Finally Home!!!!

I'm finally home! I must say...it's been a very interesting and exhausting last 2 weeks. Power was finally restored yesterday for me. Now I need to clean the house and get the smell out from it being closed up.

The yard is really coming along....Josh and his friend have done a really good job had cutting down trees and cleaning debris. The yard still isn't back in shape...need to mow and mulch up all the leaves left behind from the fallen trees.

Yesterday I went to the beach house for an inspection and it all seems to be okay...no structural damage, Now I just need to get the roof fixed and the septic hooked back up and then clean up some debris and bring in dirt to fill in the holes the storm left and dirt under the slab. Still a lot to do but not near the amount as others. I was very lucky this go round....my sanctuary is still in tack.

Today I went to the grocery store to get some food for the freezer and frig...I lost everything. As I was putting groceries in, I locked my keys and purse in the truck...had to wait 30 minutes for a guy to come and unlock it who was just on the other side of the freeway ....and it cost me 55 bucks for something that took him 20 seconds and not even a dollar in gas. But I was able to get on my way. Always something I swear!

Hoping next week I get a chance to chill and relax...I'm so tired and exhausted.

Tomorrow I'm going to a wedding ...a daughter of a good friend of mine is getting married so both Jen and I are going.

Just wanted you all to know...I'm okay...just tired...I'm back home...with some mess but not as big as it was and hopefully things will be back to normal very soon.

Love you all and thanks for visiting....Robin

I'm Still Here

Hello All....In case your wondering...I'm still here and okay. It's been a very interesting last 10 days. I've been to the beach house twice so far...still eery but it's coming along. I'm waiting to get an inspection on the house to see what my next step is. My brother who is in Florida helping me out some. I'm just lost and not sure what to do or how to do it.

My country home is STILL without electricity and looks like it could be another week. This is something that is almost pissing me off. I know other folks are in the same boat too but this is crazy. Our whole area and part of our neighborhood have electricity. We have been forgotten.

Today I went to the house (I've been staying with Jen and Paul) to check on things...the goat is good. The yard looks better but is still a mess. The house is starting to smell and bugs are getting in...it's gross. Just going in my house today was disgusting. Hopefully something will happen and soon but it's starting to get old.

Josh has been working hard trying to cut up trees and haul debris back to the back of the property. He's been working on his days off and going after work when he's gotten off during say light hours/ There are days he works alone and then days where he has a friend help. It's just unreal how much clean up there is.

Anyway...just wanted you to know we are still okay...just dealing with clean up. I will keep you posted. Hopefully on my next report we will have power.

Love to all....Robin

Beach House Update

Hello All!

Earlier this morning I posted pictures of not only my beach house but the area, if you haven't seen them yet please scroll down the page to the 3 different slide shows. It's so much different seeing everything in person than on TV but I will say it wasn't as bad as I had thought with everything I heard on the news....but it does get bad as you go up the coast...but still it's bad. I would think clean up would take years. The debris is awful...I can't believe how much and things that washed away.

As you can tell by the pictures of my beach house pictures I was pretty lucky. I have a few shingles missing from the roof...the roof is still in tack...a few boards missing...my beach walk over gone but the thing that's worse is all the ground (sand) that has washed away from underneath the house, it's not the foundation but just a concrete parking area.

The main thing I lost was my lot that was in front of the beach house....it has washed away and the beach has taken over more than half of it....that is something you can't recover or insure so your just out the property and it's value. There is so much beach erosion it's hard to believe.

No water came in the house at all. The storm surge wasn't as high as expected and my house sits up higher than the surge. It looks as tough all that extra property in front of my house actually helped protect it..which means next big storm I don't have that protection.

So...the beach house is fine...minor...but the area isn't pretty anymore...it will take time for that to happen again.

Jennifer and I are planning on making another trip tomorrow to the beach house to clean out the frig since the island is out of power and will be for months. I think this time I'll walk to the beach and see how it looks looking at the house. Before from the beach it was hard to see my house because of all the protection and dunes but now that's not there anymore...it's all open.

Today we went to my house to help clean up there. Josh and his friend have done a lot...it's still a mess out there but you can tell the progress. My neighbor/friend, her daughter came over this morning and worked for several hours and then Jennifer did a lot as well. So much to do. Will probably make another stop tomorrow after we do the beach house run.

I will keep you all posted through this blog...when I know something I will post it. It's nice staying with Jen and Paul and being in a comfortable home.

God Bless you all...Much love...Robin

My Beach House: Post-Hurricane Ike

Bluewater Highway: Post-Hurricane Ike

Before Ike

This is the back yard before Ike made his visit
Joshua and friend putting up boards on the home
This is the front porch all boarded up and ready for Ike...all porch furniture has been put up

Sorry...I posted this picture twice and can't figure out how to delete it without deleting everything and starting over...

Please look at the following post with pictures after Ike and my update on what happened during and after Ike.

I will post again when I have something new to report.

The latest report is that Jennifer has power so I think tomorrow we are going to leave Corpus and head to the beach house and then head back to her house. I will stay with her until my power lines and power have been restored.

After Ike Part 1

An up rooted tree in the back yard...The hole is so big you could bury someone in it...I can stand in it and it almost comes up to the bottom of my butt
Trees done in the back yard...this was our hardest hit area on the property
Another view of the back of the property
Back of the property
This is the front side part of the property...not too bad but lots of limbs