Tropical Storm Ike

Sorry I am delayed in posting these...but I couldn't not post them after all of the effort that I went through to report the damage from Hurricane/Tropical Storm/Tropical Depression Ike. I consider us lucky although we had major tree damage and electrical outages. Some compared the costs of the damages to that of the notorious ice storm years ago. I personally don't see how it could equate to that, but there was plenty of trees, limbs, and debris scattered.

This was a beautiful tree at the courthouse in town...

This tree went down blocking one of the city streets....

Many trees just split from getting twisted in the high winds...

This tree landed on a house...

Many of the trees that fell took power lines down. I know you can't see this picture very well, but trust me, the tree fell and took the power line down.

I had to work the morning after the storm. I was unaware of the damages that Ike left behind. I know now that my ignorance was a good thing because I would have been a little more nervous during the storm.

I wish I could have gotten pictures on the way my town. It was so dark and I was so frantic to find electricity to get ready for work, that I didn't have time to stop and try to capture the images of the maze of electrical poles that I had to maneuver through about two miles from my house. It was then that I realized the impact of this storm.

We lost electricity at 8:30pm and sat in the dark for about 30 minutes before we gave it up and went to bed. I allowed Sadie and Sophie to sleep with a flashlight....one because I had to get up at 4:15 the next morning and I wanted to pacify them and give them something to entertain themselves until they found the sandman....and two because flashlights are safer than candles.

Electrical crews were out at daylight and worked frantically all day. Power was re-routed and restored to my house before noon, which I was so thankful for. It was many many days before the new poles were reset.




This was my favorite tree in my yard. It was a black walnut tree I am told. It was already leaning when I moved there, but we didn't cut it. I have always liked this tree. It had character! It made it through the ice storm. It served as a jungle gym for the kids. But Tropical Storm Gustav got it. It is now laying down and will probably die. I am so sad...

And Ike got this one! This one is a Mulberry tree, I have been told. Isn't there a song about a Mulberry bush? I think this one I can save--at least some of it. This tree started out as a bush that I kept mowing down. Wayne told me to let it grow because it would grow very fast and provide lots of shade. (I think he knows what he talking about.)

This is my farewell to Ike. So LoNG IkE!!!