All week, really since a day or two after I arrived on June 9th it’s been raining. The last five days, it’s really been raining! The last few days I’ve been watching the bayou as it has slowly crawled toward my camp. Obviously the creatures are crawling too as witnessed by Henry’s recent visit from the snake. Mr. Don, the camp manager, keeps assuring us the water never gets that high. But his warnings seem to always come with implied exceptions, and a twinkle in his deep blue eyes.
I have decided that the Airstream floating down the bayou, along with the various other object we have so far sighted; 55 gallon drums, logs, 1 and 5 gallon jugs, an icebox, some abandon boats and vast amounts of unknown objects washed away by the recent rise in water, would make a stunning photograph. Standing by the edge of the rising water with my fellow campers, many of them long term leasers here at Turtle Bayou, I hear stories about the last flood and the dead body they got to fish out as it floated by.
The rise in water seemed to excite everyone and even Bill Ellis got a ride down to the fishing pier via Don’s golf cart and caught hisself two catfish for dinner. I photographed Bill last week and got to know him a bit. He was a heavy equipment operator until a few years ago, when two strokes ended that and now he spends his days sitting outside his 1977 Airstream watching the goings on at Turtle Bayou. He’s been living here ‘bout 4 years.
Last night the water had covered the fishing pier and I made the decision to move in the morning…….
During the night I woke a few times and the water was rising slowly and about 4 AM I fell into a sound sleep. 6 AM brought a loud knocking on our door and there stood Don, rubber boots, jeans, bright yellow rain slicker, blue oversized umbrella and huge blue eyes. Standing there in torrential rain with the same twinkle in his eyes. “It’s risen kinda fast… you all might wanna move up a bit.” I stepped out of the Airstream into 5 inches of water, looked over at the bike and saw the bottom of the engine beginning to disappear under the chocolate brown water and decided it might be a good idea. I spent the next hour stowing gear, hooking up and hauling ass to higher ground.

After the flood

just to remind you here is before

Mr. Bill Ellis

Don the Manager