As I pack to leave.

for the hurricane area, I just remembered a story I hadn't thought of, for a long time. I was at a campground, outside Beaumont, TX, (same place I'm headed now), and people were straggling out of New Orleans. The space beside me opened up, and a family from New Orleans was 'given', the space, (they were very hard to come by), and these people had no money. Anyway, talked w/the guy as he set up, and found out he had wanted to stay in 'Nawlins', but after a few days, his friend/neighbor had opened up the neighborhood convenience store, after being closed since the storm. Within a few hours, he was robbed at gun point, by 3 black guys, who took what they wanted, then shot and killed him. Somehow, someone called the Nat'l Guard, and before the crooks could load up and leave, there was a shootout, (right in front of my new buddy). The bad guys lost, big time. When it was over, the guard loaded all the bodies, including my guy's friend, into the back of a pick up, and took 'em off to the local body depository. My new campmate decided, at that time, it was time to get outa town. A couple days later,I headed out, to Houma, (bullseye for Gustav, this time), and rode out Hurricane Rita, in a little trailer, (longest night of my life), and heard the storm had totally destroyed the campground I was in. Always wondered what happened to those people