HURRICANE
IVAN
Choice stories of displacement
from my journal, 30 October 2004:
Dan
and I were planning to work until noon, but the mid-morning shower had
us pack up the tools earlier. We sat in Phyllis’s shop with her
friend Bobby until the rain subsided, then we prepared to take the WaveRunner
out for the afternoon.
The start of our route took us out the Bayou Grande,
through Pensacola Bay and over to Pensacola Beach, going under the Robert
Sikes Bridge. Then we headed west to Fort McRee Historical Site on Peridido
Key. Through this route, we past at least half a dozen sailboats washed
aground, and avoided a few collisions with the bows of sunken boats.
For entertainment, we went out into the Gulf of
Mexico where Dan spontaneously dove off the back of the WaveRunner for
a dip in the ocean. Once he climbed back on, we past a large, surfaced
catfish head with its spine cleaned to the bone. We guessed the hurricane
displaced this freshwater fish about a month ago.
Coming back into the bay, I drove us past the
destroyed Pensacola Yacht Club, and then we headed east to see the downtown
pier and destroyed slips. We then went back west, up the Bayou Grande
a few miles, and took it as far as the WaveRunner could go before piloting
got too tight and tricky. We spotted a few floating saltwater trigger
fish, dead and displaced from Ivan.
We get many images of a hurricane’s destruction
from air and land, but to see it up close in the water is whole different
perspective that I had an opportunity to see. Like the land, the marine
environment needs time to recuperate as well.
Handywoman's
Companion
4. Birthday Photos
3. Seafood Gumbo
2. Git 'er Done!
1. Gravitational Pull
Web
Site Commentary:
Bringing
back the tile menu from an earlier design, and incorporating personal
experience from travel is what influenced the cross between detachment
and connection with Hurricane Ivan's aftermath.
FEATURED
PROJECT:
Private
Residence—Pensacola, Florida [2004]
Note:
To read Handywoman's Companion entries in sequential order, start
with #1 in each scene and go up from there.
