The Leather Oaks Garden -- Katrina ! !

Damage Assessment and Recovery

This Page Created on February 5th, 2008

While still at my sister's place, I had been able to find a NOAA photo showing the distinctive red metal of my roof, so I was reasonably certain that it was still standing. A friend had been by a few days after the storm checking on things for me, too.
It was most heartening to be able to see the house in person, though, even if through a forest of fallen oak. So you don't think one tree can make a forest? It sure filled my front yard from fence to fence!

Well, the front walk is just a mite cluttered. My big Russian olive didn't fall, but it did get pushed over a good bit.

My Fatsias were in need of pruning, I guess.

That gray pipe provides phone service out to the garage. I removed a good-sized pine bough before grabbing my camera. Amazingly enough, the phone cable wasn't affected.

Oh, my! I guess the Magic Tunnel leads to a temporary dead end. Wasn't that old cedar in my neighbor's yard?
My ersatz well house doesn't exactly look square anymore. And, isn't the big Live Oak a little more slanted than before?

The West side does appear rather desolated, but I believe we can push through the Chinese Bamboo.

The Kidney pond of the Schematic Stream seems intact, but where is everything else?

The schematic stream was in a good bit of disarray. The big pin oak had fallen onto my neighbor's work garage. In falling, the root ball had opened up a huge hole in the earth, tumbling all but the last streamlet. This photo was made after I had cleared things up a little.

     One reason I have no photos of the Leather Oaks pond from the first day home? It simply wasn't visible. Not a sign of any water, and you'd have thought it was solid ground over there.
      So, trying another path, still trying to get over to Neptune's Knoll. My smallest Live Oak is down, and another pin oak just outside the property line decided I needed another hole in my yard.
      Harold's observation, based on a total of four downed trees. Live Oaks pivot when they fall, and leave almost no hole. Pin Oaks make really striking changes in the ground, the huge rootball reaching six or eight feet high, and creating a cavern big enough to crawl through.
      Guess we'd best do some climbing and see if we can catch sight of Neptune!

Ah, Neptune, you made it! We'll try to get your pond restored ASAP. I know, you've had more than the average number of close calls, my friend!

Somewhere down in that mess is the Rubber Creek headwaters. The red panel is from my new roof. Don't ever let anyone tell you that metal roofs are hurricane proof: All it takes is a penny-pinching contractor and improper workmanship.