Can we talk about the trucks here? It dawned on me today that friends from out of town probably don’t know about them. Amidst all of the debris and rubble are debris trucks, food trucks, power/cable trucks, & work trucks. They’re everywhere.

Our couch and chair going for a ride.

The massive debris trucks have been here since the first storm. I assume they evacuated for the second storm in what must’ve looked like a parade of sorts and then meandered slowly back only to find that the first hauls from the first storm were replaced by second hauls from, well, you get it. My favorite saying from local officials prior to Delta was, “Secure your debris.” Ha! We’re known down here for our family-friendly Mardi Gras so it’s been mentioned a time or two that perhaps we should invite these fellas and gals back to be grand marshals if we get to have a post-COVID carnivale. They can throw instead of collect next time! If you’ve never seen them, they’re impressive enough to bow down or curtsy if you’re inclined. Between two massive dumpster-like bins is a chair and arm like the claw game from a pizza parlor. They’re followed by a guide that must be like security and sometimes a couple of jesters sweeping up the rear.

The food trucks are still here. It’s normal to have a few local favorites like Hi-Licious Street Kitchen which is a little local celebrity favorite. We have real carnies here too, though. There are funnel cakes, anything you can dream on a stick, and the intriguing everything-wrapped-in-bacon one. All you have to do is follow the main drag through town, and you’ll get the feeling that something seems off. The food trucks and carnival booths are usually festive. They sell their treats for an arm and a leg, and if you search long enough you’ll likely find appendages of all species fried up all crispy and skewered. It morbidly reminds me of when I returned home after learning of the death of my father and pulling into a scene of balloons and horse carriage rides in the driveway for a party taking place on the grounds for a neighbor. Life goes on right? The world keeps spinning, and where there’s a market there are sellers. The savvy ones will follow these disasters I guess because they also have to make a living. It’s only fair.

The cable and internet trucks are currently everywhere. Suddenlink ghosted this town after Laura which is why I’m considering that for my Halloween costume if we head out anywhere this weekend. I think their first objective was to ride around and just be visible. They took a hit PR-wise, but maybe they were also dodging them like the little Pac-Man ghosts from the video game so the goal best strategy was to keep moving. The workers that are here now are human just like the rest of us though and want to help when they see what happened here. The lineman from the power trucks have already literally laid the groundwork and have found fans for life in this town.

Let’s talk about the tree trimmers and the roofers with the ladders in their trucks, can we? These are like the acrobats from the circus. The roofers go from sun up to sun down with hardly a break or complaint. It’s a balancing act while carrying heavy loads, and I stare straight up in awe sometimes while down the block the tree guys fly and do their own daredevil stunts. Be careful though, because unscrupulous magicians are also in the wings and for their final trick they’ll perform a disappearing act with whatever you were hopeful enough to give them.

I think we figured out about 6 months ago who the essential workers were. They’re all welcome back here any time. As the saying goes, if you’re eating it, wearing it, drinking it or driving it, thank a trucker. In times of crisis they deliver.