Hurricane Ike, Sept 11, 2008
To the left is a dock walk between D and E docks at the marina, tosses up in the air, a part of a building blown under, so it could now set back down into the water. To the right is a small bongo drum left on the dock by the storm.
A hurricane is headed right for your marina – What do you do? Get out of Dodge, of course; so that is what I did. My friend Barbara Pusser called me a couple of days before and suggested that I come to her son’s house – in Magnolia, TX - with her, and it sounded like a really good idea to me. I had been to KC with all the kids for (on and off) 10 days, so was caught up there – sort of. I was debating about where to go – KC was too far away as I would want to get back to the boat ASAP. Riding out the storm aboard my boat did not sound like a very good idea. I got the boat all prepared – almost anyway – threw some odds and ends of clothes together and off we went on Thursday morning. The highways were already crowded with Ike evacuee's; being only 36 hours or so away. We went along at a speed varying between from 2 to 3 mph to 70 mph – arriving in Magnolia which is 73.5 miles away from Kemah, driving time about 1 hour and 35 minutes’ Ha! It took us five and a half hours of gritting out teeth, clutching the wheel, tensing our bodies, and swearing (under out breaths of course). Barb was in her friends SUV with the two Dalmatians which she is baby sitting and I was in my car, following her because I had no idea where we were going.
A hurricane is headed right for your marina – What do you do? Get out of Dodge, of course; so that is what I did. My friend Barbara Pusser called me a couple of days before and suggested that I come to her son’s house – in Magnolia, TX - with her, and it sounded like a really good idea to me. I had been to KC with all the kids for (on and off) 10 days, so was caught up there – sort of. I was debating about where to go – KC was too far away as I would want to get back to the boat ASAP. Riding out the storm aboard my boat did not sound like a very good idea. I got the boat all prepared – almost anyway – threw some odds and ends of clothes together and off we went on Thursday morning. The highways were already crowded with Ike evacuee's; being only 36 hours or so away. We went along at a speed varying between from 2 to 3 mph to 70 mph – arriving in Magnolia which is 73.5 miles away from Kemah, driving time about 1 hour and 35 minutes’ Ha! It took us five and a half hours of gritting out teeth, clutching the wheel, tensing our bodies, and swearing (under out breaths of course). Barb was in her friends SUV with the two Dalmatians which she is baby sitting and I was in my car, following her because I had no idea where we were going.
The Dalmatians were out of their regular element so of course they were extremely hard to handle. If it hadn’t been inhumane, we would have killed them. We would both be so glad to get them back home if the darned storm would just go away, the county clear the roads, the water recede and the gas stations would open (which they didn’t).
We went out to eat at Chili’s the night before the storm and Mark ordered a hamburger WITH NO ONIONS – repeated at least three times to the server. Onions came on the burger, but hidden inside where Mark couldn’t see them. He took about three big bites and that was it. The third one he got to the onions and he immediately got sick. What a night.
We left about noon on Monday to return to whatever mess we had incurred. I had been informed (by a dock mate and friend, Chuck, much to my relief) the boat was fine but I needed to see for myself. The boat was fine but the marina was upside down and backwards. The storm pictures will be at http://www.flickr.com/photos/scorpiomermaid/sets/ if you would care to see them.
Alas, when we got home, hoping to turn the Dalmatians loose in their own back yard to romp and play – wouldn’t you know two sides of the fence was down? We could have cried if it had put the fence back up. A generous parrot head friend, whom we now call Saint Chris, came to put up a temporary fence. Let me tell you – these parrot heads are all saints! They really know how to “come to the rescue”.
After the storm was over I realized there were two things I didn’t set on the floor that I probably should have. My ice maker, which sits on a “dresser top” as what I call it. There were no fiddles attached in that area – they were cut but have not been installed as we are not through refitting the cabins. That ice maker was sitting in the same position it was when I left it. I could just see it sitting on the floor, with a big hole in the floor, and all dented. I will forever wonder what kept it there through that storm that devastated the marina – but not the boats.
I have a medium sized container filled with pennies, nickels and dimes (I don’t save my quarters because I use them for laundry) which was also sitting on a shelf where the fiddle had not been replaced and I could just see the pennies, nickels, and dimes all over the salon and galley floors. Not the case at all. The container had slid forward and dropped down between the tow settee seats and was just sitting there, with the top still on.
I took some wet rugs out and hung them on the lifelines, which we usually don’t do in a marina, but this was an exception. Aired out the boat and it is fine – if I only had water and electricity. But that will come.
Last night Mark called his mom (Barb) to tell her how much he appreciated the Pedigree gourmet dog food she left for his CAT. And also to tell me how much he appreciated the French ONION dip I left in the frig for him. Oh, well. You have to leave something behind – I guess. At least I always do.
I have been very blessed through this storm and I know it was because of all the wonderful prayers everyone was saying for me. Thank you – family and friends. I love you all!
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