Alive & kicking!

11 days without power in south Texas.

We're alive & holding on. Lots of downed tree limbs, but no damage to the hacienda.
Last time we had the lights on (without help from a generator) was Friday 09/12 just before Ike hit. Lights came on last might around 11:30 pm. We were just about to give it up yesterday and settle in for the long haul. No power and no promise of when it would come back on (down fuse on line, Centerpoint would not estimate when that would get repaired). Needless to say, we were a bit frustrated. Had borrowed generator from neighbor and was running fans/lights but was planning on going out today to get a window a/c. Glad to have power back on. Not sure which is nicer, a/c or having my morning coffee again. Even though we are lucky to have power and blessed with minimal damage, there is still ~750,000 people out there this morning still in the dark. And that does not include some of the people who have lost their houses or have had serious damage. My thoughts/heart/prayers go out to them.

Has been mass pandemonium down here. Most of Houston and the surrounding area have been without power (utility company said over 2.1 million) since the storm hit shore. No ice, no gas, long lines. Some stores are just now opening up. One of the blessings has been the weather has been unseasonably cooler (mid 50's at night) for Houston in September. Been actually nice to sleep with open window, although some windows on my house have not been opened for 6 years. Interesting to sleep at night to drone of generators running in the neighborhood. Tried to eat most of the contents of our freezer but wound up having to toss a lot of the meat after it was in the ice chest too long.

Will post some intersting tales in a day or so as we come back on line. One nice observations, it is in times of trouble that true friends & neighbors came together in the crisis and learned to share what they have.