A Minor Storm

Book 2 in the Black Gum series Shane returns to town with a new look, new plans, and a dead chicken.

The author was born at home during a violent Pacific storm. His journey takes you through the turbulent war years to the mid 1960's. Lawrence was a child growing up and living in poverty on the wild coast of Western Canada. You will experience the freedom associated with his unusual lifestyle. The story takes place at a time in history when the economy of the great depression had shifted to a new prosperity. Old ways of harvesting timber and commercial fishing for a meagre living were becoming more modern and economically viable. Meet the interesting characters who shared life with the author during these changing times. Go to sea with the crews of various vessels as they sail the oceans and lakes of North America from the boiling tropics to the frozen seas of Alaska. Share in the tragedies of lost ship mates and the excitement of discovering new ports of call as Lawrence travels through the stormy Pacific, Atlantic and islands of the Caribbean.

Hurricane Katrina inflicted damage on a scale unprecedented in American history, nearly destroying a major city and killing thousands of its citizens. With far too little help from indifferent, incompetent government agencies, the poor bore the brunt of the disaster. The residents of traditionally impoverished and minority communities suffered incalculable losses and endured unimaginable conditions. And the few facilities that did exist to help victims quickly became miserable, dangerous places. Now, the victims of Hurricane Katrina find themselves spread across the United States, far from the homes they left and faced with the prospect of starting anew. Families are struggling to secure jobs, homes, schools, and a sense of place in unfamiliar surroundings. Meanwhile, the rebuilding of their former home remains frustrating out of their hands. This bracing read brings readers to the heart of the disaster and its aftermath as those who survived it speak with candor and eloquence of their lives then and now.

In October 1866, a powerful Category 4 hurricane struck the Bahamian Islands. With winds well over 140 miles per hour and even higher gusts that toppled trees, sank ships, peeled away rooftops, and destroyed vital infrastructures, the massive storm battered the islands with great ferocity. When the seas finally calmed and the winds died down, the massive storm had killed more than 387 people in the Bahamas alone and left a massive trail of destruction. Author Wayne Neely, a leading authority on Bahamian and Caribbean hurricanes, shares an engaging account of how the hurricane of 1866 not only devastated the islands, but also altered the course of Bahamian history forever. While demonstrating how the hurricane significantly impacted the wrecking and salvaging industry, Neely also educates others about the complex set of weather conditions that contribute to hurricanes. He includes fascinating stories of survival and heroism as the storms victims struggled to move forward in the midst of tragedy. Hurricanes are no novelty to the Bahamas, but all who were lucky enough to live through the howling winds and the terror of a sky filled with flying debris surely never forgot The Great Bahamas Hurricane of 1866.