2009 – Week #10 Mississippi Gulf Coast Blue Bird Trail Update

Welcome back, Blue Bird enthusiasts! It’s Week #10 of the 2009 Mississippi Gulf Coast Blue Bird Trail Survey in Long Beach.

Master Naturalist Buddy John makes a notation at Nesting Box #7 during Week #10 of the Mississippi Gulf Coast Blue Bird Trail Survey.

And the heat and humidity are back on the Gulf Coast! [sweat drips off the author's brow] And, wouldn’t you know, just as the weather here on the Gulf Coast turns hot and humid, my air conditioner quits running! Great!

We are basically at the halfway point of the 2009 Blue Bird mating season here, and activity on the Trail continued in high gear this past week.

A juvenile Blue Bird which flew from Nesting Box #6 stays close to his mother Friday morning, in a tree near the nesting box.

Master Naturalist Buddy John and your author are very enthused with the results of the 2009 Blue Bird mating season thus far.

The First Hatch of the season has officially ended now, with the last remaining Blue Bird baby from Hatch 1, residing in Box #1, flying from the nest during this past week.

They stayed close on the Nesting Box, too.

The Trail totals from the First Hatch of 2009, included: 33 total Blue Bird eggs, 5 of which were sterile, and 28 Blue Bird babies flying from the nests, since the first trail survey of 2009, back on March 4.

In the 21 weeks of the 2008 Season, we had a total of 45 Blue Bird babies fly from the nests.

This juvenile Blue Bird feeds on the ground near the Nesting Box.

This week during the Survey, we found: 1 Blue Bird baby had flown from the nest, 8 new Blue Bird eggs in nests, 5 nests built or under construction, and only 3 empty nesting boxes. A great flurry of activity to move into the Second Hatch.

Here are the results of Friday’s Blue Bird Trail Survey – May 8, 2009:

Nesting Box #1 – 1 Blue Bird baby flew from the nest, 3 sterile Blue Bird eggs confirmed, removed old nest, cleaned box. – Last Week: 1 Blue Bird baby, 3 Blue Bird eggs.

Nesting Box #2 – New Blue Bird nest completed, 3 Blue Bird eggs. – Last Week: A few pieces of new straw in box.

Nesting Box #3 – New Blue Bird nest built. – Last Week: Empty box, no activity.

Nesting Box #4 – New Blue Bird nest built. – Last Week: New Blue Bird nest under construction.

There were 3 new Blue Bird eggs in Nesting Box #4 in Friday morning’s Survey.

Nesting Box #5 – Empty box, no activity. – Last Week: Empty box, no activity.

Nesting Box #6 – Some new straw in box. – Last Week: Empty box, no activity.

Nesting Box #7 – New Blue Bird nest complete, 3 Blue Bird eggs. – Last Week: New nest partially built.

There were 3 new Blue Bird eggs in Nesting Box #7 this morning, too.

Nesting Box #8 – Some new straw in box. – Last Week: Empty box, no activity.

Nesting Box #9 – Empty box, no activity. – Last Week: Empty box, no activity.

Nesting Box #10 – Empty box, no activity. – Last Week: Empty box, no activity.

Nesting Box #11 – New Blue Bird nest built, 1 Blue Bird egg. – Last Week: Empty box, no activity.

Nesting Box #12 – Some new straw in box. – Last Week: 4 Blue Bird babies flew from the nest, no eggs in old nest; removed old nest, cleaned box.

Nesting Box #13 – New Blue Bird nest built, 1 Blue Bird egg. – Last Week: Empty nest, no activity.

These beautiful little yellow wildflowers were in great abundance in the north pasture this week.

Oh yes: only 23 more days remaining until the 2009 Atlantic/Gulf Coast Hurricane Season begins.

Here at the South Mississippi Regional Center this morning, a hurricane evacuation drill was held, complete with our clients being loaded onto buses and vans for a short trip away from the Center, and then back again.

