There She Blows

Our old house. Hurricane Ike is barreling straight towards her. This time it is not the wind we are worried about. It is the 15-25 foot storm surge. Our house will be under water! It is insured, but as we learned with Rita, insurance doesn't pay quite what your home is worth, and NEVER very quickly. We could be making "house" payments on a pile of sticks for a year or more. We still had quite a bit of stuff down there. Our garage and outbuilding were piled high with belongings. There was just too much stuff to move in one trip. I keep picturing the water rising around my antique sewing table and dresser. AAAGH!!
My mom and dad did evacuate. I'm so thankful. After last week's false-alarm evacuation (Gustav), I was afraid they wouldn't. Dad was so riled over emergency personnel claiming that "they would not allow citizens back into devastated areas," that he talked as if he would sit on the front porch with his shotguns and spit in 'Ole Ike's eye. Daddy is a peace-loving soul, but if you want to see him feisty, just tell him you are going to take his guns or his land. That is a real good way to get on his bad side. Right up until yesterday afternoon, they were stocking up on supplies and tying off trees, but then at the last he had a change of heart. He said he was just staking off the last of the oaks, when he realized that after tomorrow (which is today). He would be alone with mom--who wanted to go see the grandkids anyway--in the rain. In the house. Without t.v., telephone, or--most importantly--air conditioning. He would have to work over a generator night and day for light and necessities. He decided it would be a bittersweet victory over the establishment to say the least.
Many of our friends and neighbors did not evacuate. And for them we earnestly pray. Truly, this storm surge will be life threatening. Pray that everyone makes it to high ground in time.