Remembering When It Was Dry

Watching all the news coverage last night of Hurricane Ike battering Galveston, Texas, I couldn't help but remember my trip down to the island this past February and wonder just how much of what I saw was still there. The Hotel Galvez, where I stayed, is/was right on the water, and I'm sure it took quite a beating — along with plenty of other hotels and buildings, which were so nicely restored after the Great Storm of 1900. I wonder if things are alright in the Strand, including at La King's (where Ernest Torres made the great taffy), and I hope all the nice folks I met back in February who took such great care of us (like Jackie and Jim) are okay. And hopefully people like George Mitchell, who threw one hell of a party for Mardi Gras, are also safe.

So today my thoughts are with all these people and places. If you want to see my pictures from the weekend, just click on that link. And if you'd like to read about my trip, click here. Otherwise, let's all hope the city and its residents are alright and that they will recover from this storm.