The drill went very smoothly. Hopefully, no evacuations will be necessary during this hurricane season.

Have a good week!

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HURRICANE IKE UPDATE: KATHRYN IN HOUSTON – SHE’S OK!

KATHRYN AND HER FAMILY ARE OK!

Following is another Update concerning Kathryn, of ThisCouldGetUglier, in Houston, as Hurricane IKE pounds the area with wind and rain.

Kathryn, of ThisCouldGetUglier, in Houston, Texas.

I talked with Kathryn a few minutes ago, and thankfully, she and her family (and her immediate neighborhood) are OK, as the worst of Hurricane IKE has gone past them.

I had last called her cell phone and Blackberry around 10:00AM this morning, and left messages when there was no answer at either service.

And then, at 11:00AM, she called.

She said there is only intermittent cellular service, and no email service, so this was the first she could call out to the world.

Power is down to over two million households in the great Houston area, including the western fringe where Kathryn’s home is located.

Kathryn described the sound of the worst of the hurricane moving through in the middle of the night, as horrifying! She said she didn’t like it at all! She added her little three-year old son woke up around 3:00AM and asked what that terrible noise was. He then reportedly said, “Daddy, quit snoring so loud!”

The lad’s sleeping cot had been set up in a closet under a stairs, while his mom and dad were set up next to the closet, in the hallway.

Kathryn advised that, even though they have no electricity, they do have working water, a gas stove they can cook on, and a gas hot water heater so that they may have hot showers. She added that it is a bummer not having air conditioning, but feels that they are blessed and thankful for having their health and what things they do have.

Currently, she said they are experiencing some brisk winds and sideways rain, which are less in intensity than when the major part of the storm passed them by.

All-in-all, she is very thankful to have the worst of the storm passed them.

Kathryn asked me to express her sincere appreciation for all of the thoughts and prayers that her internet friends have sending their way during this huge, threatening storm.

Her first words spoken to me this morning, were:

“We’re alive! We’re OK!

And that, is truly a blessing to celebrate.

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HURRICANE SEASON UPDATE: IKE TO STRIKE TEXAS COAST & KATHRYN at THISCOULDGETUGLIER!

Well, it’s all but official to most people now.

Hurricane IKE will not be turning north and coming ashore on the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

That landfall honor will fall, unfortunately, to the Texas Gulf Coast, in the Galveston-Houston area, where Kathryn, of ThisCouldGetUglier, lives.

Mandatory evacuation orders have been issued by Texas area authorities south of Houston today for persons living near the coast and in low-lying areas south of Houston, and hopefully, the thousands of residents there, living in harm’s way, are heeding the call to evacuate from there. As of yet, Houston city residents have not been requested to evacuate.

Several swimmers splash around in the high waves from Hurricane Ike, on the beach in Long beach, Mississippi.

Hurricane IKE is currently classified as a Category 2 hurricane, with hurricane winds OF 100 MILES PER HOUR, ranging out 110 miles from the eye, and tropical storm strength winds ranging out 200+ miles from the eye. It is a monster storm, some 450-500 miles across, and is predicted to make landfall between Galveston and Houston Friday evening or Saturday morning.

Cars traveling on Hwy 90 this evening on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, and get a blasting from wind-blown sand caused by strong winds of Hurricane Ike.

Here on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, we are approximately 275-300 miles north of the eye, currently under a Tropical Storm Warning, and we are presently experiencing sustained winds in the 30-40 mile per hour range, with gusts up into the 50s. There is some flooding in low-lying coastal areas and the storm surge is predicted to continue to rise during the night, and coincides with a morning high tide.

Hurricane Ike strong sustained winds move high waves ashore in Pass Christian Thursday evening along Hwy 90.

KATHRYN, of THIS COULD GET UGLIER.

