More Grant Blight

 Waveland to Open Bids for Pier Repairs; article at the Sea Coast Echo

Five years after Hurricane Zeta... and Waveland's just getting around to fixing up the municipal pier.  See an earlier post for the definition of grant blight.

Think of all the tweenagers and teenagers who missed out on good times fishing there.  Those five-plus years are now mostly lost to a fog of video games, cheap beer, and worse.  If you neglect these amenities, the kids will find something else to do.  Getting these hang-outs back up and running after a storm should be a high priority, not something left to DC's mañana-go-round.

The ugly reality of grant blight.

Katrina plus 20

There's little to add after what's been written here at this blog over the past 15 years.  link to old posts

However, the Big Picture Science podcast had a decent series this summer on the topic, worth a listen:

• Hurricane Comms – kind of important, and near & dear to me
• Hurricane Season – mostly lessons learned
• Katrina and the River – the Mississippi, of course

It still galls that so much reporting (somewhat including the above-linked podcasts) is so New Orleans-centric when the actual ground zero was some 50 miles to the east, but urban areas seem to be all the news media cares about, so there it is.  Here, have a couple of pictures from the areas that shall not be reported on:

Downtown Bay St. Louis.  Notice the manholes sticking up towards what was ground level on Beach Boulevard.  It's not evident from the perspective here, but the original road level was about 25' above sea level.  BTW, the  pilings in the background were part of the train bridge across the mouth of the bay, and you know how solidly those things are built.

Here, this used to be (and now is again) a neighborhood, as well as the bridge into town.

Here's the Washington Street neighborhood.  The surf debris line can be seen across the horizontal middle of the picture.  Flooding extended well inland from the top of this picture for several miles.

Here's one more, taken from the overpass of I-10 and Hwy 603, about ten miles inland:

Similar pictures can be found from across the Mississippi Gulf Coast, and even as far as Panhandle Florida.

ps: Nice article in the Sea Coast Echo marking today's anniversary.  RTWT.

I Sense a Pattern Here

Bay [St. Louis] named among Gulf Coast's top '7 Towns With a Slower Pace of Life' at The Sea Coast Echo.  Scroll to the bottom for the complete list, then click through to the original article.

Hm, and I've lived in three of the seven, Ocean Springs being the third.  Two others are fairly close by, and I've been to them but a re-visit  is long overdue.  The remaining two are way over in Texas; might or might not get that far.

There are of course many other small towns with the same slower pace of life, some of them even slower than these.  I'll keep those to myself however.  Wouldn't want them to get overcrowded the way some on this list of seven have.

Can't Take the Backroad for the Moment

With a $350 million estimated cost, Louisiana doesn't have the cash to fix the Hwy 90 bridges between the Pearl River and New Orleans.  Damn.  And I always enjoyed that backroad route, it taking about half-again the travel time for the slower pace, salt marshes, history.

Bet I could still make it on the gravel bike.  If the mosquitoes and gators don't get me.

The King is Gone

 Richard "Elvis" Atwood, RIP.  Article at The Seacoast Echo.  Memorial parade was yesterday.

I barely knew the guy, but he always had a smile and a kind word.  The world is now a slightly less interesting place with his passing.

Miss Ol' St. Louie

It's a nice musical interlude by J.J. Cale on this partly cloudy Halloween day.

A real pro makes it look easy.

Farewell to The Bay

I'm just back from a visit  to Bay St. Louis, my home for 30 years.  Mostly, it was a three day whirlwind of parties and meet-ups with old friends, but I still had enough time to tour around the town, take in the sights, and even to spend a pleasant hour or so reading under the Washington Street beach pavilion.  The old house is virtually unchanged, but some of the woods out back have been leveled for development.  That's a common complaint all over in small towns these days.  The Mockingbird is doing well, now eschewing the night life and having settled into a relaxed breakfast and lunch place groove.  Ran into several of the regulars there, which was lucky happening.  The rest of town looked the best it has in years, having largely re-opened and recovered after covid and Hurricane Zeta.

Here's a 180 degree pano-wrap from the Washington Street pavilion.

Not my cruiser bike, not my kid-hauler.

This trip was a nice coda after having lived there so long.  Thing hadn't changed, much, in this little bit of time.  I'm sure that by the next time I'm through the area the changes will have begun to stack up and become more noticeable.

Recovered, but...

 Finished the chainsawing and yard clean-up yesterday,

The Giant Pile of Debris

and the electricians showed up yesterday to touch up on Monday's electrical repairs, so now the dryer works,

but in the meantime, sometimes you've just got to do the wash.  Besides, how else would you find out that the dryer circuit's not properly hooked up?  Nothing finds a dead dryer circuit like a washing machine load of damp laundry.  Eh, the weather was nice, sunny & dry.

Still waiting for the cable internet service to return, but the end of the street that comes in on is still oak limb salad.  Just glad the AC power supply comes in from the other end of the street.  So, recovered and taking a day or two off.  Think I'll take a bike ride around BSL today and take in the sights.  And now this:

How 2020.  Well, that roulette wheel is still spinning and I've got a few days to catch my breath.  Think I'll make good use of them, starting with another cup of coffee and a bike ride.

