A Day

My school opened today.  Exhausting.  The administration insists on opening "orientation" days with 15 minute classes -- barely enough time to toss the books at the kids and say, "Oh yeah, if you don't know me, I'm Ms. C."  The kids are mostly lost and the teachers are mostly frazzled. 

My own grad school class started tonight.  It's actually an undergraduate class with a few of us old folks in there -- but it's the one chance this year to study Ignatian Spirituality under one of the world's foremost experts and most gracious of men.  Let's just say that undergraduates have a whole different level of energy as night falls than their -- ahem -- elders do!

Meanwhile, my mind and heart have been in Louisiana today.  My family in Baton Rouge lost power this afternoon, so I told them to call back about now, after I would have had a chance to catch up on the internet and Weather Channel, so that I can tell them what's going on where they are.  I was particularly taken with these portions of a CNN.com report:

<<A public health expert said New Orleans residents who return to their homes would face "a wilderness" without power and drinking water that will be infested with poisonous snakes and fire ants.

"We would really encourage people not to come back for at least a week," said Ivor van Heerden, deputy director of the Louisiana State University Hurricane Center and director of the Center for the Study of Public Health Impacts of Hurricanes in Baton Rouge.

Van Heerden ticked off the problems anyone returning to the city would find: "no sewage, no drinking water, contamination, threat of rapid increase in mosquitoes, roads are impassible, downed power lines everywhere, trees, debris from houses in the roads, no way to go shopping, no gas."

The water also has dislodged fire ants and thousands of snakes -- including poisonous water moccasins -- from their homes.

"If you came back, you would be coming literally to a wilderness," he said. "Stay where you are, be comfortable; nothing's going to change. If your house is gone, it's gone. If you come back in a day or a week, it's not going to make any difference.">>

If you are so inclined, this would be a good time to make a donation to the Red Cross.  My family will be able to come home eventually to a house with roof, plumbing, and sewer system intact, but many, many folks have not been so lucky.

In the meantime, a look at a moment in less traumatic waters:

Sanderling, Cavendish Beach, Prince Edward Island