Percy-L: Literary, Religious, Scientific, and Philosophical Discussion of Walker Percy

[Dave Duty <daveduty AT austin.rr.com>]

As per Nikki's request -- below are two personal email he sent me in regards to my queries about his safety as a result of Hurricane Katrina:

Dear Dave,

 

Sorry to be so slow in responding but our power has been knocked out and just come back at my office.

 

We're still here and with a whole skin and all the pets are well. You would not recognize Red Bluff however. You're two of the last few lucky ones who got to see the place in the full flush of its horticultural grandure before devastation set in. But we're gradually little by little putting things back together.

 

It has now been two weeks of 98% humidity and 90 + degrees of heat. It is what ms dickenson would call "all we need of hell." The extent of the destruction of Red Bluff is just beginning to sink in and this evening I must go home and pour  cornopil on the pool and snake-pond to keep the skeeters at bay.

 

The pets have been remarkably resiliant though they're as depressed as we are.
And then there's that consoling man Bush looking forward to a bosky sundowner on the porch of Trent Lott's Phoenix like new contemplated house.

 

When Walker wrote of the good feelings produced by oncoming hurricanes, I don't think he had category 5 in his mind's eye. We stayed through it all but the Percy family left town for this one and it is now impossible to reach their house by car and will remain so for another week or more. The snarl of chainsaws is ubiquitous. Thanks for all your good wishes, however.

 

 

Nikki and Carol

Pepper Blue, Morgan Whiteney, Isambard Brunell, Tundifur Mudpaws and the tribe of itenerant racoons.

Dear Dave,

 

Our problem wasn't flooding and I don't think flooding would have threatened Bunt. What was utterly demoralizing was the crash of tall pine trees that demolished houses. Bunt is in Jackson Miss I understand and her driveway is blocked by many trees and I'v e no idea how bad the house may have been injured although the Moore's next door appeared sound. That was the French provinical that Walker lived in when writing the books and that they later gave to Ann and David, thir daughter and son in law, when he and Bunt moved into the newer and smaller Cajun Cottage that they built next door. The devastation is hard to imagine and even photos don't capture the extent of it. We are without power and water although there are parts of Covington (like my office where I am typing this) which have both.

 

Security-wise we are all ok although I have a loaded rifle by my bedside and we lock the cars when we leave them. The horror stories which I understand filled the media just after the storm do not apply to us. We have had an utter news blackout because of our power losses and have depended on NPR to keep us informed. Carol (ever the firm knothead) refuses to believe anything they say, however, and I must admit that may of the reports we get from eyewitnesses are so frequently in conlict with each other and the media as well, that we are somewhat bewildered about what to believe.

 

Your kind offer of help is truly appreciated but I think that the utility companies will soon have things up and running here and that there isn't anything that we need that you can assist with. If you want to reread the appropriate WP book, I would go for Love In the Ruins.

 

As ever.

 

Nikki

Nikkibar AT aol.com wrote:

Dear Dave,

 

It would be helpful if you would bounce all of my recent notes to the list for the info of anyone interested. Net access is still very dicey and uncertain. if anyone has any reliable information about the best vegetable oil to spread on a swimming pool to kill mosquito larvae without wrecking the eventual reconstruction of the pool, I'd be glad of a recommendation. At this point West Nile virus is a concern. Send direct to nikkibar AT aol.com with West Nile rec. in the subject box.

 

Thanks

 

Nikki

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