Coffeeneuring Stop #7: Henderson Point Park

 Last Wednesday, I wrote "What could be more 2020 than sneaking in a coffeeneuring trip with a hurricane bearing down on the area?"  How about coffeeneuring in a declared disaster area following Hurricane Zeta?  With MRE coffee of course...

1. where: Henderson Point Park, Pass Christian MS

2. date: 11/1/20

3. what: French vanilla cappuccino (instant, in a bag, heated w/MRE heater)

4. ride details: CX bike, 70F-ish clear blue fall day

5. distance: 11.5 miles round-trip

Continuing with Disaster Week here on the MS Gulf Coast, after chainsawing for a good chunk of the morning, I drove to the National Guard distro point at the farmer's market to restock on ice.  I didn't need the case of MREs, but the only question the guys working there asked was "How many people?"  "Two."  [turns to shout]"Two!" and four guys run up with the standard load-out, throw it in back of the truck, and move along don't slow down the line.  [rolling out]"Thanks!"  "No problem!  Next!!!"  Eh, won't have to hunt for groceries before next week, and the ice is much appreciated while finishing out the remaining fresh food in the house.

But back to the coffeeneuring.  I had to peek into one of the MREs, not having seen a standard one in fifteen years.  Hm, what's this?  French vanilla cappuccino in a mix-and-drink bag?  That's going in the jersey pocket for this afternoon's ride.

On to the ride.  Today's destination is a half-mile from this year's stop #4, but on the bay side of Henderson point, at the little park tucked next to the Bay Bridge.  Downright cozy, it seems a world away from the windswept Gulf-facing point.  Families were out with the kids on the playground, burning off pent-up energy.  Another group was down on the beach under the bridge salvaging lumber off a washed-away dock.  I took a seat on some of the larger debris, and added water to the coffee bag and the heater...

 

 

While waiting for the cappuccino to heat, I snapped a couple of pictures of the mouth of the Bay of St. Louis, including the Hwy 90 and train bridges...

And then raised a toast to another successful year of coffeeneuring...

For instant coffee in a bag, it was surprisingly good.  None of the synthetic or metallic tastes usually associated with instant mixes.  The new MRE heaters are a big step up, and had things tasty-hot in just minutes.  The drink was a little sweeter than I'd usually go for, but that's just me.  Frankly, it was a good cup of coffee, and much appreciated after a week like this one.

On the way back, I snapped a pic of the park pavilion:

It seems to have made it through Zeta without a scratch, though the rest of the park was looking pretty rough.

And that wraps up the 2020 Coffeeneuring Challenge here on the MS coast.  It has been different this year, to be sure, and it will always be outstanding in its weirdness.  Looking forward to next year already, which will assuredly be quite different: less solo, more social, and lots more coffee-shop-with-walls.

Circling back to the One Good Thing theme for this year: Right after I got home, the electrician called and said he'd be here first thing in the morning to get my power hooked back up.  Truly the one good thing I need!  Funny how these things work out.

In closing, here's a pic of the beach bench where Stop #1 happened last month:

Hm, yeah, that was quite a storm.

Coffeeneuring Stop #5: Washington Street Pier

 Yet another coffee shop without walls, today's coffeeneuring ride was to the Washington Street pier & boat launch area.

1. where: Washington Street pier fill, Bay St. Louis MS

2. date: 10/25/20

3. what: cafe au lait, chicory coffee w/ half&half

4. ride details: CX bike on a cool (~70F) morning along the seawall

5. distance: 3.8 miles round-trip

Another beachfront landmark.  Sat on the rip-rap, sipped a couple of cups, and read for a bit.  Then pedaled home and had lunch.

Rip-rap, coffee, bike.

View looking east, toward Henderson Point (see stop #4).  Pilings are from the old Bay ferry, which ran for a couple of years while the new bridge was being constructed in the aftermath of Katrina.  Pelican!

Coffeeneuring Stop #3: Cowand Point

 At yet another coffee-shop-without-walls, here's a late morning stop along the Bay of St. Louis.  

1. where: Cowand Point, Bay St. Louis MS

2. date: 10/17/20

3. what: black-black coffee, brewed from espresso beans

4. ride details: CX bike on a mid-70s October day

5. distance: 7.4 miles round-trip

One of those perfect mid-October days just after a cool front blows through.  I had another place in mind, but while zipping by on the seawall I spied this one and quickly turned around.  About the time I settled in with my cup, I knew why this place felt so familiar: it's reminiscent of a favorite fishing spot in Florida where the alligators have taken over.  Hm.  The odds of having a reptile encounter were low, being in town and with the cool weather and all, but it was a definite possibility so I finished my cup and didn't stay for a second.  Beautiful spot though.

Coffeeneuring Stop #2: North Beach Boat Launch

 Just another quiet morning in Bay St. Louis, and time to get out and do the seawall ride again.

1. where: Along the bayfront seawall, all the way at the north end by the boat launch.

