I wonder......

  Sometimes I ponder about things that most folks would just ignore. For instance, just a few days ago, I pulled a piece of "trash" from the marsh.  It seems to be a never-ending job to keep the area clean.  Folks have a tendency to toss more things into the water as if they will just disappear.  It makes me sad to see such a mess so I use the boathook to fish things out and dispose of them properly.  This piece of trash was a bit different.  It had obviously been in the water for quite some time. Mud and barnacles had encrusted parts of the vinyl whatever-it-was-at-one-time. Presumably some hurricane, most likely Katrina, had deposited the article in the marsh. I am not real sure what in the world I was holding.  The piece was definitely some sort of vinyl (or plastic) but it could have been anything from a box to a purse or even just a notebook of some sort.  All I had was a flat piece of something decorated with blue dots and snowflake-looking designs.  I photographed the thing and discarded it as it was deteriorating with each touch.

  What caught my eye as unique was the fact that someone had labeled this item.  One of those punch label machines had been used to identify the item at one point. The name of Roxann Stockstill stood out in clear letters as did her address.  Wow!  This thing had traveled all the way here from Louisiana!  The address said Orchid Drive in Harvey, Louisiana.  That street is nearly a hundred miles from the Bayou! I wish that I had found this back before the elements took such a toll on the item.  Since it was identifiable, it would have been most grand to return the item to its owner.  Imagine the tales this thing could tell.  The sad part of the whole thing is the fact to have wound up in my Bayou, the home that once held the object must have been destroyed.  Waves must have carried the object over the distance and deposited it here.  I do hope Roxann remained safe and has since recovered from what must have been a devastating loss.  

  The power of hurricanes is astonishing.  The water and wind are things to be respected and most of us near coastlines understand this. Still, things happen...sometimes things that are not to our liking. Sometimes things can be downright devastating.  Roxann Stockstill, whoever and wherever you are, I pray that you are safe.  You have been on my mind for these past few days.