Day Seven: Our Last House

On Friday we returned to the house by the levee, where Marcia Gold shot this photo on Thursday. We finished our cleanout there, but getting through the maze of destroyed houses on the downriver side of the Industrial Canal was a challenge, so we ended up parking our cars in front of a rubble pile in the middle of the street and walking the last few yards.

After completing that house by 11 a.m., we drove west on Claiborne, North on Elysian Fields, and east into New Orleans East. That neighborhoood is located between Ponchartrain and the Intracoastal Waterway. This neighborhood feels solidly middle class, with newer homes and more mainstream development.

The last cleanout for our krewe was a condo at Erin Dr.and Karen Lane We didn't get the number, but other side of the duplex was number 7601. It was small but neat, with an attached garage that we made quick work of. The place was uncluttered, without the piles of books and clothing on the floor that has made some projects take so long.

We said goodbye to Tony and his crew at about 1 p.m. He told us he enjoyed working with us and Nga, one of his crew members, said that it was "cool" the way we got the work done and cooperated. We sat in the driveway and talked about how much we'd enjoyed the experience. It's hard to imagine missing putrid refrigerators and moldy drywall, but we will. I guess what we will really miss is working together to help people.