New Orleans, 10 Years A.K.

Today is a special anniversary, though not an altogether happy one. Thank goodness for special dates since I seem to need an occasion to get off my ass and write something.

This blog began in 2006 as a one-time, illustrated essay of my impressions of the devastation a year after the storm. I was so taken with what I saw, I needed a new platform to express what I felt. After Images and More became a regular endeavor, an early post in March 2011 was a bit of a rant after seeing the documentary The Big Uneasy.

We’ve been living in Maryland for 25 years and I have not kept up with the city’s developments beyond what’s in the mainstream media. I believe New Orleans is both a great and flawed place. The city has rebounded and recovered in many ways…but in some ways, differently. Demographics seem to be a big part of the reporting and commentary of late. It’s not surprising when natural disasters significantly alter the human environment afterwards. For New Orleans, the local time references now add ‘Before Katrina’ or ‘After Katrina’ modifiers.

I can say more about New Orleans but not now. I want the city to survive. I am not in the “We-should-not-waste-money-to-save-a-city-built-in-such-a-stupid-place” camp. It is a vital commercial hub at the mouth of the largest river transport system in North America. It has a unique history and cultural heritage. It is also home to a half million Americans. Yesterday, I saw Chris Rose, a respected New Orleans journalist say, “The most powerful word in the English language is not ‘love’. It’s ‘home’”. That’s got to mean something.

Every holiday season, I make a calendar gift for a few close family and friends. The images used for certain months often relate to that month, as photo calendars tend to do. Snow scenes in January, grand cathedrals in December and of course, presidents’ graves in February. Another month that has been absolutely dedicated is August. There are always images from New Orleans in August because that’s when Katrina happened.

Since we lived there for over 14 years, I have many images from the city and the region. They illustrate the fascinating environment and culture of the area. I will save further commentary and criticism for future posts and leave this anniversary commemoration to simply show a few of the attractive aspects of New Orleans…all taken before Katrina. If this blog continues, I will reserve August 29 every year for New Orleans images and stories.

Until next time, let this pay homage to a fascinating piece of America.

World’s Fair at Night (1984)

We don’t do “World’s Fairs” anymore. They are expensive and our millennial sensibilities don’t care much for commercial and hokey stuff. The theme for this one was water and light. The grounds, formerly dilapidated warehouse and waterfront, became a terrific place to hang out in the evenings.

City Park (March 1984)

The only house we owned in New Orleans was a block from the largest park in the city. City Park is home to the New Orleans Museum of Art, Tad Gormley Stadium and expansive golfing, tennis and other recreational attractions. I enjoyed taking the tripod there on early mornings to capture images in the moody light.

Mardi Gras Indians at Jazz Fest 1989

Mardi Gras, the event, the season, the lifestyle, is a must-do for everyone at least once. For some, once is enough. For others, it becomes year-round, life-long, reason-for-being. After a few years of steadily declining participation, we spent the rest of our Mardi Gras’ in other parts of the country. However, we never missed Jazz Fest. The music, food, crafts and people-watching were a highlight of the year.

Audubon Park, New Orleans (22 June 2005)

This image was taken nine weeks before the storm. I returned to Louisiana just four months into retirement on my first road trip…The Dead Presidents – Bowling Nationals – Visit the Old Home Town – And Not Be Back at Work EVER AGAIN Road Trip. Audubon Park looked especially good that day and although I have been back to this spot several times, the light, blooms and other elements here have never looked so perfect.

When I am King # 7 - Lawns Will Be Outlawed

Once again, your would-be King is ahead of his time. This rant was in the can a few weeks ago, waiting for the right moment when Sarah Baker of Ohio beat me to it. Her op-ed in the Sunday Washington Post makes a terrific case for letting more of our nation’s vast lawn acreage go a bit wilder. The piece has generated almost 2000 comments as of this posting…sad to say, many are not very supportive. Hang on, Sarah. When I am King, you will be my Royal Guardian of the Greens. In the meantime, I’ll add my two cents in her defense.
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We all know that California is experiencing a record drought. Recent news reports have noted that, despite dire official warnings and calls for voluntary reductions in water use, the good citizens of southern California, especially in ritzy Beverly Hills, have changed their consumption habits very little. After all, what good is a mega-mansion if you can’t have a lush, green carpet surrounding it?

