Surfside got smacked pretty bad, and the row of houses abutting the beach were trashed. But Mom and Dad’s beach house is ICW-side so it didn’t get as much damage. Which isn’t saying much, when the damages still ran more than the house originally sold for. Dad was on his towboat when the surge hit, it lifted the vessel 14 feet in the air, dragged her over the dock they were at–leaving a nasty hole in the hull–and left her scuttled sideways and the guys scrambling to stay afloat. Praise the Lord that another vessel was nearby who saw the incident and stayed upright, so they could rescue Dad and his crew. But it’s better than several of my Dad’s co-workers, who lived in Crystal Beach.

Or what WAS Crystal Beach…

Shame about the Balinese though. I miss that place…

My MIL’s house in the Heights had a fallen tree in the back yard that took out her fence, but nothing worse. my DIL and his wife had nothing more than leaves. My SIL’s place got some flood damage but nothing bad. My Aunt’s place was hit by 10 feet of water that took everything out and they only survived because they hid in the attic.

It was nice to have a relatively quiet year this year. I don’t think anyone on my husband’s side of the family could afford another Ike anytime soon. Or my parents, either. That just about tapped them out.

I’m trying to get rid of the palmetto bugs and assorted other six-legged wildlife from my kitchen right now.