 |
Hurricane Katrina left behind broken dreams and broken hearts here on the Gulf Coast. It will take time to recover from the devastation. When folks ask us how we are doing, it is so hard to explain. So...If you lost your home, your friends, your work, your staff, your building, your pets, your community, your favorite places to hang out, your savings, your city, your safety and your possessions that you've cherished...all in one day?...Don't let anyone sugar coat this...Everyone is heartbroken. We mourn and then we deal with one day at a time. Each day gets better and each moment that we spend in this beautiful building that withstood the fiercest storm of the century, we are humbled. There are huge lessons to be learned and as we watch the debates unfold, we, who are living this daily, know that this event separated good from evil. It was a defining point in our lifetime and we are all forever changed. We do not take anyone or anything for granted. The one true thing that kept Hope alive and perseverance alive in AL & I were the phone messages left on our answering machine that we listened to late at night, when we were able to get a signal. We will never be able to express to you how much those messages changed moments of despair into hope for us. August 28, 2005...At 5pm, Laura, Eileen and I made the decision to evacuate and leave Al, Allen and Lynn behind. We said goodbye and knew something terrible was about to happen. As we merged on to the interstate along with thousands of others going north, I looked back at Bayou Country and saw a dream that took so long to build and prayed. We stayed with our friend Greg in Picayune, MS. Close enough, we thought, to get back quick after the storm. So we thought.
August 29, 2005... I have ridden out hurricanes before and the first half seemed ok...But when the back half of the storm hit, we all knew there was something terrible happening. It was so quiet that night. No sounds after the storm. We all just sat there and cried. August 30, 2005...All I want to do is get back. The feeling of helplessness is overwhelming and we need to find out if Al, Allen and Lynn are alive. They are reporting that the Bayou Country landmark in Slidell is gone. They are reporting that our neighborhood was washed away. Its hot. We almost got through today but there is too much water. Wherever there was high ground, there are people gathered and I will never forget their faces of fear and despair. We are in survival mode now. You cannot waste gas, water or food. You have to have a reason to leave and we have to return with water.
September 1, 2005...After 3 days of trying to get back, Allen (Laura's husband) drives up on his motorcycle! Oh Happy Day! He lead us through a path of destruction back to Bayou Country. As we came around the bend and I saw our building standing tall, I broke down. I never saw a more beautiful sight and there was AL...The captain of the ship! He had to stay, to protect our dream.
1 week later...camped out at Bayou Country... The Survivor Crew...Al, Chris, Allen, Laura, Eileen and Lynn... Lynn's the one guarding the place.
View of Slidell in Old Town.Photos from Erik Kreppein...St. Tammany Fire Dist #1
Our neighborhood days after the storm...
Eden Isles Marina was destroyed and most of the boats were tossed in to the homes.
Sept 2005...I miss Angie and India and my family and all of my Bayou Country family so much. I want everyone to come home but there are no homes to come to. We scrub and clean every day because it's all we can do. One day at a time...Our world gets a little cleaner. The happiest day was when Angie and India came home.
After 5 days, the birds returned. Our world came alive with that moment. October 2005...Eileen was finally allowed to return to her home in Lakeview to try to rescue any possessions she could find. Everything was gone. Her life's memories were gone. Laura spends her days gutting her home and sifting through mud soaked memories. Moments of anger and despair can be released by swinging a hammer and throwing it all away. There's mountains of memories piled high in every driveway.
Removing the 2 feet of sand from the parking lot. Where did it all come from?
November 5, 2005... Cleaning up our store... 10 inches of the storm surge entered building and left a thick layer of sludge.
So, we put up our tree and it felt like Christmas.. We didn't know if we would have much business since there weren't many folks back yet, but we had a great Christmas.
December 26, 2005...We would like to express our gratitude to all of you who helped make our Holiday Season Brighter this year! We are thankful everyday for our blessings and the good cheer you brought to our lives this season! Today will be the first time in 20 years that we will close Bayou Country for a day of rest. During the Holidays, our wonderful staff sacrificed their own time to help Bayou Country. Trish came from Arkansas, Mary came over and worked on the weekends...Angie, Lynn, Laura, Karla, Brenda, Carol & Connie...worked everyday that we needed them and sacrificed their own time to repair their homes and deal with Hurricane Issues. Thank you to all of them.
