Ike, Ike.... Ohhhhhhhhhhh Baby!

Hello all! We are alive and well. We are hot and humid, but thankfully have an escape this weekend in CS. Laundry, A/C, Internet, CABLE TELEVISION... life is grand.

When we arrived home on Sunday, we had a lot to take in. Limbs down, fence down, tree on house. I'll post pictures soon.

We have no power, and no prospects of power until at least late next week. We do have a borrowed generator, so we have a refrigerator, some lights and fans at night, and chargers for the all important cell phones and my beloved iPod. We've even had the TV and DVD player hooked up a couple of times! I've learned to start and stop the generator and can even put gas in it if the "smaller" gas can is available. Also, I can cook a mean pasta dish on the burner of the gas grill! Good grief, I am so glad the new grill has the burner!

The tree did not go through the roof, but there was fairly significant structural damage due to impact. It is HUGE. It is resting on the second story roof and extends about 15 feet beyond the top of the roof - so it's over the other half of the house. Removal of the tree will require a crane, and after some bad experiences with non local guys, we are having a well-respected and well-used-by-our-neighbors local guy do the removal on Monday (for a fraction of the cost of the other guys). There is damage to a truss and rafter in the attic, but we're not sure exactly how much. Repair will require removal of roof and then replacement after repairs - at the least. The dining room ceiling will have to come down. Nora's window will have to be replaced/rehung. Her walls and ceiling will be examined for water damage. The dining room windows may have shifted, so they may have to be rehung, too. Lovely. Lovely. Lovely. Fence will have to be replaced, etc. And, with all the demand, I don't know how long it will be before we can get contractors in for bids much less actual work.

So, while all are welcome at our home, I can't promise it will be lovely, cool, quiet, or even intact!