The Vivid Horror of Galveston

 Galveston Island has been a favorite tourist spot. It was very beautiful, full of life and full of fun. 

 I wrote before about the Hurricane they had a century ago. Thousands were lost back then. Thanks to all the preparation, evacuation and work of the State of Texas, it seems there have approximately fifty lives lost. Of course, that is fifty too many.

Everyone should have evacuated and we were waiting for them up here in East Texas. 

I have not even shown you the most grim of the photos but I did want you to see for yourself how bad it really was.  I tried to pick some photos that would show emotions on the faces of those coming back to what was left of their homes this week. 

God Bless Galveston! God Bless Texas!

And God Bless my favorite doctor who gave me a cortizone shot for my back today. If only we had such fixes for Galveston and the Texas Gulf Coast!

Hurricane Ike - Back to Normal Yet?

The first question is: are we back to life as we knew it before Hurricane Ike? The second question is, “What was normal for us?” 

Well, the answers are “Yes”, “Yes, for us” and “No”, if you count the tree limbs at curbside awaiting pick-up and the trees resting on some house roofs. There are still a few extra people here, some who had nothing to go back to, and a few children registered with our local schools. So, as before, we have probably increased our population somewhat. 

There are extra service trucks and there will be plenty of them to do all the clean up. 

Most of us are back into the routines we were used to before the storm. Because we are “retired”, perhaps Hubby and I do not have so much of a routine as some. 

A few of us have some residual aches and pains which may or may not be psychosomatic. 

My friend has an ongoing headache. Sinus headaches are very common in East Texas and they are probably weather-induced. So, I conclude she is sick over the hurricane, or climate change. (No, she did not have severe damage, just the same inconvenience we all had.) 

Today I am finally going to see my doctor about my back pain. Now, I have to tell you my G.P. is a Canadian, eh? So, he will not tell me that I am a hypochondriac. He will come up with some uncommonly simple solution for my pain. He is a very down-to-earth type of fellow, graduated from University of Alberta who practiced in Northern Ontario. 

So, I have dispelled the thought for you that I am the only Canuck here! (And there are a few more . . .) 

Why is my back hurting so much? Well, it might be that big stock of water I pushed in the cart from the back of the Wal-Mart store before Ike. Or, could it be an immense tote box laden with heavy stuff marked “Crawl Space” that I pushed from one room to another? 

What is the significance of “Crawl Space” written on the box? Well, it means it came from Ontario, because we do not have any crawl space at this house. For all my Texas friends, let me explain. I was living in a four level back-split which is truthfully, a house with four levels and lots of short sets of stairs. On the bottom of it all was a final level – accessible by children, dogs, and you on your knees – for storage: CRAWL SPACE! 

So, like most of us, I kinda left something aside that I should have sorted through – oh, maybe 10 or 11 years ago. 

And, my doctor will know that I simply did too much at the last minute, won’t he? 

On the “do it now” side, we did take the tidy clear bag of gently used clothing that they were calling for at Goodwill. (I confess that bag had been sitting in the garage for about five months.) Fortunately the newspaper headlined that they needed more clothing for evacuees. 

On the clean side of the slate, except those with generators, most of us now also have very tidy freezers! (We put frig contents in coolers with ice, but alas the freezer contents had to be tossed and of course, any residual ice melted.) 

Should I tell you that yesterday morning, the power went off again while I was here at my computer? Accompanying the outage was a giant pop or crack out on the street. Fortunately, we were soon up and running and then, only then, did I print out some hard copies of work to be edited. Oh, when will I ever learn? 

So, shall we conclude that some of our pains are beyond our control – like headaches, and some – like other headaches and backaches, may well be caused by the old procrastination? 

Are we back to normal? Well, yes, no, and maybe!

Go 'Stros, Go! Shake The After-Ike Blues!

Well, we are definitely feeling the after effects of Hurricane Ike! 

The man who helps us out of the supermarket with our groceries says he will be moving up north - no more of this for him! (Hopefully, after a while, surely he will realize that his life is here.)

When we have been out and about, every one we speak with has a story to tell but most people's power is back up and they have not suffered too much damage. Everyone is still alive and ready to get on with life.

