Letter from Mississippi

My friend Bill is still down in Mississippi doing volunteer relief work for the victims of Hurricane Katrina. Here is an email he sent this morning, describing a day in the life of a relief worker:

Date: Sat 11/5/2005 8:06 AM
Subject: News from Pass Christian Mississippi

Camp life.

Waking, I wonder what time it is, I do not have an alarm clock but it is still full dark. I crawl out of bed and turn on the light. The worst part about living in a tent is the walk to the bathroom, actually it is not the walk, it is the hassle of putting on pants and shoes for the 30 yard trek. Someone has turned out the light in the bathroom, it is on a pull chain and takes a minute to find in the dark. I leave it on when I am done and get back to the tent. Reading glasses, my watch, it is 5:10 am.

May as well tell you about our accommodations, there are eight full time residents; three in campers and five in tents, more come and go staying a few days at a time. We have three others who are temporarily away in the real world but are expected to return.

We share a common bathroom that was discovered in the remains of a small commercial building on the property. We shoveled out a garage bay, washed the mold from the walls with Clorox, tarped the roof and re-plumbed the toilet. It is a real luxury after the porta-poties. Jerry built a shower stall on top of some plastic pallets surrounded by the ubiquitous tarps. We all chipped in on a new hot water heater and a new washer and dryer appeared. So we have all the comforts of home - at least if you come from a large multi generation family sharing a single bath.

Back in bed with the light still on I doze off fitfully and am awakened by the first rain here since Hurricane Rita came close. It is nice to hear the rhythm of it on my tent, which stays perfectly dry. The tent is a donation from a Rotary organization called Shelterbox. I worked with their people and distributed some of them on my first trip here. It's octagon about 15 feet in diameter and probably 8 feet tall in the middle. I have it all to myself and have electricity so I can charge my phone and computerfluorescentcent work light hangs from the apex and gives my old eyes enough light to read. Funny though I do not read much even though there are half a dozen novels in reserve in a cardboard box. I have a closet rod made from a furring strip and a plastic three-drawer storage container for my clothes. I feel like I have everything I need or want. Stuff really does not matter down here.

The bed is a real coup. It is two cots duct taped together topped with a full size air mattress and an eclectic collection of ugly blankets from the donations tent. Both comfortable and comforting while dozing and listening to the rain. All of this is topped off by my 13" TV sitting on a plastic storage box. It gets one channel abc,.. don't watch much TV.

My cocooning is interrupted by Willis calling from outside the tent. He needs help putting tarps over cardboard boxes that are stacked in pallets in the yard outside the food tent. The decision was made not to cover them last night but now it is the right thing to do. Willis, Bobby and I run around in the rain unfurling and deploying tarps, some are billboard sized.

We all end up in the kitchen tent. Time to make coffee, a quick first pot in the drip maker while the big percolator works on another gallon and a half. I have become the primary coffee maker because I am the early riser. There are always some locals and perhaps police or firefighters that stop in for their first cup.

Gary the cook is sleeping in so Bobby a proficient backhoe operator and a chainsaw guy surprises us by making pancakes and eggs while we watch it rain.

Time to go to work, my first day in the new chainsaw tent. I just realized we have a village of tents each with a special purpose. My brother-in-law Joe, an anthropologist could probably draw some societal insight here. The chainsaw tent is actually a new 10 by 20 portable carport. A metal frame covered with - guess what? - Tarps. I bought it when I met Robin in Montgomery on Saturday and set it up yesterday to protect the tools and saws from the then forecasted rain.

Willy, the local electrician shows up with a crew of two and sets a new electric box in the bathroom-laundry. New blue boxes and yellow romex nailed to the walls replace extension cords. fluorescentescent light works with a switch on the wall! Willy leaves me new breakers and romex. With my salvaged electric supplies I plan some additional improvements to be implemented later.

Jerry has left me a donated saw that does not run. I rebuild the carb put in a plug and sharpen the chain. While I am working on it Homer comes in. He has had three strokes but thinks he needs to cut some of his own trees. He has been checking in to see if we have a saw for him every other day or so for a week. I show him the parts on my bench then write his name on the case with a magic marker. "This is your saw Homer, pick it up next time you come in." His eyes water as he thanks me.

Jerry took some of his tools home to Nashville and I do not have everything I need to do the job. I close up shop for the hour and a half it takes and go to Home Depot in Gulfport. My second trip in as many weeks. It is north of the city proper up on highway 10, very close to the LOC from my first trip. Carb cleaner degreaser (they only have three cans I buy them all). Starting fluid, two gallons of bar oil, a gallon of WD40, can you believe it comes in gallons? I will put it in spray bottles, I use it on everything mechanical and electrical that got flooded and may be savable. Metric hex wrenches, vice grips, some blue plastic electric boxes, miscellaneous stuff for others. I get out for $98.

Back at work catching up on chains, I sharpen a dozen or so, people bringing them in mostly one and two at time. One volunteer crew brings me eight.

My chainsaw work is interrupted three times, twice to unload donations at the food tent and once to unload ice.

It is dinner time and the kids (Willis, Ali, Bobby and Timmy all twenty-something) and I agree to hit the FEMA tent, this is the last night for that caterer and we figure it will be good. It is. Roast pork with veggies and fake mashed potatoes, good cake for desert. They always have Diet Coke! Willis has an idea and he and I head for the kitchen past the employees only sign. I spot a guy working on a computer and we head for him. Sure enough he is the manager. We tell him about our distribution center and beg for donations. Yes, they are closing tonight but are moving to a new location in another town. They are supposed to take everything with them. The manager suggests that if we show up at 1:00 tomorrow with our trucks he while "give us some stuff." Intentionally vague, definitely off the books but we know it will be worth our while to return. I like this guy.

Back to camp and my tent. I do some email, work on mailing lists, shop ebay unsuccessfully for a new camera and update my website with the Distribution center address. I get to bed later than planned about ten.

Just a routine day, don't feel like I accomplished much. Will do better tomorrow.