January 4, 2006 will mark a fresh start for Bayou Country. We will repair our building and bring it back to it's well deserved glory...We will attend new markets and bring back the most fabulous products for our hometown residents to decorate their newly painted walls and make their houses a home once again! Happy 2006! By the way, many of you are keeping up with Al & I through the website, so we wanted to let you know that we are living in our office and it's is just fine for now, because we need to be close to Bayou Country. January 8, 2006...Many of you have asked how you can help Bayou Country. Although, Al & I have found it difficult to ask, we know that under these circumstances, we have realized that we need to accept help whenever it is offered...And we sure do appreciate all who have offered their time to us. Thank you everyone for believing in us and just know that our goal is to create a place you will be so proud of! January 14, 2006... Many thanks to Jimmy & Sherrie Germany for helping to bring all the folks down from the Corvette Club of Baton Rouge! Thanks to the North shore Corvette Club for bringing over everyone. We had a great time with your group! We hope to see everyone again on your next "Road Trip" through Slidell! Stop in for lunch! January 30, 2006... Al and I returned from the Gift Market this week...Wow..do we have some great new Home Accessories coming in for you! It is our goal to help you "Make Louisiana Home again....One piece at a time" Items will begin arriving over the next few weeks. We're starting to get our groove back!
March 6, 2006...It's been a great week! Our siding is repaired on the building and we are almost finished with our parking lot lights! We planted some of our trees and are repairing the irrigation this week. Things are starting to shape up here at Bayou Country. We will continue to be closed on Sunday for the rest of the year to finish repairs on the building. New products are arriving daily. We will be adding some of the products on our website but hope that you can visit to see all of them. By the way, Mardi Gras was fabulous this season. Thank you all for making Louisiana feel festive and alive. The enthusiasm for one of our most beloved events was felt by all. On a final note today, I have to say Thank you to all of the Volunteers coming down to help rebuild. You are our heroes.
Chris, Mary and Laura.....Mary (with the Nazarene Church) came to Slidell to help rebuild and stayed for 9 months! She brought groups to visit Bayou Country every week. Her sacrifices and commitment to this area is an inspiration for us all. We will miss you Mary! Thank you for everything you did for us and Louisiana!
April 1, 2006...I want all of you to know, how much Al & I appreciate all of your letters and warm wishes...This encouragement keeps us motivated everyday to move forward. Things are not normal here. As merchants, we would be talking to you about the new Spring items, Louisiana Festivals and the great things happening at Bayou Country. We do have fabulous items arriving, the Jazz Fest is happening at the end of this month and we are completing all repairs to our building....however, there is something I have to say...We have been saying good bye to quite a few people who have been eating at our cafe' every week. They are the folks who gave up their own lives to come down here and help clean up debris and rebuild. They are leaving because they are not being paid. Some are sleeping in their vehicles and some in tents...some cannot even afford to return home...some invested money in equipment to use for the cleanup...Somewhere up in the hierarchy of FEMA and the Federal Government, someone is getting all of the money but doing none of the work. Who is held accountable for this? This is not Louisiana, this problem is huge and it ain't right like a lot of other things...As I said before...this storm separated the good from evil and we have seen the best and the worst of human beings. Thank God, we have had the pleasure of meeting some of the finest people in the world! Thank you for believing that Louisiana and the Mississippi Gulf Coast Homes, Spirit and Culture are worth saving. You know, it is not all about money here. If we all had a tenth of what they continuously debate over, we would be well on our way to a clean, healthy rebuilt coast. On a lighter note...Come down for Jazz Fest! It's going to be a great time. Laissez les bon temps Rouler!
Look at us! One Year Later. Bayou Country is back!