When she was deciding on a name for her blog, I don’t know if Kathryn really suspected how appropriate the name would become, when a massive hurricane bore down on her home on Sept. 11, 2008. There isn’t a shadow of a doubt that living where she is living in Houston, is going to get uglier, real quick!

The newly rebuilt Pass Christian Yacht Club building towers above the waves Thursday afternoon generated by Hurricane Ike.

In an email I received from her this morning, Kathryn said that she and her family plan to ride out IKE and will hunker down in their home, and have prepared accordingly, by filling the two bath tubs up with water, laying in an extra supply of batteries, bottled water, a cooler full of food, two radios, and ice.

Shaggy’s Cafe on the Beach in Pass Christian, has water to the ground floor, and the nearby piers are also almost underwater Thursday afternoon, caused by IKE.

That said, with the huge size that IKE is, I worry and fret for Kathryn and her family’s safety, as Kathryn, Quin, , Maggie, Mandy, Dawn, Melissa, Melissa, Carissa, Cathy, Christine, Witchypoo, Jesse, Warriorwitch, Shania, Christina, Kim, Sarah, Pam, Nutmeg, and so many others expressed that they fretted for my safety and that of my fellow Mississippi Gulf Coast residents as Hurricane GUSTAV approached us two weeks ago.

That fret is even more pronounced if IKE should strengthen to a high Category 3 or 4 prior to landfall. At this point, weather forecasters don’t know if it will increase in intensity.

Strong waves generated by winds from Hurricane Ike pound ashore along Beach Boulevard in Bay St. Louis Thursday evening.

This morning, the first outer band winds were felt here in Long beach, and we had several quick, hard showers, as an outer rain band or two came by.

The sustained winds from the outer bands of IKE continued to strengthen during today, and parts of Hwy 90 along the beach in Pass Christian, and Beach Boulevard in Bay St. Louis, started to flood.

Beach Boulevard in Bay St. Louis.

This evening, I took a little ride over to 90 and over to Bay St. Louis to see what kind of wave action and wind were coming ashore, as IKE passed some 275-300 miles to our south.

I found that Hwy 90 in Long Beach and Pass Christian along the beach have become virtual sand blasting tunnels, as the strong sustained winds from offshore flow in to the beach, picking up the sand and blasting it towards the west.

Large waves pound the St. Stanislaus School pier on Beach Boulevard in Bay St. Louis, with the CSX rail bridge and the new, $266.8 million, high-rise Bay Bridge in the background.

Waves in Long beach and Pass Christian were increasing in size, and crashing heavily against the shore and piers located there.

Huge piles of shore debris from Hurricane GUSTAV were evident in many areas along the beach and Hwy 90, having been recently pushed into piles for removal. Hopefully, IKE won’t add too much debris to what GUSTAV washed ashore.

Over in Bay St. Louis, the waves hitting the Beach Boulevard are growing steadily, and this evening are estimated to be as high as 5′-6′. I stopped at the St. Stanislaus School Campus in the Bay, and walked out on their newly rebuilt pier to take some pics of the massive waves coming ashore.

The 20-30 of us who were out there, were told to evacuate from the pier, as school officials felt that with the heavy wave action coming in, the pier might not be safe.

The newly rebuilt St. Stanislaus School pier gets pounded by heavy waves Thursday evening, caused by strong winds from Hurricane Ike.

During the hour or so that I was along the beach over in The Bay, the waves coming in became noticeably deeper, from when I first starting watching them, and left water and spray cascading high into the air as the waves thundered into the beach and the piers.

Those folks on the Texas coast between Galveston and Houston, right now have sustained winds of 100 miles per hour and huge amounts of storm surge heading their way. Not a good scenario!

Please join me in extending our thoughts and prayers to them as they face this deadly threat called Hurricane IKE.

I will try to maintain contact with Kathryn during and after the hurricane, to learn what has happened there with her family.

Kathryn and family, and all of your fellow Texas Gulf Coast residents,

PLEASE STAY SAFE!

