IKE (Yikes)

We seem to have weathered the storm. I slept through the scariest part Friday night
and early Saturday. It was pretty grim after that with no power, no water, no gasoline, no stores,
and worst of all, no television. We have been going to bed around 8 PM so at least we got plenty of sleep.

Naturally we threw away tons of frozen food. Although there was considerable damage in the area, we were largely spared. Our big oak tree lost about 6 major limbs but stayed standing,
unlike those trees of some in the area. Our fence blew down ( Already fixed ) and the cleanup
was a really big job. We filled 12 39 gallon bags with tree debris and also a huge pile of branches and other junk. Cleverly, we contracted out the removal of all that junk and have the only decent looking yard in the area. Everyone else is awaiting FEMA to take care of them. (Lots o' luck y'all).

Today, the stores are open and moderately stocked. Gasoline stations with electricity are pumping gasoline. Jan is off to work ( Only two days a week ) Still no cable television.

Galveston is quite another story. They had a mandatory evacuation but thousands opted
to stay and weather the storm. Hardly anyone actually died but the city did. No one is allowed back in and those that are there are ordered to get out. The mayor himself (Kind of an idiot
but in this case for once is right ) says the place is uninhabitable. Most houses destroyed, no water, no electricity, no drainage ( Apparently the whole area is beginning to stink) no stores, no gasoline. No telling when or if there will ever be a city there again. In 1903 Galveston was hit by a hurricane that no one saw coming. Unbelievably, 6,000 perished. The city never completely recovered. At that time is was the big city and Houston was almost nothing. So Houston grew and Galveston languished.