Lesson 1. When you see an Emergency Services truck from California 3 days before a storm is going to make landfall, after puzzling over why it's there and taking a moment to snap a picture, PAY ATTENTION and get ready for something bad about to come down.Lesson 2. Remember that if you are on the dirty side of the hurricane, 100+ MPI winds will be coming at you from the north. DO NOT OPEN THE NORTH-FACING FRONT DOOR THAT YOU DIDN'T THINK ANYTHING WOULD HIT BECAUSE IT WAS PROTECTED BY THE BRICK ENTRYWAY SO YOU DIDN'T PUT A BOARD UP TO FIND OUT WHAT THAT HORRIBLE ROARING NOISE IS AND WHY WATER IS LEAKING IN AROUND THE STAINED GLASS SEAMS. YOU WILL GET KNOCKED ON YOUR BUTT. You will then have to crawl against said strong winds in order to get it closed again before your house explodes from the pressure. (Wish I'd had my camera handy for that one!)
Lesson 3. Make friends with the guy on the corner so he doesn't think you are a looter when your dog gets loose and runs into his now unenclosed back yard.
Lesson 4. TRIM YOUR TREES! If a storm comes through you could very well get burried under an avalance of branches if you don't. That is a 2-story house, folks. The debris is literally piled up to just below the second story windows. No, thank God, this is not my home.
Lesson 5. DEEP-GROUND-WATER YOUR TREES SO THE ROOTS GROW D.O.W.N. If you don't, they will grow out to the sides looking for whatever surface moisture they can find. This leaves them with very shallow root systems that won't withstand strong winds. They make a special cool waterer thingy that allows you to do that. It looks like this. Not pimping that particular product, but wanted you to know where you could find what I'm talking about.
Lesson 6. Power lines are a LOT stronger that they look.
This pole snapped off in the middle, yet the lines are still holding the cross part.
This one is leaning at such an angle that I am amazed it hasn't fallen yet, but the lines are holding. Good thing for that building! That's a small parking lot.
Lesson 7. A clothes line doesn't have to be a "line" at all. A pole, a fence, a ladder, and some hangers work just fine. The clothes are scratchy and the towels are stiff, but they are clean, by jingies!! (You cannot click to enlarge this one because I have no desire to have my undies sprawled across your whole screen. And neither should you!)
So, that's pretty much it for now. I might have some more lessons to add before we get our power back on sometime later this week... hopefully sometime later this week... PLEASE GOD! SOMETIME LATER THIS WEEK!!!
This one is leaning at such an angle that I am amazed it hasn't fallen yet, but the lines are holding. Good thing for that building! That's a small parking lot.Lesson 7. A clothes line doesn't have to be a "line" at all. A pole, a fence, a ladder, and some hangers work just fine. The clothes are scratchy and the towels are stiff, but they are clean, by jingies!! (You cannot click to enlarge this one because I have no desire to have my undies sprawled across your whole screen. And neither should you!)
So, that's pretty much it for now. I might have some more lessons to add before we get our power back on sometime later this week... hopefully sometime later this week... PLEASE GOD! SOMETIME LATER THIS WEEK!!!
Love to all and thanks for keeping tabs on me through all of this. Your emails and text messages have kept me going.
xoxoxoxoxoxoxo
Wow! You're close to me! I've been reading your blog for a while, but it never dawned on me you were in the same town. (somehow, I missed that).
ReplyDeleteI live in Pearland, Off of Harkey. We have power, but a lot of the houses in our neighborhood got hit pretty bad (ours was mostly ok, so we're pretty blessed!).
I'm praying for you, and hoping you survive without power (and that you get power back soon!).
Oh my goodness. I am a random blogger and am random at checking in on those who've visited me and blessed my life (like you-- thanks so much). Wow. I hope you are OK. I'm so far away that I didn't realize I knew anyone in the thick of it. My thoughts are with you.
ReplyDeleteWonderful to see you back love! Oh, I know about those scratchy undies - what you need is a good wind to flap them soft!!!!!
ReplyDeleteOK, I'm a bitch!
I do hope you get your power back VERY soon!
Hope YOUR power line will be repaired soon. It looks like not ALL lines are as strong as it seems.
ReplyDeleteWhen I (especially I) will see an "Emergency Services truck from California", I'll pay attention, I promise, and get ready to flee the disaster.
The problem is that, for instance, when Tchernobyl tragedy happened our government assured us there was no danger(!!!) My thyroid surgery and many others cases proved the contrary. Authorities are all liars.
WOW. Those are amazing photos. Good to talk to you again today. Stay safe!!
