STARS!

On a lighter note, there are stars in New Orleans!

I was awaken after 1 AM by the long howling sounds of cats doing the nasty at the side of the house. After a half hour of that, I had to go outside to chase them away. Looking up, there they were: A sky full of stars.

There's often so much haze from humidity and light pollution in New Orleans that stars are almost never visible. Now, with street lights in much of the city not working, and perhaps 400,000 residents still forced to live somewhere else, the stars have made their glorious return.

Being raised mostly outside of the big city lights, my imagination could always be instantly transported to other worlds just by looking up into a star-filled sky. It still happens to me when can get far enough away from the city.

The stars that are visible in New Orleans now aren't even a fifth of what are visible elsewhere, but to be able to see any stars at all is inspiring.

And now back to reality -- I'd still rather see my fellow residents back home.