Taking a break

Saturday, October 18

Kathy and I took a break from our cleanup today. Deciding we needed some fresh air, we joined a couple of hundred other volunteers from around Texas to help clean up the debris at Galveston Island State Park. It was our first drive down the west end of the island. The road had been closed due to the beach sand washed over the road. One of the pictures shows how road crews have pushed the sand to the sides and median to allow cars through. Although there has been significant damage, it’s reassuring to see so many homes intact or in the process of repair.

The cleanup project at the State Park was the consequence of a cancelled two-day bike ride we’d plan to take from the Anuac Wildlife Preserve on Bolivar Peninsula, through Galveston, then up to Houston. With Bolivar still closed and the ferry not operational, the bike ride had to be cancelled. But with the weekend already committed by many, someone with the Galveston Bay Foundation came up with the idea of the cleanup. The park includes ocean beachfront on one side and substantial bayside exposure on the other. Debris along the bayside portion of the park included everything from small chunks of styrofoam, plastic bags and children’s toys to a complete staircase, several walls from homes, a waverunner, furniture and scads of lumber.

The weather was nice – in the low seventies, and as you might expect, people who come to such work parties are of a pleasant disposition. But pleasant dispositions aside, many people here are still upset that so much of the country does not understand the magnitude of this storm.

Galveston Island State Park looked substantially improved as the group quit for the day. Park officials have been estimating it might take three years to get the park back up and running. We hope continued volunteer efforts like today's can shorten that timeframe. That evening the group celebrated with a dinner at the Moody Gardens. The only bummer to that was parking the car. The parking lot sets between Moody Gardens and a water park. The stench of fetid water and dead fish from the closed water park reminded us of how much work there is left to do.