Hi 80 F Lo 69 F Isolated T-Storms	Hi 80 F Lo 69 F Few T-Storms	Hi 80 F Lo 68 F Scattered T-Storms	Hi 79 F Lo 67 F Scattered T-Storms

WLOX-TV - The News for South Mississippi: Your Hometown News - Moss Point/Escatawpa

WLOX-TV - The News for South Mississippi: Your Hometown News - Moss Point/Escatawpa: "A homeowner in Moss Point has been waiting on the second phase of the grant program so she can move on with her life. It's been difficult and while other agencies could lend a helping hand, they also are waiting on the state to decide her fate. Nancy Hall shared her frustration with Action Reporter A.J. Giardina."

New Construction-Pascagoula

We have a chance for rain tomorrow but if that doesn't happen it's okay because I have another plan for my yards. I intend to fill the yards with decorative statues ... some will be pretty and some will be whimsical. The drought we are going through is nothing new in our area. Usually when the rains come the plants grow, flowers bloom and then comes July. The plants and flowers burn to a crisp. We know this but still we plant with hopes that this time it will be different. BUT just in case, I am starting something new.



I will be out soon looking for interesting pictures to show you. New construction is getting harder to find but as soon as the people who are in the FEMA trailers can cut through the "red tape" and assistance comes to their aid, there will be a bulding boom. It just isn't happening at this point in time.

WLOX-TV - The News for South Mississippi: Biloxi Bridge Clears Major Hurdle

WLOX-TV - The News for South Mississippi: Biloxi Bridge Clears Major Hurdle: "State Transportation officials say to be able to open two lanes of the Biloxi bridge traffic in November, they must first complete three or four projects considered to be major challenges. Now MDOT officials are pleased to say, 'One down.'"

WLOX-TV - The News for South Mississippi: Future Of Hurricane Recovery Aid Uncertain

WLOX-TV - The News for South Mississippi: Future Of Hurricane Recovery Aid Uncertain: "Congressional leaders vowed a fight, yet the fate of billions of dollars in hurricane recovery aid they consider key to helping restore the Gulf Coast remained uncertain Wednesday, a day after the president vetoed a war spending bill that included the money."

SunHerald.com : The missing link

SunHerald.com : The missing link: "BAY ST. LOUIS --
For the first time, the state Department of Transportation has officially committed to an opening date for the new two-mile bridge across the Bay of St. Louis."

My mood was one of melancholy as I drove around the areas in Pascagoula. On this particular day I was making a mental note of objects (like fences or street manhole covers) to see what condition they were in. It didn't really matter what I chose to look for ... there was always damage. Many chain link fences around houses are either twisted out of shape or leaning at various angles. Manhole covers along many of the streets have started to sink and makes for quite a jolt if you should happen to drive into one as I did .... my tire should have exploded. There are houses that are damaged and look abandoned. Neighbors who have repaired their homes can't be happy looking at the damage that surrounds them. The area where I live is an old subdivision that has gone down over the years. Only part of the street I live on looks presentable. Many houses took on water from the Pascagoula River when the storm made landfall and were heavily damaged. The streets are collapsing here too. It's a sad situation. I have pictures from various areas around town of damaged homes.


It is sad to see this and personally not be able to help them. I recently said how tired I am and it is true. If I were to diagnose my condition, I would say that I am emotionally drained. August will be two years and I think each and every one of us are exhausted. See yall!

SunHerald.com : Miss. soldier back in states after being wounded in Iraq

SunHerald.com : Miss. soldier back in states after being wounded in Iraq: "CLARKSDALE --
A 22-year-old soldier from Lyon has been flown to Fort Lewis, Wash. for more treatment of wounds suffered when his Humvee was damaged by an improvised explosive device in Iraq.

Spec. Matthew Sanders was wounded April 22, while on patrol south of Baghdad, said his father, Marshall Sanders."