From the editor.

They say the barrier islands off the Mississippi coast are like natural works in progress--always changing, always shifting with the winds and tides. Formed from soft quartz sand that washed down from the Appalachian Mountains, these whispers of white have never had the strength to stand up to the Gulf of Mexico's temperamental waters.

Perhaps it was just that unpredictability that made Horn Island so intriguing to Ocean Springs artist Walter Anderson, who often spent weeks at a time alone in the offshore wilderness during the mid-20th century. Unlike Anderson, I have only visited Horn once, but I too was immediately swept up in the island's ephemeral beauty. Standing on an empty sliver of beach, surrounded only by rustling sea grasses, I understood why the artist found it so hard to leave this peaceful place.

Most of nature's changes to Horn and the rest of the state's barrier islands are too subtle to notice without the perspective of months or years. But on August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina sculpted a dramatic new design into each of the seven islands. The powerful winds and crushing waves trimmed more than a mile off the tips of Horn Island's long, thin shape and toppled countless trees. The park ranger's station, home to the island's only human inhabitant, was destroyed.

The changes to better-known West and East Ship Islands were even more profound. The two were actually a single island before Camille carved a channel through the center in 1969; now they are even farther apart, and most of East Ship has been reclaimed by the Gulf. West Ship Island, a popular beach day-trip destination for 80 years, saw its boardwalk and pier heavily damaged and its lounge chairs and umbrellas washed away. The island's historical-replica lighthouse, which graced the cover of our July/August 2003 issue, was also felled by the storm.

Now, a year after the hurricane, the islands are again offering a respite from the stresses of daily life--a life that for so many on the coast now involves a whole new set of worries. The boardwalk and pier at West Ship Island have been repaired, and Ship Island Excursions resumed its daily ferry trips in April. Beach-goers are once again able to spend a few hours soaking up the sun's rays on a little slice of natural paradise. The ferry service is even offering special discounts for hurricane relief workers. Trips will continue through October 29; for a schedule or more information, see www.msshipisland.com.

Out here on the islands, the sea sparkles just as it did before Hurricane Katrina, and the sand seems even more brilliantly bleached than ever. Walter Anderson's sanctuary, like the rest of our coast, is slowly recovering from last year's upheaval. As you'll read in "Spirit After the Storm," our special section beginning on page 55, the courage of our south Mississippi residents and all those who have rallied around them is as powerful as any act of nature, as resilient as these ever-changing islands.