Wow, the first cold front of the season and I have fire going in my wood burning stove.

[texanwitch]

I also have a big pot of bean soup cooking on the top.

Before Hurricane Ike hit we would have went to the beach house but the beach house and the beach are gone.

We may take a drive to the beach tomorrow but it won't be the same.

Hope everyone has a nice weekend.

[lizziegrace]

1. I fire sounds nice

It's going to get to 40 here today. I have a fireplace but cannot use it. Landlords are funny that way. x(

Enjoy the quiet today. :hug:

[texanwitch]

6. No fire place, that isn't right.

I should be at the protest downtown at the City Hall but with this cold I am staying home.

Wish I was at the protest.

[1gobluedem]

14. Get one of those candelabras that go in the fireplace

Light all the candles and give yourself the illusion of a fire.

Texanwitch, I'm sorry about the beach house. It must have been devastating to lose it.

[texanwitch]

15. Thank you.

It was a old friend, always there.

I was thinking about the beach house when Ike was blowing that Friday night and Saturday morning.

We went for a final visit the weekend before just in case, I am so glad we did.

It was hard to leave it all boarded up and empty.

One of our friends lived there full time so we took everything out.

There was nothing left of the house, nothing but the cement.

I feel sorry for the people who lived there, they have to start over again.

I knew Ike was going to be bad when I first heard about it.

We had been 25 years without a hurricane, we couldn't escape one forever.

The funny thing was most people in this area didn't take Ike to serious until the last few days before the storm.

We had about 3 weeks to get ready but everyone was hoping it would go somewhere else.

You could hear people puting up boards until late Friday night.

Most people stayed.

I am glad most people stayed, it would have been a repeat of Rita, three years before.

[1gobluedem]

16. I'm glad you have the good memories

They can't be blown away.

[texanwitch]

20. That is so true.

Memories can't be blown away.

It was built well but not high enough.

The house would have had to be at least 19 feet to make it, the water was that high.

If we can we will rebuilt again but it will be more expensive with all the new building codes.

[old mark]

2. Our wood pellet stove will be installed in December, but it will get

colder here overnight. Made an apple pie this morning and large pot of vegetable soup Thursday. It's a little chilly, but it smells great.
Might have snow flurries next week.
mark

[texanwitch]

8. I like cold weather.

We have a lot of wood from Ike.

We found wood precut just waiting to be picked up by the city.

I know a lot of people who will use the wood.

[old mark]

11. Us, too - it's just hard to make the adjustment.

It was very warm here through much of fall, 80's at times - expected to be in the 40's with snow next week. Pennsylvania ia the south of the north - we get the extremes of both climates.

My dad, sister and BIL live near Galviston. Last I heard, my dad wasn't able to return to his apartment yet. No one even mentions this on TV anymore.
It must have been terrible there.

mark

[texanwitch]

12. Galveston really took a hit.

Galveston was under water, and many people didn't have insurance.

Now the hospital there is laying of something like 3800 workers, that will be as bad as Ike.

Ike is still here.

Even in Houston you can tell.

Did your Dad live along the sea wall area, that whole area took a major hit.

President Obama can start putting people to work along the Gulf Coast, plenty of work to do.

[old mark]

13. He lives in a retirement place near League City, which is

where my sister lives. Can't recall the name right now. They all went to Houston for the storm, and their house in League City was not damaged, but his building was. He will be 92 on Jan 1 and I think this was a little tough on him, but everyone made it trough OK.
My brother in law says there are still folks from Katrina in Houston who haven't made it back home yet. Nice work George.


mark

[texanwitch]

18. A lot of folks came to Houston to ride to ride out Ike.

Everybody I knew took in family and friends.

You just find the space even if it means sleeping on the floor.

League City flooded also.

The coast line is mess up now, many folks are homeless living in motels.

FEMA is screwed up, what's new about that.

Hope your dad gets to go home soon.

[old mark]

22. He is home now. His place was repaired enough

to be habitable, but he moved in before all the work was done - he wanted to get back home.

My sister teaches 4th grade in Kemah. She says that just in her class, 4 kids have nowhere to live.
30 of the 39 school buildings in their disrict were damaged, including her building and her office.


mark

[TZ]

3. Lets see it's currently in the low 70's

but judging by the loud WHOOOSH I heard a bit ago the front must be coming through..oh that and the tornado watch they just posted for us.....:crazy: (low tonight supposed to be in the 40's I love these 30-40 degree drops in a day!)

[texanwitch]

4. Our cold front blew in last night.

I think tonight will be in the 40's.

I still miss the beach house, it had a great fire place and wood burning stove.

[TZ]

5. Yeah that sucks about Ike.

Did you have insurance on it so you can rebuild?

[texanwitch]

7. We have insurance but don't know if we can rebuild.

So much of the beach is gone now.

All the little coastal towns are just gone.

They took the hit for Houston and Galveston, the storm went up I-45 instead of I-10.

[TX Screwball]

9. Which beach was your house on?

I'm from the Surfside area but live in Austin now.

We might go check it out on Thanksgivings but I don't know.

I might just keep my memories.

[texanwitch]

10. Our beach house was on Crystal Beach.

Bolivar as a whole took such a hit.

Some of the homes look OK but most are gone.

There are people living there but the living is rough.

Our beach house was only 14 foot high, not high enough.

If you go be prepared, it won't be like you remembered.

[suninvited]

17. Cold here in North Texas, too

I had to wear a jacket while I was working on my stained glass in the greenhouse today.

We had to go out and pick all the tomatoes. I fried green tomatoes for dinner.

Aften dinner I went out and picked all the loofahs left on the vines, they can't freeze or they ruin.

I live in an ICF home, so I don't have to worry about turning on heat or getting cold.

[texanwitch]

19. I just read that book again Fried Green Tomatoes.

We were thinking about a greenhouse, it really doesn't get that cold here.

We have enough wood thanks to Ike, plenty for the next 5 years.

[suninvited]

21. I know the feeling

I moved to Texas after I lost my job and my home in Hurricane Ivan in Pensacola, FL.