#277 - Mr. George and Ms. Martha

This is a late night post with two people who were added to my blog list today because they were on my mind.  Let me explain. 

The reason that I am not posting until 11:30 pm, is because I spent the weekend in Grand Isle.  The reason that I added these two to my blog is because I thought about them all weekend. 

When I was younger, my family took an annual family vacation (with several other families) to Grand Isle.  The trip was a week long and everyone came and stayed the entire time.  It started out with everyone meeting at one house.  It was usually the Gueniot's house.  Here, everyone would get out of their cars and start to visit.  In retrospect, the vacation really started here because no one was in a hurry, everyone was smiling and laughing, and everyone was relaxed.  It was in the driveway that everyone started to switch around so that friends were riding in the same car as friends.  Today on the way home it took me exactly one hour and 30 minutes from the camp to my front door, but back then, it seemed like we were travelling at least 6 or 7 hours away.  Once we were all secured and accounted for we took off.  After seemingly endless driving, we arrived at our first stop.  The ladies went in to Dufrene's bakery to stock up on all sorts of baked goodies for the week, and the men started to line the children up at the snow-ball stand.  Once again, no one was in a hurry, and good thing because it took us about an hour for everyone to get snowballs and eat them.  Then...back in the cars and off to the island.  Once we got there, it was seven fun-filled days of skiing, sunning, eating, visiting, card playing, talent showing, swimming, and laughing.  Great fun and great memories.

One constant on our vacation was a visit from Mr. George and Ms. Martha.  They were the only people that I knew that actually lived in the "paradise" of Grand Isle all year long and I remember thinking how lucky they were.  They lived in the camp next door (I think) and would come over every afternoon.  What I remember most about Ms. Martha is that she had skin like leather from spending so many days in the sun fishing.  She always had a cigarette in one hand and a mixed drink in the other, and you could hear her all over the camp laughing/hacking with her dry smoker's laugh at someone's joke.  What I remember most about Mr. George is that that he could fix anything.  Each trip, I remember him being at the camp with a hammer and working on one thing or another.  They were always very nice to all of us and I will always remember them smiling.  They have both passed away now, but as I sat on the deck of the camp this weekend, and looked out at the bay, I smiled as I remembered them.

On another note...As I looked out at that same bay, I watched the shrimp boats pull boom in the same spot that I learned to ski.  Grand Isle is full of workers who are spending their days cleaning up the beaches and the boats, and their nights taking part in the island night life. (much to the aggravation of the residents I would imagine).  The oil spill has turned the island into a work-ground instead of the paradise that I remember.  I hope that the damage that has been done so far and the damage I fear is yet to come does not affect the island for long.  It is scary to see the widespread effects that has been done already.  I hope and pray that the spill can be contained soon and the entire Gulf can start its restoration so that the simplicity of life and the beauty of the island can be restored.