Arrgghh!

[dreamflower]

I decided to try again to post pics on my own (since coneygoil understandably can't oblige me right now.) So I set up a Photobucket account. But my pics are all "too large" and I can't upload them, and I can't figure out how to "resize" them. *grits teeth in frustration*

I really wanted to share some pics of some of the hurricane damage, and especially the ones I took yesterday...


We went to Pass Christian yesterday for a work party at Lady E's place. (I say "place" because that's pretty much all it is right now.) It was my first time south of the RR tracks since the storm.

All along the length of the RR tracks are rolls of coiled razor wire. At every intersection are military checkpoints. You have to have a pass and ID in order to go across. We met some of the other folks at a particular place just north of the tracks to obtain our passes, and then drove across.

I was sort of prepared, I thought, for what I would see, but I was wrong. It was horrid. Saying it looked like a bomb hit does not begin to describe the destruction I saw. Houses flattened; houses with broken roofs; houses that looked fine from the outside--but you could tell by the pile of soggy furnishings, dry wall and insulation in the front yards were totally gutted on the inside; houses that were only so much rubble and you only knew they were houses because you knew what used to stand in that spot. Trees uprooted; trees broken; trees laying on top of houses; trees that were stripped bare on their south side, but still had branches and leaves on the opposite side; trees that had stood through the storm, but now were dead or dying from the salt water they'd been drenched in.

The most chilling thing was seeing the buildings that stood in any way all had these huge orange Xes spray painted on them, meaning that they had been searched for possible bodies and none were found. I thank the Lord I didn't see any *black* Xes. I think I would have lost my breakfast.

We had to take a really roundabout way to get to her place--there were places where the streets were completely broken and caved in.

This is all a month and a half after the cleanup has begun. I can't even begin to wrap my head around what it must have looked like immediately after the storm.

Her place is *gone*. I mean really, really gone! Debris piled up in some spots four feet thick. Some of the area towards the front of her slab had already been cleared, enough to set up some sunshades and the barbecue grill. It was my first time since the storm to see many of my friends, and there were a good many there. We raked, swept, shoveled and carried broken bricks for about four hours.

She was hoping to find somethings to salvage, but I don't think there was more than fragments of anything to be found.

And yet we had a good time; everyone was laughing and joking. (The current butt of most people's jokes right now is the ever-elusive creature known as an insurance adjustor. It made me feel better to know that we aren't the only ones whose adjustor has made him/her self scarce.)

And today I am *so*sore*!

And of course, we are too tired today to do anything with our own property.

Comments

[shoesparks.livejournal.com]

Photo bucket usually resizes them by themselves...but I could if you need...

[dreamflower]

I'll have to see. Thanks for the offer.

[shirebound]

Maybe the photo size is too large in your digital camera options? I originally couldn't upload pics to photobucket because they were coming out of the camera too large. I set my camera size option to "VGA", and that solved the problem. (I still have to get out my instruction book to change option thingies.)

[dreamflower]

I guess I should get out *my* instruction book. It never occurred to me that you could change the size in the camera...

[slightlytookish]

It's so sad to hear about all the destruction but once again I'm very happy to hear of people pulling together and helping each other through this. *hugs you*

About photos: Are they by any chance saved as bmp files? Because gif or jpeg files will take up less space and will be easier to load (but probably on the grainy side). If they are in bmp files you can open them in Paint and then Save As gif or jpeg. Just an idea :)

[dreamflower]

Yes, well pulling together is what our Barony is all about; it's just that it's so unusual for it to be in our *real* lives for a change. *hugs back*

Ermm...I *think* they are jpeg, but I'm honestly not sure. I am *so* computer illiterate it's not funny. I guess I'd better check...

[rhapsody11.livejournal.com]

Wow, that must have been shocking. Talking about an experience you never will forget. What once was, will never be the same. But yet, talking and meeting with friends, helping each other.. I can sense from your words how much you enjoyed that.

I think your pictures have to be resized, like Shirebound says. Depending on your configuration.. one photo can be of 2mb size (and are very huge). And as Slightly Tookisch says: open Paint (I don't know what you have installed on your pc), try to see if you can find an image edit option and resize them to 600 width by 400 height or something. Just in case: rename the file before you save them. I cant guess what Coneygoil normally does for you, but let us know if we can help you. But we can wait for the pictures, really. Just glad to have you back!

