Hey bateauxdriver!

“Concerned about you big guy. Hope you are ok down there. Actually, I hope you have left. I'm sure I speak for everyone who attended drunkferst 05. Let us know how you are when you can.”

“quit reading this and get your cajun ass to a the Dome!”

“I bet he's already cooking some gumbo at the Dome.”

“And that's a lot of people to cook for. He must be in his glory. :)”

“He's in Biloxi (sp?) I think. Hope all works out ok for him.”

“Hey Cajun, check in when you get a chance.”

“Biloxi is in MS. He is somewhere in south LA. THose guys will probably be without power for at least a week, if not more.”

“I've heard some people will not get power back for two months.”

“Div just moved down to the Mobile Area didn't she...? Anybody heard from her?”

“He lives on an island in the Bayou. Can't imagine he'll see power for a while, unless he's got a generator.”

“Bateaux lives in the Baton Rouge area.

I don't expect we'll be hearing from him for another week or two.

Thoughts and prayers are w/ ya Cajun.”

“Yah, but she's probably OK. Mobile got hit but not too hard. They were interviewing someone from Mobile on the Big Show this morning and he said they had to evacuate some zones of the city, but not everywhere. We will hear from her but it will be awhile.”

“Cajun! We're thinking about you. :) I hope all is well and that you and your family are safe & sound and out of harms way.”

“on another thread cottonsocks said she had heard from div”

“Bateuxdriver got a message through to Toejam that he had gotten home and gotten his family out of harm's way. Hope he's doing well.”

“So glad to hear that! :)”

“Thanks for the update. Glad they're safe.”

“Thank goodness.”

“Good to hear. Thanks.”

“That's very good news! Thanks!”

“Glad to hear he and his family are OK. It will be good, however, when he checks in and gives us an update.”

“I bet he'll have stories to tell. Glad to hear some good news.”

“I'm just glad he was able to get back. Toejam had to drive him back to Jackson from Pinedale after the Teton Crest trip to rent a car, at that time he hadn't been able to make arrangements for a flight home and that's the last we had heard of him until after we got out of the Winds.”

“So did he make y'all Gumbo? :P We're still drooling over that stuff out here in the East...damn, that man can cook. :)”

“That is such wonderful news :)”

“Good to hear!

Now we need to hear from Stovie!”

“Oh thank goodness!”

“What? he was supposed to make us Gumbo? and he didn't, that bastard! Still glad he's ok but I better get some cajun cookin' next time.”

“glad to hear!

How his home faired is a another question!”

“Has anyone heard how things are for him?”

“Bateauxdriver reached me again, after several attempts with bad connections, on Thursday morning. He said there was a little wind damage to his place, but no flooding, so he fared better than in previous hurricanes. He's a bit west of N'arlins on the south side of Baton Rouge.

His problem seems to be infrastructure - I couldn't get him on phone and it may be a while before he's back on line.

We got no gumbo since our trip wasn't a car-camping drunk-fest ;P”

“Thanks, that's good to know.”

“Hey everybody thanks for all your concearn for me and my family. We are very lucky and faired well through this storm. We got power back Friday night and we got phone, cable and internet back tonight. I have relatives staying with me from south of New Orleans that lost everything. It will be probably weeks to months before they can even view the damage to their home. I'm doing everything I can for them and more relatives may be coming. Winds here were about hurricane strength and some of our homes are damaged but liveable. My greatest fear was the storm surge so we got out to a relatives home north of here. It was an evil monster of a storm and I was 50 miles west of its center. A little jog to the west and my house would have been gone. Now that I'm starting to get back on my feet I'm doing what I can to help others. The best way that those of you elsewhere can help is to help the Red Cross. They are the best people on earth. My employer and several others are matching donations to the Red Cross. Toejam thanks again for helping me get home to evacuate my family. My van unfortunately is still in New Orleans because I had to divert to Baton Rouge since New Orleans had closed the airport. Budget wouldn't rent me a car, after telling me on the phone I could drive one to Denver for $69.95. They called around and sent me to National Rent a car which charged me $415.00 to drive a car from Jackson, Wy. to Denver one way. With no bus or shuttle service I was stuck in Jackson and had to pay the price. American Airlines charged me $130 to change my ticket date. With fuel it cost me over $600 to get home. All the while I'm begging the people to cut me some slack so I can evacuate my family before the storm. I knew it would cost me extra to get home but $600 was a bit steep! I guess they knew I'd pay any price to make sure my family was safe.

