I Love the Smell of Chainsaws in the Morning...

Howdy! This morning I'm writing my blog from Michelle's office at Silsbee Convalescent Center. On our way here this morning we drove through Silsbee, which looks like a hurricane hit it. Because one did.

I came home on Oct. 2nd, a few days ahead of Michelle, and went back to work on the 3rd (the store was being run on a generator at that point). During those first few days we had to contend with Texas-style heat & humidity and many nasty smells. When I wasn't down at the store I was busy clearing wood debris from my yard and driveway. There was no electricity at home, but I had battery operated fans to keep me cool at night and lamps to read by. On Oct. 5th Troy brought over a generator and small AC unit, and Michelle came home. A few days later - and sooner than expected - electricity was restored.

We've received financial assistance from FEMA and the Red Cross, which makes us official disaster victims. Michelle even received food stamps, just like the po' folks do. Yesterday Michelle and I spent the whole day working in the yard, burning leaves and branches, cutting and hauling logs. The garden is looking good and we have most of the yard cleared of debris. There are still trees and branches that need to be removed, including a a shattered limb that's dangling over the house.

But we are fine and everything is gradually returning to normal. Hopefully our cable and phone service will soon be restored. And in the midst of all this I still find time to look at birds. Ruby-throated Hummingbirds are still visiting our flowers. On the 14th I saw a Wilson's Warbler in what's left of the thicket along our driveway. Woodpeckers abound, and a Belted Kingfisher has been hanging out around the pond. Returning winter birds seen in the last few days include Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Eastern Phoebe, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, and Yellow-rumped Warbler.