The Suburban Ideal, Howard County, MD (10 May 2015)

Those who know me well have heard me rail against lawns for decades. I’m disappointed I haven’t ranted in this space sooner now that anti-lawn feelings have become more prominent. I consider them to be environmental abominations…unnatural displays of our dominion over nature. Why have a diverse display of native vegetation when you can have a single, genetically-modified grass species that requires constant attention and expense? Worse than that, why have them at all when you live in an arid region? That CBS report above noted that 50-60% of ALL the water used in Beverly Hills goes to the lawns. Really?

Vegetables and Wildflowers Would be Better (10 May 2015)

Then there are the environmental impacts. The cumulative damage from power mowing (energy use and emissions from notoriously inefficient small engines), water consumption and fertilizer and pesticide applications that inevitably run off into and degrade our waterways is significant. Plant a vegetable garden instead…you’ll have fresh, organic food to appreciate. Plant wildflowers instead…you’ll have birds and butterflies and table decorations to appreciate.

Visitors to the Front Yard (2 March 2011)

Full disclosure here. We actually do own a lawn mower but not because we have a lawn. Our back yard is all trees, shrubs, leaf litter and whatever can grow though all that in the shade. Our front yard has trees, bushes and ground cover. Beck wants to mow the side yard near a public path and do her part to keep the cul de sac island trimmed. Fair enough.

Cambridge University Lawn Care (October 1989)

On the one day we were in Cambridge, England and wandered around the tidy colleges that have been there for 800 years, there was this immaculate lawn nestled among the ancient buildings. I suspect the tradition-bound Brits wouldn’t think of edging it with some noisy, foul, petrol-powered, string trimmer. Young Nigel is on his knees while Old Rupert uses the upright, long-handled edger. Jolly good.

When I am King, these flat green spaces will be limited to parks, recreation areas and athletic fields. I know, I know. Lawns are safe places for the kids to play. They add to the value of the property…in our perverse real estate market. Of course there’s also the economic impacts with so many jobs devoted to machinery, fuel and chemicals. To this I note that blacksmiths and hat makers found something else to do when their industries crashed. We’ll get over it.

I’m sure this would be among the least popular of my royal decrees…but it’s for your own good. If you want to see a lawn, go to the Extinct Lawn Exhibit in the Royal Museum of Mistakes We had the Good Sense to Correct.

Charleston, South Carolina – 2 – In Black and White

In 2012, I posted a New Orleans piece with only monochrome pictures. The French Quarter, with its preserved, old-time feel, lends itself to images that suggest they were taken long ago. Charleston is another city with many antique perspectives and it’s easy to remove the color from an image and imagine it was taken in antebellum times.

Big House & Live Oak, Charleston (9 March 2014)

Some pictures just beg to be monochrome. The stark interior of St. Michaels’ Episcopal Church was practically colorless when I saw it. The barest design elements in this Anglican vestibule make an image that is all about light, shadow and line.

Colonial Episcopal Vestibule, Charleston (10 March 2014) 

Of course, St. Michael’s has an old graveyard and naturally, I was curious as to who I’d find buried there. John Rutledge, the second Chief Justice of the United States, was the most illustrious discovery. He was the first Governor of the State of South Carolina and served on the Supreme Court in 1795.

Grand Homes on the Battery (9 March 2014)

Many of the city’s grandest antebellum homes are on the Battery and look out over the harbor and the mouth of the Cooper River. You can see Fort Sumter from here and I wonder how the upper crust felt watching from their verandas as the fort was bombarded. While some were fearful of the coming war, others were excited by the pyrotechnics and the prospects of a short and victorious campaign of Confederate independence.

The architecture inspired me to make this a sepia tone image. It helped seal the mood to crop away the lower portion of the picture that showed the modern cars parked on the street.

Circular Congregational Church, Charleston (9 March 2014)

The Circular Church has an interesting floor plan with rows of pews radiating away from the altar space. We enjoyed a choir recital one evening but you know me…I was drawn to the oldest English burial ground in the city. The church graveyard claims the finest collection of colonial slate gravestones outside of New England.

Confederate Memorial, Charleston Battery (11 March 2014)

Practically every town and village in the Deep South has a memorial to the conflict. While I am surprised at the groundswell of sentiment to finally make the racist Stars and Bars flag disappear, I do not agree that we should also do away with the monuments and memorials. There are many and most commemorate gallantry, honor and sacrifice. Yes, they were defending an evil cause but that is our nation’s history. If I find abhorrent the political right’s proclivities to re-write and sugar-coat (or worse, ignore) our flawed past, I have to oppose the left’s overreach to whitewash and purify this part of our history. Time will heal these wounds…eventually…I hope.