Broken Dreams

As children bring their broken toys, with tears for us to mend, I brought my broken dreams to God because He is my friend. But instead of leaving Him in peace to work alone, I hung around and tried to help with ways that were my own. "How can you be so slow?" "My child," He said, "What could I do? You never did let go."

Thanks Mom.

Gulfport, Mississippi

The below shots are of Gulfport Mississippi. I state when the area changes. I wanted to order these better and think a little more about my comments and the order of them but, it's late and these pictures depress me, badly.. I try not to look at them and now, after a month of slowly posting them all, I am finished.

It amazes me at how much power Hurricane Katrina had. It hurt's me to have seen all the people that lost everything they own. I'm still haunted by the emotions and faces of the people on the Mississippi Coast. Even though I have not lived there for the past five years I feel like a part of me was taken, without me giving permission, it was just taken and I'm just one person that was able to leave and come back to a home. There are still, over 45 days after the storm, people living in tents where their homes once stood, waiting for aid.

My heart hurts for the Gulf Coast..

I feel sick.

This was Marine Life Gulfport. There were three of those "humps" with an arena under each. Some of the dolphins were moved to a hotels swimming pool. We saw one sea lion being rescued by the Grand Casino Arcade barge. I think all the animals that were rescued had to be put down due to disease. The dolphins that they moved made it though. I'm not sure of the fate of the other sea life they had.

Gulfport.

Incomprehensible power..

Tractor Trailers from the Gulfport Harbor. These things should have been moved away from the area. I guarantee you that they caused alot more damage than was needed..

The Gulfport Harbor is just east of the Grand Casino. For some reason they chose to leave all the tractor trailers out. Dole trailers are everywhere. Chicken and Fish trailers were also thrown around, making it quite ripe smelling out there.

Peoples bank to the left. Hancock bank to the right in the background. Both have severe damage as you can see. Gulfport, MS.

That empty spot between the blue roofed casino and the yellow hotel is where the arcade barge is supposed to be. You'll see that barge below, in the middle of the highway.

Was a great place to eat. Not to sure they'll be serving up fine food for a while..

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Grand Casino Arcade. Gulfport, Mississippi.

Just look at the pictures below for details as to what all this is...

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Hwy. 90 Gulfport. The place is devastated..

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Used to be a beuatiful beach, even though the water was brown from the barrier islands... I sure have missed the coast. Seeing all this makes me miss it just that much more..

Memories lost...

I'm not sure what this was but it does look like there was a structure built on the barge. The only thing they built on barges on the coast is the Casinos. I have no clue which one this may have been though..if it even was that...

This boat was placed here on August 17, 1969 by Hurricane Camille. Katrina did not move it. There was a Pizza Hut and then my Mom's work right next to this boat. Amazing that two buildings are completely gone and this boat did not move an inch.

This is where Mom's work used to be. Tri-County Eye Clinic Gulfport. The owner had no flood insurance. This was not flood zone so why have it. Tons of people are being screwed by this little loophole. Most of the damage was caused by the storm surge which insurance companies are claiming is flood damage and will not cover it even if you had insurance for Hurricanes and wind damage. It's really sad. Dad is now part of a lawsuit against the major insurance companies for this reason.

Just another perspective of the Camille boat. The National Guard truck had to be local because there was surely no help out there when I was there. If you try to get to this area now you will go through numerous check-points and questioning. You must live in the area or have business there to get in now.

Zoomed in shot of below picture so see details down there. I tried to have order to these but they make my mind not work when I look at them so the order is almost backwards. All the details that should have come first are pretty much at the bottom. I'm trying though. It's taken me over a month just to get them up. Your home town being destroyed does something to you. Even when you don't live there anymore. They say home is where the heart is. Well, my heart was washed out to sea with everyone elses memories.

You can see the Oasis Resort in the background, the Grand Casino arcade barge on the right and where you see the two people, (my little sister and her boyfriend) that's where my Mom's work used to be. Tri-County Eye Clinic Gulfport. Wiped out...

Opposite side of the arcade barge. If you look past the big yellow Grand Casino hotel, just on the right, you can see where this barge used to sit.

We came out to these two oaks years ago when they were transplanted to this spot. I'm amazed that they are still there! They are quite young compared to most Oaks on the beach, most of which did not make it through Katrina. I can say our oldest and most treasured Oak made it! It's called the Friendship Oak in Long Beach. You can google it. It's 500 plus years old.

Looking East down Hwy. 90 Gulfport.

Size comparison. That is my little sisters boyfriend. It amazes me, the power it took to move that barge onto the highway.

Simply the arcade portion of Grand Casino Gulfport. It looks huge but is small in comparison to the actual casino.

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Hwy. 90 with the walkway from the Oasis to the Grand Casino Gulfport. The barge in the middle of the road just beyond the walkway is just the arcade portion of the Grand Casino Gulfport. The actual casino barges stayed in the water.

This is, I believe, what they used as a convention center for the Grand Casino in Gulfport. I am standing on Hwy. 90 facing the beach.

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On the beach. You can see the parking garage on the right, in the background, for the Grand Casino Gulfport.

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Riemanns Funeral Home on Hwy. 49 in Gulfport. This is not very far from the beach at all so I would imagine that this area was under at least 10 feet of water. It looks like flood debris on the Oldsmobile buildings overhang.

Same as below, just another house on Dedeaux...

Just a house on Dedeaux Rd. Gulfport.

Baptist Church on Dedeaux Rd. in Gulfport.

This is the area I pretty much grew up in. I actually lived in these apartments when I was a toddler. Richardson Apartments off of Lorraine Rd.

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Robinwood Forest area in Gulfport. I only took a few shots of this area, not much damage. This is a good ways North of the coast.

Same as below.

Just past the house below, driving towards Mom's. This is in Gulfport off of Highway 53 for those that know the area.

Same house as below, just different angle.

I'm not sure if anyone lived here before the storm but this is down the road from Mom's house.