Most of us are still not truly back into our routine. There are reminders everywhere of Ike - particularly piles of tree limbs at curbside. And, there are several houses with trees lying on the roofs.

One of the best reminders that someone cares is that State Farm have set up several tents in the Lowes Parking Lot. If you have a claim, you can just drive over there and they will help you. That is very calming.

Fortunately, we do not have a claim. We do have a sort of lethargy as we go about our daily tasks and both of us still have pain in our backs. We worked perhaps a little too hard to be ready for Ike.

Weather is changing all over now and moving elsewhere probably is not an answer. 

All that said, I want to let the Houston Astros know that we are counting on them to shake their after-Ike blues and get with the program, starting tonight!

You have had a chance to survey your homes and Houston, The Texas Gulf Coast, all Texas is counting on you, not just to contribute money, but to boost our spirits! 

Go 'Stros, Go!

Houston Astros - Hurricane Ike Relief Efforts

I told you last week about the Houston Astros having to go to Wisconsin to play two home games because of Hurricane Ike’s wrath in Houston. They didn’t do too well, but there is still a chance for them to get in the MLB Playoffs via wild card. Of course, players were thinking about their properties, their families and their beloved City of Houston. 

Well, tonight, the Astros come back home to Minute Maid Park to finish off the season. 

I’ve mentioned before how similar Minute Maid Park in Houston and Rogers Center (Sky Dome) in Toronto are. The roofs are both retractable and can be open or closed. Both have lots of information to keep the fans up with what is going on so that even newer fans can catch on really quickly. Both have Jumbotrons. 

Minute Maid Park is by Union Station and there is a train that goes out on elevated tracks with its whistle blowing each time an Astros home run is scored. There is a large gas pump where all the home runs are tabulated. The Landry Crawford Boxes, out to the left as you are hitting are kind of a special place for the home team to hit a run. 

Long story short, anyone from Toronto or Houston would feel very much at home in either ballpark. 

The Houston players are a close-knit group and are very community-oriented. 

This week, not only will Houston be trying to win that Wild Card Spot but they have a great effort to help victims of Hurricane Ike which, of course, did a lot of damage in Houston and the Gulf Coast. 

First off, Astros Chairman & C.E.O., Drayton McLane and the Team have donated One Million Dollars to Hurricane Relief efforts. 

This week there will be a Cash Collection Drive, Silent Auction, Food & Supplies Relief Drive (including Houston Humane Society), Autographed Ball Mystery Grab Bags for $50, Jerseys Off the Back Auction and a Blood Drive. 

The MLB Teams coming in this week are Cincinnati Reds and Atlanta Braves. On Monday, Chicago Cubs will be in for a make-up game, if necessary. 

There is something special about major league sports teams who get this involved in the community where they play. 

Thank you, Houston Astros, for all you do! 

Houston Astros Website with schedules and details of events:

 http://houston.astros.mlb.com

The Calm After The Storm - Getting Back into Routine

There are signs all over of Hurricane Ike's wrath but in our immediate area almost everyone has their power back. We are all trying to catch up on laundry and general household chores. We have pretty much assessed any damage and many of us are very blessed not to have too much other than downed tree limbs. Those of us who really just had disruption of our routines are very thankful.

People are feeling perhaps lethargic, a little down, because we have all been through a lot of disruption. 

Some evacuees are still here and worse, some have nothing to go back to. Most of them feel they have been treated well and we have tried to make them feel at home. Perhaps some will re-locate to East Texas!

In other areas, particularly the Texas Coast, the various services have been tremendous and Gov. Rick Perry has had teams of people really on top of the situation. He commented that Texas will be a role model for other states going through disasters. Of course, "THIS IS TEXAS!"

Centers for help here in East Texas are shutting down and hopefully, schools will re-open on Monday so the children and their teachers can get back into routine. "Buddy" the Lhasa has very much missed the School Bus at 6:45 a.m. and 3:25 p.m. that stops for our neighbor's granddaughter.

Yes. Routine! Good old routine! We like it a lot more than we are willing to admit!

Gotta Luv Willie!

Texas' own Willie Nelson, founder of Farm Aid, says they will be giving to groups that help family farmers in areas of Louisiana and Texas hardest hit by Hurricanes Gustav and Ike. Included are Lutheran Social Services of the South, Southern Mutual Help Association, Louisiana Interchurch Conference and  Federation of Southern Cooperatives. Farm Aid is the nation's longet-running benefit concert and has raised more than $30 million since its first show in 1985.

