Giving Thanks

I have just spent the last 5 days in Baton Rouge celebrating Thanks giving with two good friends. I had a great time. I was able to eat my first Thanks giving Turkey, see Baton Rouge, get some Christmas shopping done in the sun and take a drive through New Orleans. I'd like to say thankyou to Amy who invited me down for the holiday.

It's not every day I get to celebrate America's very own creation myth! Born from the screams of a million dying souls the good book's light pierced deep into the American continent and purifed all. And goes marching on. Or some such.

But horrible histories aside it would appear that Thanksgiving is the kick off signal for the Christmas period in America. The day after sees massive knock down sales across the whole country giving hell at a discount for shoppers and retail workers alike (poor old Amy and Christina). I think perhaps it needs to be adopted in Britain since it provides a golden opportunity to tell your relatives face to face not to waste any time or money on more gifts that will only collect dust (or be sold on ebay...) come Boxing day. Did you know they don't have boxing day in America? I didn't. So when do they play their football games then?

New Orleans sends a shiver down your spine, despite the unseasonal heat. I didn't have my camera on me and i'm kicking myself for not. It's hard to describe the scene really. Imagine a war film. As you enter the city the billboards begin to loose panels until eventually all you are left with is stumps. The rooftops are a sea of blue plastic coverings and debris still lines the highways. We drove off the main interstate and into the residential districts. It looks like the hurricane hit only yesterday. Cars are upturned, doors are missing and the smaller roads are blocked with fallen timber, glass and brick. Someone has been through and checked all the houses and spray painted a purple cross on each as they left - presumbly it was now safe, others have big signs that say "Do Not Enter - We Will Return" plastered over the front door. The roadsides are lined with thousands of colourful signs, most of which are handwritten and simply read "House Gutting Service: 479-718-7918". The churches and schools seemed to be getting their act together first and many of these were looking like new. Yet no has returned. The place is like a ghost town, it has just been left the way it was after the water receded. Spooky times in the South.

I hope to return one day to see it lined with gold and extending out another 1000 yards into the sea in an act of daring defiance...