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HURRICANE SEASON UPDATE: IKE WILL HOPEFULLY MISS THE MISSISSIPPI GULF COAST

As the hours pass and Hurricane IKE continues on its path through Cuba, the 8:00PM WeatherUnderground Model Tracks tentatively have IKE sliding west of the Mississippi Gulf Coast, and probably coming ashore Saturday on either the Louisiana, Texas or Mexican Gulf Coast.

GO, IKE!

GO! GO! GO!

To the western Gulf Coast.

The computer model tracking report of 24-hours from now, will help provide a much better idea of where IKE is headed, but preliminarily, it’s looking much better for coastal Mississippi, and I, for one, am feeling a little less anxious and a little more relieved.

Should that Tuesday evening report continue to confirm this evening’s models, then perhaps we will hopefully not have to evacuate our Center clients for this hurricane, which would mean that our Center clients would not have to undergo the hugely stressful experience that the evacuation process puts them through.

And the hurricane fatigue that many Mississippi coastal residents are feeling during this hurricane season, would decrease a great deal. And that they need to have happen, with many still reeling from painful memories of Hurricane Katrina, three years ago.

A number of local residents have expressed that they feel bad for the people of Texas, Louisiana and Mexico. who have a much larger probability as each hour passes, of having IKE make landfall on their soil, rather than in Mississippi. Many also expressed concern for those people who have already felt IKE’s fury, in the Caribbean.

Again, it is a bit early to really know for sure where IKE will hit, but all things considered, it’s looking better for the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

That’s a little ‘whew’ you’re hearing, folks.

More to come…

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HURRICANE SEASON UPDATE: MISSISSIPPI GULF COAST

IKE.

Hurricane IKE.

Probably not since the days of World War II and the 1950s in American politics, has this famous nickname drawn such acute attention from the American people.

Born in Texas, Dwight David Eisenhower rose to prominence during WW-II to become the General of the Army and Supreme Commander of Allied Forces in Europe, and presided over the defeat of German forces in that theater of the war.

In 1952, “IKE” was elected the 34th President of the United States, and then was re-elected in 1956.

Eisenhower “Ike” and his wife, Mamie, retired to a Pennsylvania farm adjacent to where the pivotal battle of the American Civil War was fought on July 2, 3 & 4, 1863, at Gettysburg.

Now, the “IKE” nickname is again prominently in the news, this time as a Category 4 Hurricane, on track to ravage the entire east coast of Cuba, and then become the second hurricane in the past two weeks to enter the Gulf of Mexico and threaten the Gulf Coast of the United States.

As is usual at this stage of the hurricane’s progress west, it is too early to tell where the eye of IKE may make landfall. As the computer models above illustrate, IKE could go several directions, including towards the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Most of the models have tracks moving towards the Texas coastline.

Here at the Center, we stand ready to implement client evacuation plans again, if IKE heads this way. Much of the cleanup of debris from Hurricane Gustav has been accomplished. And, the two shrimp boats deposited on Shaggy’s entrance road in the Pass Christian harbor, have been removed and Shaggy’s is open for business again.

Locally, some houses remain that have their windows still boarded over, although most businesses have removed their boards, and put them back into storage until next time.

Once IKE leaves Cuba and enters the Gulf, its track will be more positively defined, and perhaps we will have a better idea if it is, in fact, headed in our direction.

Until then, we continue to anxiously wait. And watch the Weather Channel. And check the models at the National Hurricane Center and WeatherUnderground.

With more folks around here starting to exhibit signs of a bit of Hurricane Fatigue, as well as some unpleasant flashback memories of Hurricane Katrina, the next few days of waiting will not be easy ones.

IKE, we loved and respected where your name came from, but we don’t like who you are now.

GO AWAY!

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HURRICANE SEASON UPDATE: MISSISSIPPI GULF COAST

These past 3-4 days on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, it has been very quiet, mostly sunny, very humid, with folks here going on with their lives, and not saying too much about Hurricane GUSTAV anymore, except to say that the coast here was fortunate, this time.