Hurricane Ike - Still Causing Misery

There is a very old expression, “After three days, fish starts to smell”. Hubby and I try to live by the motto. When we visit, we try to be there three days or less and when someone visits us, we try to make their visit last only three days. (With due respect, surely they would want to visit Houston, Dallas or Shreveport while they are here!) 

It is a simple fact of life that when we invite those from outside our immediate family to stay in our home, it wears very thin or as they say today, “It gets old”. We all do our very best to get along with our spouse and if we have children at home, with them too, of course. We have our quirks, our routines, our own ways. But we get used to each other. Or, we divorce. 

So, when people – either out of the kindness of their hearts or because they felt it was the “right thing to do” – invited friends and family into their homes to be sheltered from Ike, they learned. 

Hurricane Ike turned off the power in this area on Saturday and today, Thursday, in our own East Texas town, just about one-third of the population are still without electricity. Since those evacuees came here on Thursday or Friday, in some cases, “guests” have been here for one week now. 

Many people who have come here from the Texas Gulf Coast have not been given the word to go back home. Worse, some have nothing to go back to. 

In some large parking lots, there are vehicles which look as though they are parked there with evacuees living in them.

Hotels were filled long ago, people are running out of money and patience. 

Today’s newspaper relates strife and crime. Our streets are still full with drivers from other areas unsure of how to get places. Of course, there were traffic lights out of service and that was a real challenge! 

We still have many evacuee shelters; schools are closed (some being used for shelters, meals, etc.) and we still have National Guard at various parking lots doling out ice, bottled water and meal packs. 

Everywhere there are service trucks – electric, cable, telephone, clean-up, tree services. 

Some of the advice is not getting through because people who need to know what is going on have no way to hear the messages. People should be leaving their front porch lights on so workers will know when power is restored. Garbage may be put in re-cycle as well as regular barrels for pick-up. If you need some water, here is where to get it. Don’t mix tree limbs with bagged garbage. The city is organized, but not everyone is able to receive the word. 

Grocery stores and restaurants are to capacity. 

So, people are starting to smell like the fish out of water on the beach. Some figuratively, some literally! 

Worse, people are starting to hate the situation so bad, they are causing harm to others, as in stabbing, and in one case, two pots of boiling vegetables were hurled at in-laws. 

Our physiologists, social workers, firemen and policemen, maintenance people and government employees are now very much overworked. 

A good place for all of us with power is inside our homes and going out after dark is probably a very bad idea. 

Please, Dear God, let this come to an end and bring us all back to “normal”. 

[Ed.note: Even in a power outage, gas burners may be lit with a match and used for cooking.]

House on Stilts: Lives Saved During Ike

This is the picture I wanted you to see of people being rescued from a home built on stilts at Bolivar Peninsula at the Texas Gulf Coast.  I recall how odd houses like this seemed to me when I first saw them several years ago. This photo shows you how important this structure is to the residents during a storm like Hurricane Ike. A lot of you living up north would never have seen this type of building before. 

Did you know you can move a town?

Hurricane Ike - Still Causing Grief

For many in East Texas, Hurricane Ike is still very much on our minds. Traffic seems to be just about double what it would normally be. Fast food restaurants are jammed to capacity. (Sonic Drive-In's coffee machine was down this afternoon.)

Probably one-half of the people in this area are still without power. Some have generators but they just power up a few appliances. Crews are everywhere working non-stop to get things up and running. 

There are central depots to pick up ice, water and meal packs and the National Guard is still at work for these efforts.

Many areas are worse off than we are. We are truly blessed to have our power. 

At the beauty shop, where power had just come back this morning, I told one lady I was sorry about the problems with her beach house in Galveston. 

"Oh, there is no problem. There is no beach house!"

She was very brave to be making light of it, probably because it is not her permanent residence. When the insurance company told her hubby they would be out to assess damages he told them there was no need as there was nothing to assess at the property.

Most area schools are still out and some are still being used as Evacuee Centers. Many people have not yet been given the green light to go back to the Gulf Coast and of course, some have nothing to go back to.

