"Katrina Fountain" is a take-off on the traditional jazz clarinetist Pete Fountain.
This isn't graffiti. These spray-painted markings were made by rescue workers who needed to leave some sort of notice after an inspection telling others what they had found. I never figured out what everything meant, only that the date was written at the top (in this case, "9 - 12" means a search was conducted at this property on September 12). These markings are a common sight in New Orleans.
This woman was a volunteer helping with the gutting of a house across the street from the Musicians' Village. She was originally from the Concord / Walnut Creek area in California, fairly close to where I live. She now lives in Texas, and told me she likes it there because it's what California "used to be like." I didn't ask what she meant by this, but I can guess that since Concord and Walnut Creek went from being rural to suburban in my lifetime, she moved to a part of Texas that isn't very developed. We talked a little about Katrina and New Orleans, and she said she voted for Bush for president because "he was a good governor," but hinted that she wasn't happy with him now. She said she would vote for Condoleeza Rice, though. I responded that I wouldn't vote for anyone associated with Bush's foreign policy.
More clean-up on the house being gutted.
Foundations at the Musicians' Village site.