2. date: 10/12/20

3. what: cafe au lait, made with Cafe du Monde coffee-with-chicory and a dash of half-and-half

4. ride details: CX bike on a warm, even hot, early October day

5. distance: 11.8 miles round-trip

This seawall route has been pretty much my stock lunchtime ride for this middle part of 2020.  The whole coffeeshop without walls concept is working out really well this year.  Here, have a pic of some pelicans perching just offshore in the Bay; as always, click to embiggen.

Then I came home and took the window boards down.  They'd been up since September 14th(!) when two hurricanes that made a run at the area in one week.  The combination of storms, rain, and yet more storms worked together to keep them up until a sunny day had everything dry and conducive to taking them down and putting back in storage.  Hopefully they won't have to go back up this year, but this is 2020 so who knows?

Coffeeneuring Stop #1: South Beach Blvd

 In true 2020 style, started out close to home, just a simple bike ride down to the beach to sit on a walkway bench and enjoy a couple of cups.  With Cruisin' the Coast going on, the mean streets of Bay St. Louis are no place for bikes this weekend.  Well, at least not for any distance, not out of the neighborhood.  On to the particulars:

1. where: Corner of Beach and Ramoneda, Bay St. Louis MS

2. date: 10/11/20

3. what: home-brewed Columbian, served black out of a thermos

4. details: warm, clear day in the wake of a passing near-miss of a hurricane; CX bike

5. 2.2 miles round-trip

Soaked up a few early fall rays while sipping Columbian at a convenient bench on the boardwalk just down from my house.   Finished a Larry Niven sci-fi short story from the early 1970's, The Last Days of the Permanent Floating Riot Club, which somewhat accurately predicted flash mobs and a criminal gang making organized use of the chaos.  Very 2020, and even though the enabling tech is different, the human psychology is spot-on.  Didn't quite get a sunburn, but got all the sun I needed – or could stand.  Note to self: bring a hat next time. 

ps: For 2020, my coffeeneuring week will run Saturdays thru Fridays.  Started a day late!

A Slight Change in the Weather

    

What a difference a week makes.  Water should be back down in a day or two.

Lillies for Hurricanes

They always pop up in the yard this time of year.  I'll probably plant a few more for luck in the coming year.  As always, click to embiggen.

AAAAaaah!

Just when you thought 2020 couldn't get any worse:
Truck crashes into Bay liquor store[!] at The Sea Coast Echo.

Bridgetop Pic

Nothing amazing, just another pic from atop the BSL bridge.  This time it's panoramic:

The pathway is actually straight, it's just the pano view that makes it double-out like that.  Either that, or else it's a black hole in my bike jersey pocket.  Wait, damn, I knew I'd misplaced that thing again.  No wonder the jersey felt a little tight the other day.

Right On Schedule!

The termite swarms return, same date as last year.  The cooler weather this spring doesn't seem to have much effect.  Hopefully this too will pass quickly.

More Gravel Adventure

Out along the northernmost reaches of the bayfront seawall – you can just see I-10 from there.

It's a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door.  You step onto the road, and if you don't keep your feet, there's no knowing where you might be swept off to.  –J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring

It's even more dangerous with a gravel bike.

Bike Ride & Mid-Century Arc-eology

Today was a beautiful day to get on the CX bike.  What's more, with the lower traffic due to the current situation, I'm taking the opportunity to ride into areas of town that are usually off-limits to bikers with good sense.  Some of these are places I haven't been in for twenty years or more, if ever.  Back to today's ride, it was up into the north side of BSL, including Cedar Point, the area around Hollywood Casino, the north side waterfront, and... the WMEJ radio tower.

Formerly a local and blues 5KW AM station, since being flooded in Katrina, WMEJ has passed through a series of re-structurings and finally settled into a Gospel niche.  OK, not my thing, but it's still interesting to get a close-up visit.  You can read the little there is on the station at its wikipedia page.  And here, have some pictures:

  

   

Clockwise from top left: The Tower.  Tuner cabinet and tower base.  Tower base close-up.  Transmitter shack.

Things were in rough shape around the site.  No signage beyond a "No Trespassing" on the fence around the tower base (don't worry, I didn't).  But here's the crazy, noteworthy thing: you could hear the broadcast from inside the tuner cabinet.  Something's corroded, loose, or maybe something's grown into it for this to happen.  Here's a demonstration of how random junk can demodulate an RF AM signal into audio:

Heh!  Except that the audio from WMEJ was from decay, not innocent (if dangerous) tomfoolery.  Let's take a closer look at that tuner cabinet:

Yeah, a bunch stuff growing around it, maybe into it.  That's not good.  BTW, that ratty-looking wire sticking out from the insulator in the side is the main tower feed.

Anyway, it was a really fine day for a bike ride, into parts I usually don't venture, with an unusual stop along the way.  And yeah, while there's an unmistakeable air of decay around this tower, the rest of the ride was sunny and uplifting.  This stop was, however, really interesting.  Something different.  Gravel bikes take you to places like this, there's no stopping them.  Adventure-seeking is annealed into their frames when they're made.

ps: We all deserve a better picture of the tower.  Even in this current shape, towers are still awesome.

As always, click to embiggen.  And no, that's just lens flare and a cloud, not some whacky ionization effect.  Believe me, I would've heard it were that the case.