So, our area is not out of the woods yet and we sure hope and pray our power stays on because down the street, they are without.

 

Galveston, oh Galveston: More than a Glen Campbell Song

We have visited Galveston twice.  A newly built area called Kemah was interesting in that there were lots of galleries, restaurants, antique and craft shops and a boardwalk. 

This happened to this area before.  For the Galveston Hurricane of September 8, 1900 the official record shows 8,000 people were killed.  So, that was 108 years and 5 days before Ike. That made it the deadliest natural disaster ever to hit the United States.  A major seawall was built and it has been a wealthy resort area and tourist Mecca. 

The one place everyone will mention or recognize when you talk about Galveston is Guido’s. This is a family-run seafood restaurant where the family themselves apparently catches the fish they serve. Large scallops are my favorite, and Guido’s had the best ever.  From one visit, I recall our server as a decided senior, perhaps a family member or friend, who was such a gentle person. 

A Newfoundlander, eating with me in Toronto once said,  “I make it practice never to eat fish when I am inland.” I thought about that when I tasted Guido’s scallops! 

Hubby and I also rented a special foot-peddled cart which made me a bit nervous since there were plenty of automobiles there as well! Of course, I am not the maverick he is! 

We did not stay in the swankiest timeshare or resort and I do know people who love to vacation there and at Bolivar Peninsula.  The peninsula distinguished itself for me by the dwellings on stilts. I think I can post a picture of people being rescued from one and showing the value of that construction. Some of our family used to vacation in that area and the girls will have fine memories of there. 

I know of at least one family who has lost everything in Galveston and the damage and loss has not truly been counted yet. God Bless them all! 

This area, right on the Gulf is the area really hardest hit by Hurricane Ike. We are truly fortunate to be the place where people came to seek shelter as opposed to having to evacuate to somewhere else.

After the Storm: Not Exactly Calm Yet

Hubby and I are among the most fortunate in the area to have power back to their homes. About one-half of city residents still are without. Some people have had their power come on only to go off again. In the surrounding area, the percentage of homes and business without power is much higher. Of course, other areas, including just one-half hour away will need complete rebuilding. Houston will be several days getting everyone up and running and of course, Galveston is really in bad shape. 

For Astro fans, we took an extra hit in that they went to Milwaukee to play their home games and lost. Now, if they had just called, I think they could have played during the day in Toronto and you know how at home they would have felt! 

We will tell you a little more about what we feel about this experience at http://grey-approach.blogspot.com when we post our story there. 

Utility and Law Enforcement vehicles have been going up and down in front of our home and we can hear the “outside voices” of children still home from school. (Some schools and churches are being used as Evacuee Centers.) 

Because evacuees have not been authorized to go back to the Texas Coast, or even worse, perhaps because they have nothing to go back to, we have about 4,000 extra people in town. Our population is about 33,000 so that is about 12% more people. That makes for a lot more traffic than we are used to and puts a bigger burden on our supermarkets and restaurants than usual. 

Water and ice has been offered at various locations but there were long lines and National Guard was on duty to keep things orderly. 

With tragedy like Hurricane Ike also comes crime. It is very important for all residents to keep their guards up. So, it is not exactly business as usual yet. 

Powered Up Again!

After 57 hours without, power to our house is up and running and we hope and pray it stays that way. Many, many people in our area are still without! 

Because we have been without TV news, we really only know what we have been told over the phone. 

Guess we are out of touch with radio and do not have the right equipment to receive news. A few of our gadgets died, including a TV. Hubby and I really do try to keep up with everything and probably that was the most stressful thing for us: not knowing what was going on. 

The cell phone was super for sending and receiving texts and calls from friends and family. 

If you have been reading previous messages in this blog, then you will understand that we are now “back from our luxurious vacation”. 

On the up side, we loved how young Wil (five and a half years old) was watching and worrying for us. We had many calls from his Grandmother in Ontario. They were keeping us updated from CNN. Thanks for all your prayers from Ontario and Alberta, Iowa, California, Michigan and Ohio! 

Thanks Elaine, for calling Swiss Chalet to deliver the BBQ chicken to us from Toronto, even if only in our dreams! 

Now, we have not watched the news yet, but we are sorry that apparently Ike continued on up, all the way to Ontario! Sorry to those of you who received residual. 

