floods and fair.

It's time for the fair again. Hard to believe it's been a year since these photos were taken.

I love those Percherons so much. I'm passing some time right now, before I leave for the fair with a pocketful of star mints and cash for cotton candy. You know those little round red and white mints that look like a pinwheel? Horses love em. I'm planning on taking my camera also so I'll put some photos up if I don't flake out, but I might.


I really would like to write something about what is going on with me, but I just can't even concentrate because the television is on in the next room and with all of the disaster down in the south, I can't take my mind off of how sorry I am for those people who are left homeless and hungry. I have been to New Orleans many times, and If you've been there also, you know how easy it is to spot the tap dancers over by Cafe DuMonde, or get duked by the old "I bet I can tell you how much you paid for your shoes." by a bum trying to earn what I'd like to think as "dinner money". Nawlins' locals earn their living little by little, which if you think about it is way worse than paycheck to paycheck. I mean, so many people can open up shops selling feather masks and t-shirts that say "show me your boobs". And it's HOT and SMELLY already, without the sewers flowing freely in the streets.

New Orleans is a city unto itself. As soon as you enter the French Quarter, you can literally FEEL the energy in the air. There is so much that you aren't seeing going on right behind the shutters on the tall windows. The sad part is that I didn't really get to go "inside" those neighborhoods where the families have been most ravaged by Katrina very often, maybe once or twice when I stayed with a friend. I can tell you though. Most of the houses, not unlike other areas of the deep south are very rundown and held together with garage doors. These old houses and the furniture in the yard are ALL some of these people have. AND THEY'RE COOL WITH IT, they're joyful, friendly and usually jamming some badass tunes while waiting for the BBQ to smoke. Just trying to stay cool, in all sense of the word. Until now, of course.

They don't have the means to be able to evacuate. Most of them don't even have transportation, I would guess. I would say that all those people didn't stay because they refused to go, I think it's more the fact that they couldn't. I heard on CNN this morning the police department said that some of the cops just stopped showing up for work.

I couldn't imagine being shacked up in some hockey arena waiting. Wandering along in a holding pattern waiting to see if I could piece my life back together, with everything I had known as routine all my life.. totally screwed.

I just donated through red cross. I hope you do too. Perhaps a few more dollars from us regular people can get all those people at least a toothbrush?
In my own private memorial, I carried my favorite little pursie purse today, which I have pretty much retired. I bought it at the French Market. (I TOTALLY did a great job haggling with the dude about the price.) It's not anything huge, I'm not even sure how to explain why I did it, basically just to keep my thoughts unselfish during this time when so many are hurting.