[dreamflower]

Yes, it was enjoyable being together, and especially to know that all of us had come through in one piece. But, yes, seeing it first hand finally, was a good deal of a shock.

LOL! Usually I email my pics to her; she has my password and logs in and posts them for me!
So you can see, I'm pretty useless on my own as far as pics go. That's why I thought I'd try one more time for myself.

[gamgeefest.livejournal.com]

I can imagine that would be quite a shock to see. The black and orange Xes - how frightening. I'm glad there weren't any black ones. And those poor trees that survived, but are dying anyway. It all makes my heart break. But I'm glad you saw your friends and were able to enjoy yourselves.

I'm totally clueless about digital cameras and all that, so can't help you there. I don't even own a *regular* camera!

[dreamflower]

It was shocking and heartbreaking. You cannot begin to imagine what it looks like in person--the TV just does not even begin to tell the story. Everyone says that the media blow things out of proportion, but for once, they underplayed something.

LOL! Well, that makes *me* feel better. I'm such a Luddite with technology, *sigh*

[gamgeefest.livejournal.com]

LOL! Well, that makes *me* feel better. I'm such a Luddite with technology, *sigh*

LOL Don't know what a Luddite is, but I'm sure I'm one also. I always tell people, just be glad I have a computer and a DVD player. That's about as much technology as I want. I wouldn't even have a cell phone if my dad didn't get it for me. I don't even have a scanner or copier/fax/printer, just a regular printer. I don't have an i-Pod or an MP3 player, I'm not even really sure what those are for, lol!

[elasg.livejournal.com]

If you use Microsoft Office, there are programs in that package (photo editor, Picture It!, etc.) which will allow you to resize your photos. Even Paint, Windows' graphics program, will let you resize. Do you have any of those? I could walk you through one of those to help you get your current photos reduced.

Photobucket also has a resize feature that will allow you to resize the photos right there on the website if you can get them uploaded. Just go to the photo, hit the edit button at the top and then the resize page will come up. You can make the picture 75% to 25% of the original's size, but this change is permanent. I've found this feature to be very useful when posting pictures.

It won't solve the camera problems, but it looks like you've gotten lots of other help with that. ;)

[dreamflower]

Thanks for the advice. I'll give that a shot tomorrow.

[ansostuff.livejournal.com]

*hugs you very tight*

Just reading your report brings tears to my eyes and I can't imagine how horrible it must be for you to see it and have friends who lost everything. I am running out of English words for how awful it must be.

I am keeping you and your friends and everyone in my thoughts and prayers, dear.

(((((((Dreamflower)))))))))

[dreamflower]

(((((hugs Anso back)))))))

It's so good to know how much you care. Truth be told, I've run out of English words myself. Some things are just beyond words...

[grey-wonderer.livejournal.com]

I have a program or two that I could try, if you want to send them in an email to me. I'd be glad to give it a shot. Can't promise that it will work, but it might. (How's that for being vague?)

[dreamflower]

I may take you up on that. I'll email you privately tonight or tomorrow.

[pippinfan1.livejournal.com]

Wow...I'm only seeing the devestation through your eyes...and I'm speechless. Almost. I can't begin to fathom what you're describing. I thank God that you and yours were spared, and I am praying for Lady E and everyone else who lost their home. I have to comment, though...it did make me smile to know that you all were laughing in spite of it all--isn't that so like hobbits? I wish I could help out in some way.

PF

[dreamflower]

Yes, I guess there was something hobbity about the way we were joking and eating...and eating and joking...LOL! Thanks for the observation!

[lindelea1.livejournal.com]

I have this same problem, and have figured out a crude but effective solution.

I open a photo in Paint, choose "Select all" from the edit menu, and then (I think) I go to the Image menu and "Stretch/Skew" and enter 50% in both "Stretch" boxes, and that shrinks the picture, and then I do it again (50/50 once more) and the photo is a decent size, and then I save it under a new name so I don't wipe out the original--see the photo of the Welsh flowers on my LJ, a few posts back, shrunk down from an enormous photo as the computer imported it from the camera.

I think I tried shrinking just once using 75/75 and that wasn't too bad, although a bit large to fit in an LJ window.

Anyhow, hope this helps.

[dreamflower]

If GW can't help me, I'll see if something similar might work for me. Thanks!