Aug 11, 2006... Here we are, 1 year after the day that changed the course of an entire region. Many folks have asked us, "how do we feel about the 1 year anniversary and what will we do". We want to do what makes us feel good...So we will open our store because Bayou Country feels normal...We need normal...We will be thankful that you all chose to visit us because we need you and you make us feel good about what we do...we will count our blessings each day and we will try to get through one more day with a little less uncertainty than the day before. We will remember the day that changed all of our lives... August 28, 2006... We were reminiscing of the odd experiences that we went through this past year...Remember the orange X's on every house? Remember Mount Katrina, the debris field that was the highest elevation in the parish at one time? Where is it now?...Hmmm...Remember the 1000's of Contractor's signs everywhere but you still couldn't find anyone to work? Remember the long lines on the interstate that formed at the wee hours of the morning for the Red Cross Credit Cards? Then they started issuing checks...no lines. Remember the smell of clorox everywhere? Remember the taste of MRE's and how we would sneak the treats when no one was looking? Remember the theme songs that all the TV stations had made and you wish they would quit playing them now because they make you cry? Remember how you cherished a cold bath and clean socks? Remember how the lake bottom left that weird black stuff that cracked like the Mojave desert? Remember the constant sound of helicopters flying over and you kept singing the theme song to MASH in your head? Remember the nights around the kerosene lamps with your loved ones and the quiet was so loud you could scream? Remember the day you got a cell signal and you started calling your loved ones and how they cried for you? I never heard my Mom cry until that day. Remember how you put other people first before yourself without hesitation. Remember how others did the same for you? I remember and I will never forget those times and look forward to new times and hope that we all will always remember at least the moments that made us laugh, cry and just feel alive! There's hope for us all after all! We're Louisiana ...No place like it.
October 24, 2006...There's a new normal here and it's not one that can be explained very easy. We are thrilled with small things that make us laugh. We don't put very high expectations in to things we have no control over...ie...SBA, GAP grants, Go Loans, LRA and all the fluff that the Media has portrayed to be the saving grace of us all. We have not received any financial assistance or loans from anyone and therefore, our accomplishments, though they may be slow, are huge to us! We know the value of the human spirit and perseverance in all of us. It comes out in times like these. You cannot wait. Keep going. Look at our building a year later. It is beautiful. The plants and trees that we thought were dead, were nurtured and one day they became alive again...some slower than others. It was just like all of us...We all became alive again at different moments. So, here's to all of us...
November 11, 2006 Happy Birthday Bayou Country! We're 17 years old and still doin' the Bayou. We're just getting started...Thanks Everyone for keeping us growing!
November 11, 2006... So, here we are...Thanksgiving is around the corner. Before Katrina, I had a personal tradition...I would get up before sunrise and take a picture of every Thanksgiving Sunrise from my back porch. I would give thanks for that moment and all of the joys and friendships and family the year brought to us. Last year, I did not take a picture because there were cars in the bayou and debris still piled up. This year, I am going to go back to my house and take a picture. I will share it with you . Our house has still not been repaired because we're still waiting on insurance, however, the bayous and marshes are coming back to life and it is just amazing how our land and our spirits repair themselves with time. Happy Thanksgiving to all! November 23, 2006... Happy Thanksgiving to everyone! My tradition renewed itself this morning with my Thanksgiving Sunrise photo. The anticipation is worth the wait, while the world wakes up, and the colors unfold. You never know what God is going to paint in that sky for you! As you can see this year, our sunrise was one of the most beautiful! Pink skies and the Lake almost feels normal. Here's to traditions. Happy Holiday Season to everyone!
Lake Pontchartrain at Northshore Beach Slidell, Louisiana...still the best place on earth! December 8, 2006... Here we go! The Holiday Gift Season has hit full force! We knew that this year, would be special because so many folks are back in their homes and out of the FEMA Trailers. We are going in to the season with half of the staff we normally have but so far we are getting packages out the same or next day. I am proud of our staff! Thank you for supporting our business this year. We all appreciate you and promise to help make your season Brighter because you certainly have brightened ours! Jan 4, 2007... Wow, here we are already! Christmas Holidays passed so quickly and here it is almost the Twelfth Night, marking the beginning of the Carnival Season. So, Cheers to all for a great New Year and our special wishes and prayers go out to all of our neighbors on the Gulf Coast for Happy New Beginnings in your newly renovated homes and here's to Safe Harbors for all of us. Thanks so much to everyone who ordered Holiday Gifts this year. We appreciate your business more than you will ever know. The kind emails and notes were cherished by all and we look forward to bring the Best of the Bayou to you all year long. Stay tuned for new stuff coming soon. We are getting our groove back! Happy Mardi Gras!
