Hurricane's A-Comin'

We're just a few days away from another hurricane. While the eye of the hurricane is predicted to miss New Orleans and the Mississippi Gulf Coast, that area will most likely bear a forceful storm, perhaps the brunt of the rains and winds this monster is bringing.
Even this far inland we as a community are preparing. The local stores have run out of supplies several times. Water, batteries, flashlights, rechargeable lanterns and radios, canned goods; all are being hoarded by our locals - including myself. We remember just a few years ago, when Katrina and Rita brought such destruction, not only devastating the coastal regions, but mauling Hattiesburg, Pearl, Brandon, Meridian and other cities and communities well inland of the Gulf.
And preparations are being made to help those who will flee from the coast, many of whom are already headed this way.
We had planned a day trip to Baton Rouge with friends for this weekend, but cancelled after we spoke with another friend who lives there.
"The town is crazy. Traffic is nuts. People are flooding in," he said, explaining that he was coming to Natchez not to avoid the storm, but to flee from Baton Rouge and the insanity that has already ensued days before the hurricane is expected to strike.
Weather stations don't agree on the date of landfall, but the majority agrees on where it will strike - Morgan City appears to be its bulls-eye. They also commonly predicted that it would be a Category 3 by the time it made landfall in the U.S., and I think that's an underestimation.
As I check the weather this morning I find that Gustav, centered just southeast of western Cuba, is already at 3 and expected to gain more strength before it actually passes over the island.
Then it will hit that warm, shallow, Gulf.
God, have mercy on us all.
If you read this post, please comment to let me know. Unless power runs out I'll keep tabs on what's going on in the Natchez-Vidalia area. If you don't see my posts here, it's because it's bad enough here that updates are impossible.
I fear that a strong enough storm could find its way to our area this time, before its power can be greatly abated. And I hope I'm wrong.
So how's that for a pessimistic post? Here's the good news. When I stocked up on water, canned goods, batteries, and dog food, I also made sure I had a good supply of Heineken. No one can say I didn't pay attention to the essentials.

The Ritz Theatre

I think the Ritz Theatre has been closed ever since I moved here in 1977, though there had been a kind of jewelry store there for several years. The facade was in terrible shape, the roof had already been damaged when a tornado struck Natchez in 1998 and tore it up even more.
You can see the old Ritz in the Tom Hanks movie "The Lady Killers," as the old woman walks by it several times during the movie. It was also featured in "My Dog Skip" as the kids go in to see a John Wayne movie. I was told by movie construction people that they had to build a platform for the kids to stand on because the floor was so damaged.
Now the Ritz is coming back, as you can see on the right. I don't know what they're going to do with it, but the restored Art Deco facade looks great. They are currently working on the neon, some of which you can see has been replaced already. Clicking on the thumbnail at right will show you a larger view. I took this photo and several others today (August 16, 2008).

A Quick Note

To anyone viewing this blog, I welcome comments about the blog or things talked about in the blog, but I'd really like to hear from folks who have been to Natchez - your experiences, good or bad. When you have a good experience I can use that to promote Natchez. When your experience is bad, sometimes I can take those comments to the people responsible. I can't always promise change, but often it's a learning experience that helps us be more hospitable and attentive to the needs of visitors.
That said, if you comment just to trash the place, surely you know where your comments will end up. Just being fair.

Fun in the Fall

Natchez' food and wine festival was a blazing success, but there's plenty more coming before the year is up. Speaking of food and wine, one of the events is the Martha White Biscuit Cook-off, which has led us to be called "The Biscuit Capital of the World!" (Now there's a strange claim-to-fame.)
The Jim Bowie Festival is up next. It's a fun time outdoors with arts and crafts, food, and really great music. The entertainment always starts with Gospel - it's a good Southern tradition - then moves into combinations of blues, rock, and this year a little rhythm & blues. The headliner is none other than T. Graham Brown. If you don't recognize the name you may not be old enough, but you'll recognize the voice. T. had several top-ten hits in the '80's, but he's also sung on commercials for McDonald's, Coca-Cola, Budweiser, and Ford Trucks, and is probably best known in the commercial world for Taco Bell's "Run For The Border."
October will be a busy month for Natchez, but it's also a good time of year to be here weather-wise. The Phatwater Kayak Challenge is coming up October 11, Natchez Fall Pilgrimage of Homes gives you three weeks to tour antebellum homes around the city. But the really big show happens the third weekend of October. The Great Mississippi River Balloon Race is going to be a great one this year! The beauty of seeing all those hot air balloons in the sky, the excitement of the contests, one of which is trying to hit a target on a floating river barge with a bean bag tossed from your balloon. Meanwhile, the entertainment on the fairgrounds will be extraordinary. Dave Mason is the headliner this year. Mason (for those of you who didn't live through the '70's) was a founding member of "Traffic," along with Steve Winwood. He wrote the often-recorded rock 'n' roll anthem "Feelin' Alright," made most famous by Joe Cocker. Cajun fiddle, Zydeco accordion, young rock, and ending with Country Sunday with Shenandoah.
We're having a lot of fun down here, and we'd love to have you all join us. Now we've offered the invitation. If you sit home all Fall and miss it, it's your own fault.