Seven months after Katrina, we visited the town of Gulfport, Mississippi. My mother's family has been here many times over the years, and we all wanted to see how well the town was doing. Most of it is rebuilding. Blue roofs are still in evidence, and trees are still stripped and bent, but the inland areas are looking good. By far the worst destruction was next to the coast itself, where the waves came in. We walked and drove along a short stretch of the beach, and saw that the damage is deep and long-term. Ecologically, the beach is devastated. Rubble from destroyed buildings still litters the beach and the oak-filled lots across the street -- many building sites don't look like they've even been touched. I wondered where their owners had gone. As you view these pictures, think about the people here who lost their homes, their businesses, their hospital, their church, and their lives.