Among the Lucky Ones

Hurricane Isaac came to Louisiana and stayed. And stayed and stayed. Its rains are still here, as a matter of fact, causing area waterways to continue rising well past the point where they've flooded hundreds of homes and made many roads impassable. But it could have been so much worse.

We are among the lucky ones. Some of my family members have been threatened by the rising waters, forced to pack up everything important to them in case parish-operated pumps failed and evacuation became necessary, but that didn't materialize. Another family member was greatly inconvenienced when plans for a move to a new home, scheduled for today, had to be canceled and all the components of such a move put back on the table to be organized all over. You won't hear anyone complaining, though.

As for me personally, a few shingles flew off my roof. The yard is littered with tree trash, but no big limbs fell. The power stayed on throughout the entire storm, then flickered off quite a few times yesterday, staying off just long enough to reset the clocks on my kitchen appliances and the router on my computer. Throughout the main thrust of the winds, though, we remained cool, well fed, and able to keep abreast of the latest hurricane news.

In my home the worst part of Hurricane Isaac was the anxiety it produced, mostly because of the mental tapes of Hurricane Gustav that kept replaying in my head. As comfortable as I was--and as grateful as I was for that comfort--I kept expecting life as I knew it to come crashing down at any moment. Preparedness is helpful in an event like this. But worry? Not so much.

Isaac was a storm of wind and water, but no thunder or lightning accompanied it in our area, so the dogs were not disturbed. Bored, yes, but not frightened.

Levi, Gimpy and Lucy

They balked at going outside in the horrible weather (which I think demonstrates their keen intelligence), and the humans in the house learned that the canines are capable of "holding it" for far longer than has ever been necessary up until now. When they did go out, they made a quick dash of it, then returned indoors to focus on what matters to them every other day: suppertime and tennis balls.

(As I write this, several utility trucks just passed by on the road in front of my house. They made some sort of announcement on a loudspeaker, but I didn't get the door opened in time to hear their message. Also as I write this, when I did get the door opened, I found a trail of fire ants on my doorstep, no doubt seeking higher ground. That's not good.)

As happy as I am to report to you that my loved ones and I are safe and well, I'm saddened by the devastation so many others have experienced as a result of this hurricane, and I pray that they find all the help they need to get quick relief from the heat, the water, and the destruction that has literally rained down on them. At times like this, being one of the lucky ones can leave a person feeling not only happy, but also undeserving. "There but for the grace of God..."

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Today is Saturday, after all, so I feel compelled by habit to post a music video. The subject of this week's Saturday Song Selection is an earlier Louisiana hurricane. The old photos used in the video are captivating.

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The song is "Louisiana 1927" by Randy Newman.

Click here to read the lyrics.

Thanks to WestHam712 for posting this video on YouTube.