AFTER KATRINA BREAK

OCTOBER 2005

This was our first trip back to Navarre Beach since the week before Hurricane Ivan.  We were scheduled to go back the week hurricane Dennis wiped the island out for the second time.  All of our trips this year have been canceled due to illness or disasters, and Hurricane Katrina didn't do anything to help.  To find out what happened to us during Katrina, you can follow the Hurricane Katrina Blog here.

The island itself is still recovering from Dennis.  It's quite shocking in some ways.  Here's a shot for instance of the beach house from this week.  You can see that the stairs are still torn away, and the new construction next door isn't finished yet.  

Here's the same shot from before Ivan.

The beach is very eroded, but it was actually worse than this right after Dennis.
Katrina actually put sand back on the beach!  This shot is looking east.
You can just see that a section of the pier is missing.

Looking west, you can actually see the high-rise hotels in Pensacola, about 14 miles away.

Virginia with Virginia on the deck in the early morning.
Virginia #2 hasn't managed to change out of my shirt that she was sleeping in.
I just love her wild hair in the morning.

Virginia on the beach.

Virginia napping with Madeline.  She's going to kill me for this one...

I was trying to have a nap, but I was ambushed.

'

Reading about whales.

Can you say, 'Crashed'?

This is a shot taken by tripod after I got back from my Monday walk.  I noticed that the reflection in the window was almost a perfect mirror, so I used it that way.  All the treasure I collected on my Sunday walk is spread out in front of me.  I've got the best tan I've ever had in my life.

Of course, if you're not paying attention, someone will take an embarrassing shot of you...

We took a few cute pictures of the kids on Monday afternoon.  This one is pretty good.

Of course, she didn't always cooperate.  She was, for instance, distracted by her dress.
I think the caption for this one should be, "Oh!  My precious!  You look so...

...DELICIOUS!"

Of course, sometimes she just totally lost it...

When she wasn't distracted, though, she was pretty cute.

Here is Madeline.

Compare that picture to this one of Virginia at the same age.  Same hat too...

Tommy and Virginia

There's a good one!

Virginia places a shell on the altar.