After parking and buying tickets for the 1:00 tour, the first thing that caught Joyce's lens (she brought her little camera with her) was this potted plant with a champagne bottle in it. It was in front of the Jackson Brewery Building. We must be in New Orleans -- their litter is much higher class! The note in the bottle turned out to be an odd little flier that we later learned was being passed out by the Ripley's Believe It or Not Museum down the street (Joyce was hoping it was part of a treasure hunt or some other game).
We walked around coming soon to Landry's, a seafood restaurant that Ron enjoyed in the past. Here's Ron not going to Landry's today!
As we approached the House of Blues (this is a window display), Joyce congratulated a woman on her excellent trash tossing technique. The woman asked Joyce where she was from and when she heard "originally Seattle area" she hesitated only a moment before inviting Joyce and Ron up to her roof! She lives in an apartment over the House of Blues (we are still a little unclear about her relationship with the House of Blues, if any). 
She introduced herself as Jackie and we introduced ourselves. We rode her elevator to the roof garden so she could share the view and tell us about the city. She said she was feeling good about life in the city today and wanted to do something nice for someone.
This is the view south showing the spires of the cathedral and the (light-colored on the right) Jackson Brewery building.
Looking west we could see the Mississippi River. There were dozens of potted plants on the roof. Jackie got three or four calls in the short time we were with her -- her grandchildren were in town and she was arranging events. She pointed out lots of points of interest -- more than we could visit. One of her recommendations was to go window-shopping. Then she said it in French (which Joyce can't even begin to remember!) and then, laughing, translating into English, said it means "window licking" -- don't you love it?
This metal sculpture was called "Reaching for Joy" but Katrina blew it completely flat (some workmen pulled it back up this far for her). When we told her we were planning on taking the Katrina Gray Line Tour to see the situation for ourselves, Jackie got misty-eyed and gave Joyce a big hug and thanked both of us for coming to New Orleans.We walked around some more and grabbed a quick lunch before walking back to the Tour Office.
If you want to feel like a patriotic American, go to New Orleans and take a tour. We were thanked so many times for supporting New Orleans' attempt to get the tourist industry going again. At first glance around the French Quarter, one might think the tourist industry is doing okay, but tomorrow is the Sugar Bowl so there are LOTS of Notre Dame and LSU fans in town walking, shopping, and drinking. Next week they will be very lonely there.We spent three hours touring some of the flooded areas of the city -- more than two of those hours we were on roads that had been under water anywhere from half a foot to fifteen or twenty feet deep. Some areas the water lines are clearly visible on the buildings but elsewhere there are no visible lines -- because the water levels were higher than the buildings are tall. The extent of the damage is astounding. The slow pace of help to those trying to clean up and rebuild is frustrating. The plight the people were left in for days after the flooding is embarrassing. But the tour leader said that as she makes the tour through the neighborhoods, each time she sees a little more progress on this house or that house and it encourages her. She has so much encouragement to come.
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