Feb 21, 2007... Happy Spring everyone! It's right around the corner. I will be adding some of our favorite home accents to our online store, this week. March 18, 2007.... I went to visit my house yesterday and as we sat there, it seemed like just yesterday, it was August 28, 2005...Al and I were relaxing on our back porch enjoying the dog days of summer and pondering how bad this hurricane would be. Many folks think that we surely must be back to normal by now...We're not. We watch the federal funding to restore, rebuild and renew our area, Quietly slip away every day. All the hype and all the dog and pony shows in the media, were just that. (you know I have a lot to say but will refrain myself on this site)
Thank God for the Church sponsored groups coming down to our area on a weekly basis. They are the ones who have rebuilt this area one house at a time. College Students coming down to help on their spring break..Thank you all again! Happy Spring everyone.
April 29, 2007.... Al's been getting the gardens back in shape and we're thinking that maybe it is time, to start building the bandstand. We'll keep you posted on the progress. We think it's time to start rebuilding our home now. Bayou Country has been a safe harbor for Al & I. Thanks to all of you, our business is stabilizing and running smoothly. We did it on our own, with no help from Gap Grants, SBA, FEMA or any loans, so THANK YOU ALL, for keeping our spirits up when they started to fall and for believing in Bayou Country! We appreciate all of your supportive letters and comments! May 25, 2007.... I was having a bad day today, so I decided to get in the car and just drive. I drove to the Mississippi Gulf Coast from Waveland to Pass Christian. If anyone needs a reality check, this is the place to go. This area was wiped off the map and these folks are rebuilding a little everyday but have such a huge task ahead. I felt very thankful for what I have. July 15, 2007... Getting our Groove Back! It has taken one day at a time to get back in to what we do best...Being Unique! So, after attending the markets and our new merchandise is flowing in every week, you will be in for a treat. We've got great new products that reflect our lifestyle...look for all the new displays over the next 2 months. We'll be rebuilding the online offerings during this time as well. So, visit often! Finally, we are getting some new staff hired, too! The biggest problem every business owner has faced post-Katrina has been the lack of people to hire. We have been very lucky in finding some new people this past week. August 29, 2007.... Today there will be the services, ceremonies and the usual media feature presentations of the day that changed Louisiana and the Mississippi Gulf Coast.
So, 2 years later, how are we doing? The physical changes in the landscape are big in some areas and not so visible in areas such as New Orleans, St Bernard, Waveland, MS, Pass Christian and Bay St Louis, MS. Our town, Slidell has been recovering quicker than other coastal towns because of the people, the City and Parish Government. Kevin Davis, Ben Morris and the St Tammany Parish folks have been unrellentless in forging ahead through great adversity. It's a been a real test of their character and strength. Many Thanks to them and all of the Church Groups that gave of their time to help rebuild. We are finding joy in small accomplishments and although they may seem really small to most, they are huge to us. I remember saying on Sept 5, 2005, "How do we clean this mess up? Where do we even start?" and Allen Ross said...One stick at a time and one day at a time. So, yesterday I took a look at the trees we saved at Bayou Country and how they have grown. We rescued our palm tree and wrapped it's roots in burlap and kept it wet for 6 months before we were able to stand it back up. It is the tallest Palm on the property now. You'll see it...It is the one by the driveway. The ecosystem is recovering as well. We had been invaded by 1000's of black widow spiders, crickets and very strange bugs that we had never seen before. Now, our frogs and chameleons are back and no more spiders! There's plenty of fat lizards! We attended the ceremony at Northshore Beach (our neighborhood). This was ground zero for Louisiana's northshore. It is amazing how much progress has been made to our area. The folks of St Tammany are so resilient and committed to this area. We're rebuilding our lifestyle as well as our homes. Hope floats...You can't sink us! Happy Anniversary everyone. Next year will be even better. October 15, 2007... This week will be a turning point in our life, here in Louisiana. It is election time. After everything that we have been through, in getting our building built through the tragedy of Katrina and the storm that has followed...We have faced yet another hurdle. We have been threatened by the powers that be, because we support a good honest man for our new Parish Council. There's another business owner, who was also threatened and she still awaits a permit to reopen her kitchen, post Katrina. It is just hard enough to conduct business these days without worrying if someone will sabotage your business. I did not wake up in a communist country. AL and I have always lived by what is right. We would rather sacrifice profit than compromise our integrity and will always be that way. How can anyone expect things to change, if you don't vote. So, we hope that everyone will get out and vote. We support Richie Artigue for District 13, St Tammany Parish council. He's a good honest man with a lot of common sense. That is what Louisiana needs.