There continues to be heard a number of expressions of relief here that the Mississippi coast is still pretty much intact, unlike the first days after Katrina three years ago. Sadly, the same cannot be said for our neighbors to the west, in coastal Louisiana. We wish them Godspeed, and send them our thoughts and prayers.

In the back of most everyone’s mind, though, is a bit of interest about the storms churning around out in the Atlantic, coming off the coast of Africa, more specifically, Hurricane IKE.

As is normal at this stage, though, so much of IKE’s near future is unknown, because of all the variables that can and will interact with it during the next five days of its journey in the Atlantic.

That interest was heightened some late this afternoon when the National Hurricane Center released its latest models of IKE and its potential tracks, several of which have IKE passing between the southern tip of Florida and Cuba, entering the Gulf by next Wednesday.

Eeeee-yeah! That sort of got a lot of people’s attention here abouts, especially the blue and red models, which rather project a possible landfall on the Mississippi coast.

Again, it is way too early in the tracking process to begin to worry about a landfall here, but it is lurking out there, as a possibility.

And, I, for one, having just experienced my first hurricane, up front and close, am paying attention.

On the campus of the Center, we continue to pick up debris after GUSTAV, and wind down from many of the preparation and implementation procedures that took place before, during and after the hurricane, to protect our clients and the campus.

The clients are all back in their cottages again, with the final buses arriving from our sister institutions to the north who hosted them, bringing them home on Wednesday afternoon.

While working in some of the cottages yesterday and today, I had the opportunity to ask several of the clients if they were glad to be back home. The almost unanimous responses were: “Oh, yes, I’m glad,” or some variation of that. Some enjoyed their bus trips, and some didn’t, it turns out.

Members of our direct care, dietary, professional and education staff, nursing and supervisors, who accompanied and cared for the clients while they were away, also returned home after spending several very long days and nights with the clients at the several locations of safe harbor.

Once the clients were all safely squared away in their cottages with rested staff to care for them, Tuesday and Wednesday evenings, the first order of business for most of the evacuation staff was sleep! Which most of them did not get much of during their evacuation experiences. I can vouch for that feeling, not getting much sleep over the weekend myself. Just a little too much anxiety, I guess, from a hurricane first-timer.

Needless-to-say, plans are on the table and ready to activate for the next client evacuation, if that need comes to be, either in a week, or at some other time in this hurricane season, which is now in its most active phase.

When Ray and I brought home all the equipment, soiled bedding, floor matts and client duffel bags from the STF last Tuesday and Wednesday, we left the 20 air mattresses there for our staff, just in case they might be needed for another evacuation in the near future. One less truckload of stuff we will need to haul up there. The STF building where our 42 special needs clients were housed last weekend, is all cleaned and ready to go.

Most of our Center staff who evacuated away from the area with their families ahead of GUSTAV, are also now back at work on the campus, too. Our branch office for Early Childhood Intervention (EIP), over in Bay St. Louis, has been closed, and all the staff, equipment, supplies and records have been redeployed to an area in one of the buildings at the Center campus, after the EIP office in the Bay, experienced about 20 inches of murky storm surge water during GUSTAV.

Speaking as a first-hand, first-time observer of the hurricane operations procedures during GUSTAV carried out by Center leaders and staff, I have to give them all high marks for their efficiency, dedication and determination to keep our clients and campus safe during this hurricane exposure. I hope they all gave themselves high marks and a pat on the back, too, for a job well done!

Now, we’ll see what next week may hold for us, as these roller coaster ‘waves’ from the African coast keep chugging and churning our way.

Sincere thanks, again, to all of you out there, for standing with us in spirit, thought and prayer during the stressful Hurricane Gustav experience of this past weekend. It is most appreciated!

Until the next Mississippi Gulf Coast Hurricane Update (if one is needed)…

Take Care!

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