Me and You and an Elephant Named Sue

Well. My photographer called this morning at 6:50. Gave me a heart attack. But, she wasn't giving me bad news (which is always the first thing that floods my mind when the phone rings so early) she was being a top-notch ace reporter. At that moment, Robin Roberts from Good Morning America was very close to 626 Second Street. Probably mullet-tossing distance, give or take. She was standing in front of the Wetzels' house, which--as I have mentioned in a previous post--was the only structure standing on East Beach Boulevard on the afternoon of August 29, 2005. There were a couple panoramic shots of the area around the Wetzels' during the segment, and if I had already had my coffee I might have been able to see our wall. So, hope you all saw that b-and-e this morning. My mom walked down there after Robin was gone and watched the camera crew pack it up. Here are some pics of that. Sort of reminds me of the time dad checked me out of kindergarten one day so we could watch the elephants build the circus tent down at Jones Park at the Gulfport smallcraft harbor. All the elephants had on nametags and we both (Dad and I) got a large kick out of one lovely pachyderm named Sue. She was the hardest worker. Got that three-ringer up in a heartbeat. It's funny how I remember that event, but have absolutely no memory of the actual circus. Just goes to show.

The third picture is of our dear neighbor Uncle Tommy Hewes's home, Blossom Lodge. It was two doors east of the Wetzels' (the Murdocks' were in-between). Now all that's left are Steps to Nowhere. When I was small, you'd still see these steps around on East Beach. Steps that led up sandy concrete paths to rockachaw- and blackberry-filled lots. You could still make out the tiny blue tiles of someone's bathroom floor or the redbrick crumble of an old fireplace. By the time I was in fourth or fifth grade, almost 20 years after Hurricane Camille, most of the Steps to Nowhere were gone. New houses built in their shadows. Well, it's almost like we've gone back in time, isn't it?

See ya later, alligator.