Take care all and I check back when I get the time. It is still crazy around this state.”

“Good to see you back on line.

Ouch! I'm sorry you got the shaft from the rent car people.”

“Great to hear you're OK!”

“Glad you're safe and all is well. Sounds like you fared remarkeably well.”

“Good to hear from you Cajun. Stay safe.”

“Mark--

I'm glad you and your family are safe. If there's anything I can do to help let me know.

n_g”

“Skipper,

Did you get your van from the NO airport yet?”

“I'm alive! Katrina to the east and Rita to the west! Dang I feel like the only standing duck in the shooting gallery!
We only had minor damage. Two small leaks in the roof from wind damage. We also lost our central A/C unit and one computer to a voltage spike. We had a near miss with the flood waters. It was much worse downriver for my parents. They fought the water with their private levee and pumps for 3 days. I helped them pick up stuff friday in their workshop before it flooded. The house was saved by the levee. They had about 12 inches of levee to spare. Lots of roads still under and some low lying homes have water. Lots of trees and limbs down again but not as bad as Katrina. Rita did bring more water to my area than Katrina. We had 8 inches of rain locally. Hope everyone here faired ok. I feel for my fellow gulf region residents to my east and west that took the worst of the storms. My cousin and his family who have been staying with us since Katrina had water is his house again with Rita. The levee system of Saint Bernard and Plaqumines are gone. Every storm even bad tides will flood them now. Time to start thinking about plan B. South Louisiana is forever changed. Many areas I don't believe should be rebuilt. It would just be irresponsible. Even my own home has flooded 5 times since being built. National flood pays me to rebuild everytime. Should they though? Should you people pay for me to live where I should not? I think those questions should be raised before congress before the checkbook is flooded with red ink. Should people in need recieve help from the government? I say yes of course. I think that the money should be used for relocation though. We are sinking people. The water hardly goes down at my parents home now. Their home is postcard Louisiana with huge moss draped cypress and the bayou flowing past. Unfortnately, the gulf wants it all back.

Take Care,

Bateaux”

“Glad to hear you and yours are ok. Stay safe.”

“Glad to know you're alright Bateauxdriver, now where are your Tetons Pics? :)”

“glad to know all is mostly well. Nice link on the other thread.”

“Bison I'm going to get those pics up soon. It has been quite busy around here. I've been on generator power almost as much as on the grid since I left Wyoming. My internet has been out even longer. Taking care of relatives, dang broken and leaking stuff around the house, work has been a nightmare, yada, yada, yada. I'll get them I promise.”

“It's so good to hear from you! We worry you know. :) Welcome back.”

“Good to hear from you!!!....glad you & your family are safe!!!!!!”

“Bateaux, sorry to be a late comer to the party, but I am heartened to hear yall made it through safe. My daugthers were very concerned for Trip and Fall, but I assured them that you were smart enough to do what you had to do to protect them. They keep asking me when will they get to hike with your boys again.

My wife is in Biluxi this week with her church helping with the clean-up. I'm sure she will be forever changed by the sights she will see.

I am curious about that property you were once looking at (teh island) How did it fair through the surge. Do you know if it was submerged?”

“Hey Hyway,

Glad to hear from ya. We are getting along fine here. I actually was near the StoveStompers Stomping grounds today near Pas Christian. I went with a buddy to look at a boat for sale that was not storm damaged but the owner needs cash fast. He may buy the boat. The area East of Slidell,LA looks like a war zone. We are doing fine here. Went without power for a long time but we have a generator. I would love to hike with you and the kids again sometime. Maybe the same time next year. I think it was the first day of my boys summer vacation. Thwy will be a week later next year due to make-up days for the hurricanes.

The island has not sold yet and is high and dry. The water would be well within my second floor before the island would flood. Fifty years ago when the river was widened by the Corps of Engineers they piled up spoil there. Now there are 50 year old oaks and pines on it.”

“cool, we need to plan another southeast kids trip. Hope more kids can come this time.

(guess I need to get with the times and create a holloween name. Hows Headless Hywayman sound?)”

“You OK, buddy?”