Smiley Anders for September 17, 2008

• By SMILEY ANDERS
• Advocate columnist
• Published: Sep 17, 2008 - Page: 1B - UPDATED: 12:05 a.m.

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Charles Allen, of Amelia, says our current hurricane season brings to mind a conversation that took place on the marine radio during Hurricane Andrew:

“We were hunkered down just across the bayou from McDermott Industries’ marine docks.

“A derrick barge identified itself and gave wind speed and direction, well over 130 mph.

“Immediately a Tidewater vessel gave his position and wind speed of over 140 mph.

“Shortly thereafter a Cajun voice came on the radio: ‘Dis the Mr. Lucky in Dulac. We don’ got no wind speed machine or nuthin lak dat, but we jus’ seen a seagull go by, ain’t got no feather on him!’ ”

Power to the people
Fritz McCameron adds to our post-Gustav poetry collection:

“We may suit to a ‘T’ or drive balls from a tee,
drink green or herbal or minted tea.
But the finest of all ‘T’ things to me,
is one named ELECTRICITY!”

Get the red out
“I had a couple of thoughts about Hurricane Gustav,” says Mike of Port Allen:

“1. It took a hurricane to do what all our mayors have been unable to do — synchronize the traffic lights in Baton Rouge.

“2. Was it just my imagination, or did the city restore power to traffic lights with red-light cameras first?”

Bad news, good news
Seafood lovers were still mourning the flooding of Middendorf’s, the great fish house in Manchac, when news came of the opening of the Baton Rouge branch of New Orleans’ legendary Acme Oyster House.

Sharon Mickles says the Acme opened a week late due to Hurricane Gustav, at Perkins Road and Acadian Thruway.

Before it opened for paying customers, owner Mike Rodrigue and his managers held a “soft opening” to help train the staff, and treated 150 hurricane-weary members of the Baton Rouge Police and Fire departments, Louisiana State Police and Louisiana National Guard.