1/18/18 Isolated on the West Bank....

Congregation Coffee Roasters just up the street. City still frozen but a glorious bright blue bird egg sky morning. All interstates still closed, ferry still closed. Car doors frozen closed. Totally isolated on the West Bank. At least we don’t have to boil water as they are suggesting for folks on the east side. Apparently with all the broken water pipes and people running water all night to keep pipes from freezing there isn’t enough water pressure at the treatment plants to assure adequate protection. Thankfully we made grocery shopping as priority the first day and there’s plenty of partially used variety of dried beans and pasta left from previous renters. Folks a little ignorant about freezing weather here. Conversation in the coffee shop is about how “some people” have houses that are insulated and one of the workers here cracked her windshield this morning by pouring hot water on it to de-ice! 

I suspect we will again hang low today exploring the neighborhood and checking out the few eating and drinking establishments near by. (All the while trying to avoid broken hips!) If the ferry starts running again we might go into the French Quarter. Otherwise, it’s curl up on the couch with the dog and get imaginative for dinner. Herman and I do enjoy our walks. The levee is one block behind our place so we march up there to watch the barges cruise by on the river, marvel at the N.O skyline and supervise the maritime works in the dry dock as they re-outfit a bright red tug boat. Of course, H has to stop and smell everything and is learning to be cautious stepping onto ice. He fell thru this morning. Thankfully it was just a puddle so he got wet only up to his knees!