Ok, i have beeen to SLP and east beach. I am on east beach right now. The island is trashed but it will be repairable. It will take time but it looks like dbbb could happen but it might be tent camping only. We did not lose any sand! Caddo is still were i laid him to rest last year. Glenn H. house is 100%. I am going back to the boat to lay down................aj

Thanks AJ. Take care of yourself.

Susan (npw goddess)

thanks for the updates AJ.
i was worried about caddo if the sand got washed away.
glad to hear he`s still resting in peace.
i know you got alot of work to do in the coming weeks, if not months. just don`t burn yourself out.

It would sure be nice if the storm cleared out some of the poles on the beach, because they have been getting to damn pole happy down at slp. Glad to hear most of you guys made it through pretty good considering how big that sucker was and hopefully emergency workers and debris workers will get the island back to a habitable place as quick as possible.

Big John

Wife and I really appreciate all the help and support from the kiting community. Had a crane setup in the front yard today to extract the tree. Going to go get the pics soon and cd of them and will try and post when I can. Our dogs and parrot, which are family to us, are exceptionally grateful for all the help. Without it, we would have had to seperate them for a while.

Have a contractor coming tomorrow to give his opinion. Insurance has only sent their catrostrophic guy who said our house was un-inhabitable and gave us money for living expenses. My employer has been very understanding and let me take the week off. You know the tree in your house is a good one when they even say this is the worst one they have seen yet.

Lucy says she can't wait to see Beaux and the rest of the gang at Dead Bird. (Woof woof)

Here ya go Steve. Be sure to check out #18, 19, and 20 all. ;-)

http://buggytexas.com/images/steve1.jpg
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Thanks for the report AJ. I'm glad all is where it should be and that there is still a possibilty for DBBB.
Brad

Hey Steve

I hope Linda is doing better with her foot. Now you can say "you never know when your camping gear will come in handy".

Take care.
Susan (npw goddess)

Thanks dave for posting some pics. You'll like the ones with the crane once I get a chance to send them. Linda's doc Finally got poWer so she's going tomorrow. Schools and other major things got lit up today as well. Street is piled about five foot tall as far as you can see with tree debri.

Anyone need some oak for their pit of for dbbb??? I still have a 50ft oak I have yet to even start to cut up lying on the fence.

Have fun .

Linda and I are ready for a beach day soon. Still cleanining up insulation and crap this weekend... But need to dry out some kites next weekend. Anyone else with wet kites that need some air time?

I would love to make a beach weekend. But it might have to be dead bird before I can make it. Looks like there will be good wind for Saturday but where we play in town will be filled up with hundreds of tailgaters. It is the college football parking lot where we play and this Sat. is the first home game. Looks like we will shift gears and fly single lines instead.

Hang on to the oak.

Susan

Where would you go?

Looking at the sattellite photos, East beach looks like it got washed away
I wonder if we will ever be able to go there again...

Hopefully AJ can do a reconnaissance mission when they open the island and things settle out.

Like I said, if you guys need anything call me.

Steve.

It killed me today not to be able kite. it was blowing sideshore 15-20 ne. I drove all the way to Slp and came out at the water tower. Then drove to east beach to see. Both look fine with even m0re sand. You would not beleive the debria field. Everything you can think of is laying around. Everything! The stench is unbearable. Yes the piling are now broken off at the base and only stick up 6 inches. In my book thats worse! Most homes are standing but heavly damaged. Still without power and water here at the marina. Curfews are in effect dusked to dawn in most areas. Military aircraft fills the skys during the day bringing in aid to the airforce base. Have a pod site distubing food,water and ice just 1/2 mile away.Cut my work back to just a6 hrs today so i could solve my own issues at home. Other liveabords lost there boats so the commuity is helping out. You really figure out your trued friend in the time and condition. I gave $100 to a (friend), who had only $40 to his name. Come to find out that he spent it all at the liquor store that was half price within hours. I lost it! Friend no more!! Otherwise i am doing fine for now, i still love living on the water. Btw i cannot kite due to the fact that they have been dumping million and millions of gallons of raw :aliensewage into the water since the storm hit. My closes options may be Port a 3 hrs away or Austin. I mostly kite 7 min away 5-7 days a week. I cannot sail due to sunken debria all through are bay. I quess i will try to fly the rev some for releif, for this Wind-o-holic!................aj

Get out and fly your rev. I think you will feel better. Too bad about all the polution in the water. If it will makes you feel any better we can not buggy in town this weekend and will have to settle flying single lines.

Take care.

Susan (npw goddess)

ps great picture

If you do come up to Austin, let me know. There's a few kite surfers up on some of the lakes and I still buggy at Old Settlers regularly. I haven't talked to Dave Petty in a while, but he was kite surfing earlier in the year at Lake Pflugerville.

It sounds like it will take time to clean up the beach, but we should still have a future there. For the last few days I have been depressed thinking that our playground would be no more. Perhaps a selfish thought considering how many people lost so much, but that beach means a lot to me. It's the only place we all get together each year and it's a huge relief to know that we should be able to do that still. It obviously will take some time, but when we hold our next event there again, it will be a privilage to be there knowing what we almost lost.