Thanks to all the folks who made it a little easier on us: Raul with ice, Daisy with ice, Armando with the clean-up, and to anyone I am forgetting. Thanks to all the employees who were able to open up essential services quickly. Simple gestures were what we needed. 

We had no church on Sunday – that is another story: first time! 

Will try to post again with some photos of our area in East Texas. We are blessed in that we received very little damage: mostly downed tree limbs. We are in a brick house and it seems to have survived nicely. 

I must stress to you up north that our area was an evacuation area where people came to be safe and we actually probably took a little bigger hit than originally expected. 

I wore my Big Bear Lake (California) 1991 – 1992 Survival Shirt on Saturday – in memory of my niece, Rosalyn who loved California as much as I love Texas.

What I Really Miss About Canada!

Just a quick update on Hurricane Ike. As you know, it has made landfall at the Texas Coast and for us in East Texas, this means possible tornados and major winds and rain.

On our property, some branches are already down but the wind is now picking up. The report is that there is a tree down on the loop as you exit to the highway. As my computer is right by a front window, I will be signing off. 

For those of you up north who do not experience this, we should now be in an inner room without windows. The center bathroom is the safest but a little confining. We have a fairly safe middle room where Keith put the wood up over the only window and we hope that holds up well. While we still have power right now, experience tells us that will be out eventually. We have lots of provisions - bottled water, canned goods, snacks and even a little chocolate! We have a small portable TV, radio, and batteries. The local station is continuing around the clock (with our friend minding the store). It is also accessible on radio.

Our family are all hunkered down and should be safe, especially Meghan in South Korea, David & Nadine in Los Angeles, Louise in Cleveland (Ohio), and the "Gang" in Iowa. 

Buddy, the Lhasa is sticking right with us and anytime he goes out, he will be on a lead. All fencing is wooden and I see our neighbor's wide gate is already down. Ferocious is the best word to describe it outside.

So, it is for times like this that I really miss my basement. Houses in this area are built on flat  concrete slabs - ours extends out to a patio which is covered. 

Yup: when people ask me what I miss most about Canada, I try to be light about it. Of course, I miss seeing friends and relatives. Some things have changed over the twelve years but when we visit, I always turn on CBC and CTV and Global and watch familiar faces and hear my accent. (Down here, people still think I have an accent, eh? Up there, people think I have a Texas accent.)  Make no mistake: I LOVE CANADA!

But when people ask, I try to keep it simple! I tell them what I really miss is Swiss Chalet BBQ Chicken Restaurant and MY BASEMENT!

Oh, and to my special friend,  five-year-old Wil. Thank you so much for your note which is printed out for us to read today.  Keep praying for us. Lots of love from Martha in Texas!

Ike Evacuees Driving Up From Houston to East Texas for Shelter

Hunkering Down Waiting for Hurricane Ike

Well, it’s just after ten o’clock in the evening in East Texas and we are hunkering down, waiting for Hurricane Ike. 

Missed scrapbooking tonight and napped instead. All day we have been running errands, doing laundry, stuff you do when you think you might not have power or land phone service. 

At eight o’clock we drove up to the drug store and then swung around to buy lotto tickets. One gas station/variety store was closed; possibly they were out of gas. There are 4,000 evacuees in our area. 

The TV station is keeping us posted live and my friend has gone back to be there tonight while her family hunkers down at home. Our granddaughter was called out. Our representative, Louis Gohmert, is home from Washington. Everyone is at the ready. 

They are saying we are better prepared than we have been in the past and it looks as though we are. That, of course, depends upon how bad it gets. 

Our neighbors across seemed to have gone up to their church which would be an Evacuee Center. The folks directly across are going to sit up and wait and the folks at the corner have all their friends in for shelter and fellowship or as some call it, a Hurricane Party! 

Everyone has been calling to see if we are home and okay and our son was a little perturbed that we were not here when he called! It is always annoying when you cannot quickly locate the parents, isn’t it? 

Hopefully, we won’t have any damage, especially since I badgered Hubby to board up a side window. If you go back through my blog posts, you’ll find that we are hopefully just going to have another luxurious vacation! 