October 22, 2007... Richie Artigue won! AL and I are so excited to be able to move forward with our plans and create our Village. It is so amazing how your life's plans can change in a moment. Now that we have some really special folks with good ideas elected in to office, we will see Louisiana move in the right direction for us all! Congratulations to Bobby Jindal, A.G.Crowe, Jack Donahue and Richie!
Oct 31, 2007.... Boooo Bayou! Come on in! We've been waiting for you!
We've been cooking all day for you! Try some of our Creole Crunch. We made it just for you!
Happy Halloween from the Bayou Crew!
Nov 11, 2007... Happy Birthday to us! We are 18 years old. It is hard to believe that 18 years ago, we started Bayou Country in 300 square feet. Because, we didn't have any money, we had to be resourceful. We went to the Atchafalaya Basin and pulled out sinker cypress and used the wood to build our original store. We were so proud of it. Many of the originals pieces that Al and I built are placed in our building here in Slidell. There's lots of fond memories in every inch of our store. We're still a Handcrafted, Homegrown store with Big Dreams. We hope you enjoy our products and our company as much as we enjoy you! Stop by for a visit! Have a cup of coffee with Al on the porch! Check out his new Alligators! That was AL's present to Bayou Country this year! 2 big Gators to guard the porch. We call em' Yard Dogs!
November 22, 2007... Happy Thanksgiving everyone. Here's my Thanksgiving Sunrise photo taken from my house off Carr Dr at Northshore Beach. It's an annual personal tradition for me. You know, the more our world changes, there's some things that always remain constant. As I sat in the dark quietly waiting for the sun to rise, the same sequence occurs every year... The fish starting jumping in the water (still dark), the ducks wake up (dawn arrives) the first set of pelicans fly in for food (first ray of light) and then the first fisherman goes out to the lake...then there's the photo...First light. It's always the same and it's so comforting. I am thankful for the things that are the same. Family, Friends, Bayou Country and Sunrises! Happy Holiday Season to everyone and may everyone find joy in the things that are "Constant" in your lives. We look forward to seeing and hearing from you all this season! Thank You!
Jan 4, 2008... Wait a minute! Where did one month go? It happened so fast! We had one our busiest holiday season ever! Just like our rituals of Thanksgiving, we have certain "Constants" in our lives during Christmas that we look forward to. It's the loyal folks who have supported us for years and we Thank you so much! The Melson's come from Martin, Tennessee every Thanksgiving to pick up a load of Candy for gifts. They have been doing this for years. They kick start our Holiday Season and before we know it, we are in full gear with candy production. Our Candy Crew produced more candies this year than any previous year! We are so Thankful for them. So, we've made our resolutions and we are already planning new displays in the store with new merchandise...Personally, Yes, Al and I will start working on our house this year. We know that it is time. We have found normal to be where our hearts are. For the past 3 years. our Hearts have been filled with this building and everything it represents. There's an entire other journal that could be dedicated just to that. But, for now, this building and Bayou Country's obstacles have been our hearts' focus. Thanks so much for your support of our business and we are very excited for the new year and the surprises that it will bring. February 15, 2008... Al and I finally started repairing our home! Yes, really! There's a magic about living on the northshore that you can't explain but just feel. It feels so good to know that we will be home soon! So, here we go. We will post before and after photos. How do you take a house built in 1982 and bring it up to date and make it strong? Watch what happens...Al builds buildings to last. Here we go...
April 10, 2008... So, the pallet of leftover concrete siding we had from Bayou Country has finally found a home... Our home! We had just enough to use on the sides and we'll stucco the rest. Al has added 2 porches to the front of the house and what a difference! We have a new roof, too! It is so great to be able to work on our home and be in our neighborhood. On another note, we are making big changes inside Bayou Country this week. We have added some great new outdoor furniture and merchandise. You have to come see! And when you are in our neck of the woods, pass by our house in Northshore Beach, Slidell...You will love this neighborhood. Bring a picnic and spend some time on the beach by the Firehouse. The Lake is healthy and alive! We'll keep you posted on our progress and Thanks so much for everything!
|
Chris
and Jimbo in back and Trish, Laura and Eileen in front. The Bayou Country
Family back together at least for a moment.