ReplyDeleteWow! I never thought about the "dirty" side of the hurricane and such before. Strange stuff. Weird to think we are so unaffected just a few states away.
ReplyDeleteKEEP BELIEVING
Wow- I've seen other photos from your area recently. An online friend is in the Texas National guard and the army public affairs? She takes photos and writes articles for military publications. She has spent most of the last month on duty somewhere or another in Texas taking photos and helping with evacuations.
ReplyDeleteIke III - Lessons from a Friend in a Storm: Keep your sense of humor and gratitude for what DIDN'T go wrong!
ReplyDelete(Et Catherine -- Certainement tu dois faire attention de camions de Californie! C'est la denouement du monde!)
Glad to see you back. Hope you get your power back TODAY!!! Margie
ReplyDeleteWhoa...you are quite the survivor. Glad you can keep your sense of humor during all of that!
ReplyDeleteBe careful. What amazing pictures from the front of a hurricane. never get that realism on tv.
ReplyDeleteI hope you are well and weather the storm.
Vanessa
I am so happy to hear that everyone is safe. I hope your power comes on soon.
ReplyDeleteI am glad you are all safe and I hope your power is back on soon. The pictures were amazing thanks for the lessons so we can all be prepared next time.
ReplyDeleteAmazing pictures! Glad to hear you're O.K.
ReplyDeleteI've seen some other photos floating around, and I can't believe the destruction. I can't even fathom all the work that will go into the clean up.
Hope you get power soon.
I feel for you, and are saying prayers still. I can't believe you still don't have power. That is unbelievable.
ReplyDeleteI am glad you are all doing alright. I had no idea power lines were that strong!! It's impressive.
ReplyDeleteGod Bless Damama, I've been thinking of you. Good advice.
ReplyDeletePax, E
HI AGAIN EVERYONE! New post up soon. Life in Loony Land just gets funner and funner. LOL! Enough whining... on to the answering of the comments.
ReplyDelete****************
deedee - Well HOWDY NEIGHBOR! My friend Rita is looking to rent a house off of Fite near Harkey. I'll probably be in your neck of the woods as much as mine then! LOL! Glad you faired well, too.
Thanks for stopping by. I'll come over and check your blog out soon.
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Daisy!! HI!! I've become a random blogger, too, it seems. I keep trying to get back on track but then stuff just blows in and screws up my best intentions. LOL!! Thanks for the good thoughts, sweetie.
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Dragonstar - As I told you in the email..you are NOT a bitch. I'm sure (like any woman worth her salt) you CAN BE one when needed, but you are not *ARE* one. ;o) Love ya, lady!
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Catherine - I hate government coverup B.S.! Every time I hear something like your situation it makes me want to donate all free $$ to the conspiracy theorists! I'm so sorry you were hurt by their lies!
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AZ - xoxoxo
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Angie - Yep - there's dirty and clean sides. You were unaffected just a few states away but poor Brandi up in OHIO got a tree on her room from the same storm. Weird!
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Mommee - Good for your friend. The National Guards don't get near enough credit for all they do.
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Kalynne - AMEN! Thanks for saying what I forgot to. And no fare telling secrets to Catherine! ;o)
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Margie - Thanks!
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Angela - Thankee, thankee, ma'am.
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Vanessa - I just took another picture of the house with all the debris in front of it so you can see the difference without it. It's amazing to me even!
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Robin - Thank you. We are BLESSED to be all safe.
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Brandy - All fun aside, there are sooo many more lessons to be learned from this thing... like GET THE HE!! OUT! ;o)
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Jill - My pictures were NOTHING compared to some of the stuff. To tell the truth, I was afraid to venture too far out of my normal bounds. We can handle trees and powerlines all day long. It's that whole LIFE destruction that breakes my heart the most.
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Heather - I've been so remiss in updating that by the time you knew there was something to worry about we already had our power back. But I will ALWAYS take more prayers! Thanks sweetie!
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Valarie - I never new they were that strong either - and that wasn't the only instance of them holding in unbelievable ways. I guess if we have to rely so heavily on them not to kill us on a regular basis, they have to be pretty strong. I just never really gave it that much thought.
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Elizabeth - God Bless you for God Blessing Me! ;o)
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Thanks again, everyone. You are wonderful!
im a random blogger too and im still lauging at ~NO way you want your undies sprawled across the screen. how many clicked to see if it worked? I didn't yet but im sooo wanting to now. jk!
ReplyDeleteI have 5 girls and its nice to see other moms with even more kids comming over depsite the crazyness & caos and any lack of brain left.(sleep deprived!)
glad I popped in.
Your a doll!
Best Wishes ~
Joelle XO