Worried About Martha in Texas

I have already printed my best e-mail message today and am enlarging it and putting up to make me feel good today. 

It is from my five-year-old friend – coming up to six, mind you – William. 

Few of us can say we have such a beautiful friend as his Grandma! But today, let me focus on William, sometimes called “Wil”. He lives just east of Toronto, off the 401 Highway where I lived before moving to East Texas. 

Wil wants to be a meteorologist when he grows up. When Grandma picks him up in the morning to shuttle him to school, he gives her the daily forecast. He is already interested and learning about cloud formation. 

I taped our local weatherman two weeks ago (Hurricane Gustav) so Wil could see just how excited and precise these people get when we are on alert for a Hurricane. Now, I haven’t sent that tape, because I can add to it for him tonight (Hurricane Ike). 

We have made friends with one of our meteorologists. This is a “small market” in East Texas and he started here right out of college. The weather here is fairly extreme, making it a good training ground. He is in a major market now and we do hear from him sometimes. He has been promoted to the morning slot now. This fellow has always seen the glass half-full and feels reaching the station at 3:00 a.m. is a small price to pay for the most-viewed slot. And of course, he gets weekends off! 

Back to our youngest meteorologist, William! Presumably because of his family using the term, “Martha in Texas”, he got to calling me that. Even on the telephone, he will say, 

“Hello, Martha in Texas!” 

Well Wil’s family wanted us to know that he is worrying about us. He and his family are all praying for us and our friends here, especially that the storm will not be as strong as predicted. 

Now, Wil has the link to the website to watch our local weatherman on his computer, and I think that may be more exciting than a two-week-old tape! 

I hope you have friends like William and his Grandmother because that is just about all you need to keep you going! 

"Preparing for the Worse and Praying for the BEST!"

As Hurricane Ike threatens us, Gov. Rick Perry (see story from a couple of days ago) is really on the stick! His quote today is, "We are preparing for the worse and praying for the BEST!"

Here in East Texas, we are preparing for Evacuees from the Texas Coast (Houston & suburbs and Galveston Island especially). 

The local high school football game has been cancelled, so you know this is serious stuff. (Presume some of you know about Friday Night Lights in Texas.)

If Ike takes too much of a turn to the right, we will get some damage. Right now, extreme winds and possible tornadoes are expected. 

Still have the provisions from two weeks ago.

There are so many songs about Texas including Going Back to Houston, Galveston, Deep in the Heart of Texas, Yellow Rose of Texas but the one we need to remember now is GOD BLESS TEXAS!

Well, Hurricane Ike is on a path and here we go again. (Are you saying, "Didn't I read this last week?")

“Texas Gov. Rick Perry spurred storm preparations with the declarations in 88 counties. Perry also put 7,500 National Guard members on standby.” – AP 9/9/2008 

I met Governor Rick Perry a few years ago and he was very pleasant and friendly to me – shook my hand like politicians do. I had read in the press about how good the Governor’s hair always looks and sometimes they called him “Mr. Good Hair”. I tell you: Yes, Gov. Perry does have good hair! It is dark, plentiful and every strand is in place! He is a tall, handsome man. He can furl his brow, but prefers a disarming smile. When I saw him, he was dressed in a suit and tie which we don’t see much here in casual East Texas, especially on weekdays. 

If you don’t live in Texas and are ‘way up in the Great White North (That’s Canada, eh?) then you may not realize that President George W. Bush was Texas Governor before he was in the White House. 

So, as long as George W. has been in the White House, Rick Perry has been in Austin at the Capitol Building. Gov. Perry was elected six years ago, so he has been in office eight years now. 

Rick Perry is a fifth-generation Texan, son of a cotton farmer and graduated from Texas A & M University. (We call them “Aggies”.) He served his country in the Air Force and worked with his father on the farm after graduating in Animal Science. 

Whenever the people of Texas are threatened, Rick Perry is always there, generally dressed in jeans and long-sleeved shirt – no cowboy hat. Of course, you knew, he wouldn’t do the hat thing very often! 

Thank goodness, Rick Perry did not choose to get into the Presidential thing yet, because we need him here. 

No matter what kind of trouble you are in – bad weather or otherwise – it is always good to know that someone is looking out for you. For us, that person is Rick Perry, who gives Texans a lot more than good hair!