Steve.

hey aj
thanks for keeping us updated.
that sucks. you give a guy some money for food or basics needs and he buys booze.
do you need any cash?????? just say the word and i can go to western union or mail you a check.

Found out today linda's foot is broken and will have to have surgery to fix it. Her ortho doc still does not have power. One problem after another... But thankfully everyone is alive

That is terrible news Steve. Tell Linda I am thinking of her.

Susan (npw goddess)

Soft sand is the best thearpy for a broken foot, if anyone should know it would be me. hopefully she has pain meds now to help. I am taking sunday off to search for wind down at port a. I just need to get all this off my mind. Its been a long few weeks at the office and in the field looking at the destruction and lives torn apart.Still now power or water but i am doing fine now that i have the 12v system up on the boat. Got lights and a fan to sleep with and keeping a knife by my side as i sleep. The looters come by boat at night to try to take what they can. Have a rubber snake protecting my finger pier...............aj

Hey Aj
You need to get one of the small Louisville Slugger Bats they are about 2 feet long they are small enough to swing in close quarters but long enough to keep someone at bay and could do major damage if needed.
Brad

I hear ya AJ. Times like these bring out both the best of people and the worst. I have had so many people stop and offer us help. Word got out to all of my kids friends, and all the people my wife once worked with at the school district. We've had people we've never even met before stop and ask if there is anything they can do.

But we've also seen the scam artists come out of the woodwork offering their services/scams as well. Talked to a contractor we trust today who used to specialize in structural work/ foundations. he thinks our house is repairable, but will be around 70k in damages. he laughed and told us wether we want it or not, we will be getting a new kitchen out of the deal.

Man... this year has sucked. WIfe lost her mom in January. Had a bad medical scare earlier in the year, and then has a tree almost kill her. But we are all still here and making the best of it, looking forward to being able to hit the beach. She was just starting to be able to move alone in her buggy and is back to riding tandem now... which is stillmore than enough to bring a smile to our face.

C ya'll at the beach

I got a chance to fly my rev at sunset yesterday! It was such a good feeling except for the smell! Clearlake is now black! Its like living at a turd farm. I made a big dent yesterday in my own personal clean-up. Stoped the water leak so the boat does not sink while at work and put some clothes back in the closet. Still no power or water on dock. It might be another week or two. I am living in a 12v world. Headed towards Port a tonight, just hope the forecast picks up...............aj

AJ I'm glad you made it.

Today is my first day off since the storm. So far I have worked 12 days straight without a break. I am looking forward to a little RR, BBBQ. During the first night I worked a 23 hour shift sitting in the patrol car under a bridge watching the storm pass. No shelter was provided for us we were all forced to find our own. We continued to run calls for service until the wind speeds were sustained 50mph (i'm not sure whos idea that was but we all know if you have a sustained speed you are going to have gusts too). The trees and signs were already on the ground. I have a little dash cam video I will try to transfer and post as soon as I can. At this point we continue to work 12 hour shifts 6 days a week.

Lets all hope the situation gets better for everyone who has suffered.

Glad to hear you made it through safely Ted. Those of us in the region appreciate what it is you and those in your profession do for us in the community.

Insurance adjustor called today and will be here tuesday or wednesday.

Thanks Glenn but this time i am doing fine. BTW we have 3 guys from NYC office of emergency Management in our office helping out in Logistics. Made a trip to Corpus Sat nite and sunday got to play in clean water 15-25 winds. I needed my fix and hot water. I took 4 showers and baths in a eight hr period.............aj

Quote:

Originally posted by action jackson I needed my fix and hot water. I took 4 showers and baths in a eight hr period.............aj

And your friends and family say THANK YOU! :frog:

Quote:

Originally posted by mecdave Quote: Originally posted by action jackson I needed my fix and hot water. I took 4 showers and baths in a eight hr period.............aj And your friends and family say THANK YOU! :frog:

Mostly co-workers! The whole city has a stink so most people didn't notice..............aj

As I wait for insurance to show up, my house is slowly turning into a giant petri dish. Suppppposedly they will be out today or tomorrow. Linda's off to the orthopedic this morning so will find out more on that one today.

Neighbor across the street has no insurance and asked if I'd help get the trees off her garage. One of them is on the power drop, and I noticed that it seperated the connectors, leaving a hot wire hanging down about eye level inside the tree branches. That could have been fun to run into, at least then I wouldn't notice everything else anymore. Told her to call the power company and get that shut off before anyone touches it.

Hey AJ

Does all of Houston and the surrounding area have power yet?

Susan (npw goddess)

Nope on the power to everyone. I have it, but still hear the hum of generators. Have friends a couple miles away who still have the bulk of their subdivision in the dark. Still... despite all the whining in the media, the power companies have doen a fantastic job reparing the damage.

Thanks Steve

How is it going with the house and foot repairs?

Susan