Managing multiple websites is challenging. Between this one, my work, my music, and the plethora of (increasingly fetid) social media, it can be overwhelming. I’ve stopped posting on FB, though I spend too much time perusing it for the rare gem of information from people I care about. And the mixed bag cesspool that Twitter has become? Well, I’m not alone in lamenting its state. So this long overdue update is the first step in reorganizing my online presence and the availability of things I’ve written and plan to write. And do I ever have a lot to say!

Between the hate-fueled headwinds of the latest rise of fascism and white supremacy to the rapid decline of the biosphere, these are tough times and only getting tougher. When viewed through the eyes of my aging body, today’s trends are quite depressing. However, I haven’t lost my desire to be force for good, and this post is a reiteration of why this website exists.

So much has happened to all of us since the start of the pandemic, and so much is happening to our planet this year that I almost don’t know where to start. So I will keep this post focused on personal news, though I have a music update as well.

First, I want to let y’all in on our plans. In December 2022, we sold our beloved home of 17 years because I have no confidence that my basic income can handle rising insurance rates or the risk of losing everything to another storm or flood. We’ve been renting a much smaller house in the same block while looking for a place to buy on higher ground in Acadiana, specifically in Opelousas, the state’s 3rd oldest city. We consider ourselves to be climate migrants, albeit with the wherewithal to do it voluntarily.

It’s painful to move from a city I love like no other. As of July 4 I’ve lived in New Orleans for 32 years (and with Grasshopper for 20), and nowhere else have I felt so connected to a place or so much a part of a living landscape and community. I’m awed to say that over the years I’ve added a few fibers and threads to the rich quilt of New Orleans/Bulbancha history, and I’m grateful beyond words for the people, experiences, and quality of life I’ve been blessed to have in this unique city.

We grieve as we plan this departure, but we must leave our emotional comfort zone and push ourselves to continue to make a difference where we believe we can, something we’re all having a hard time with as the climate bounces into unknown territory.

It’s not just the climate risks that triggered this decision; it’s also that our work here has grown up. For more than a decade, Grasshopper and I did our best to catalyze the movement to embrace integrated water management, green infrastructure, and the water economy. Myriad organizations, state and regional government, and people have now coalesced around the power of water, and the momentum is growing. Over the years that we were public figures, what Tim Williamson once called “the Johnny Appleseeds of the water movement,” we had inconsistent and inadequate financial support. And in 2017, after we released “The Louisiana Water Economy: Our Shared Destiny,” we pivoted to focus on building our company, Adaptation Strategies.

I don’t want to sound maudlin because I know I’m privileged and fortunate to be in the position I’m in, but I am sad and anxious, feelings that haunt us all as we age and as the world burns. But I have a lot more to say and do. So I plan to use this site to encompass a broader perspective of my writing, past and future, and this post is a first step. And Grasshopper’s idea for re-branding this blog works: NOLAmotion now stands for New Orleans-Opelousas Louisiana (I know, that’s NOOLA but that doesn’t sit right with me).

Grasshopper and I remain committed to Louisiana, and this move will allow us to work on other issues that we’ve long wanted to address regarding health, aging, the environment, and the well-being of smaller towns. Plus I’ll be closer to Dockside Studio, where Bas Clas continues to make music. In fact we recently released a live recording from 1988 and have more to come. If all goes as planned, we’ll be building relationships between New Orleans and Opelousas, so you’ll have friends only two hours away. For now, thank you for reading this, and stay tuned!