Latest disaster:
Tom Green Co - San Angelo Texas
The tough thing about disasters is that you always know there will be another one. Or several more. Fortunately, we have never suffered one personally and for that we are grateful. When the flood in Texas was first reported, 27 kids had drowned in the rushing waters that rose 24 feet in 45 minutes and crested at 30 feet. That could be twice the height of your house. As I write this, 119 bodies have been recovered and 173 more are missing. Since I never saw anyone in a tree waiting to be rescued I am going to say they are gone also. Probably under 3 feet of mud at the bottom of the river.
When Janice first saw the newscast, she said "You are going to Texas". I didn't say anything, but I knew she was right. Sure enough, the call came and off I went. I was not at the airport yet when the call came in to go to New Mexico also afterwards. While we were in Europe, I probably got a dozen requests to deploy but I am not a disaster junkie, so I keep it to two weeks per year.
Meanwhile, the misery for some here is unbearable. Homes and property are lost for sure but for some, children and grandchildren gone under hideous conditions. Friends, neighbors erased from the face of the earth. Then we show up and gut what remains of their home so they can rebuild. 8 days in Texas in July is VERY hot. Mid 90's was the norm, up to 100 was routine. As this occurred in town, I was not needed as a sawyer as there were no trees to cut. To a large extent, floods kind of all look alike. It's weird driving into town from the airport, where everything looks normal. Businesses are open, traffic is flowing and all looks just fine. Then, you make a turn down a street or two and OMG! Hundreds of homes have water damage. It all depends on the topography. The water levels might be different, but the damage done is similar. Where I was, the water rose to a foot or two. "Is that all" I wondered? Truth is, that that amount of water does almost as much damage as 6 feet of water.
Water creeps up the drywall and insulation, so we have to remove 4 feet of it from the floor to rebuild. With 6 feet of water, we have to gut the house often having to remove the ceilings also. With less water, all lower cabinets in kitchens and bathrooms have to be trashed as well as doors (mold and warping). With more water, upper cabinets go as well including all hanging clothes. In all cases, all appliances are toast as water has flooded the motors. Sofas and fabric furniture are done. We save homeowners a lot of money by doing the demo and get the house 'contractor ready' but the rebuild is not cheap. Some have insurance, some don't. I am now back home, until the next one...
35 + 35 +5
Someone we know had a birthday this month and turned 35 + 35 + 5. She was minding her own business when all manner of boats, jet skis and the like converged simultaneously on the island from the front, back and sides. I say simultaneously because 24 of her friends disembarked to drop by and say hi! One more was scheduled to fly in, but the weather did not cooperate. The coordination was such that all knew that if they arrived at 11:59 AM, they we way too early, but at 12:01 they were much too late. Amazingly, it went off with military precision and she was gob smacked!
Arrivals
Scotch in hand, ready to rumble
Hamburgers, hot dogs, chicken and corn cooked by our own chef.
Preparation was quite involved with all food purchased on the sly and bagged in ice chests and brought over by boat with our guests. I brought 12 people over in the pontoon boat alone. Many condiments were cut up and prepared on the back gate of our pickup truck prior to the trip over with them. Ice chests with beverages were packed off island, chilled and brought over with our guests. A surprise party for the record books.
And then...
We were docking when a fisherman was boating by and shouted "Hey, did you see the article in the 'In Flight' magazine about Honey Bee Island"? At first, I thought he was just blowing smoke until he added "It said it used to be a speakeasy". This is a detail that few know about since it dates back to prohibition. We have not seen or located the article but if on your next flight to Paris, Rome or Hawaii you happen to come across it, please save us a copy.
Poetic justice
A fellow named Steve McNeld posted a photo of himself with his grandmother in a coffin, happy about her death because he would inherit $900,000 from her.
However, after the funeral, he was surprised to find that she had donated her entire fortune to charity and left him a note saying, "My little Steve... I left you your grandfather's crutch and my dentures in my closet. I hope your feet wear out and your teeth fall out so you can benefit from them. Get them before the new owners come home!!!"
Rocket man
So, our 3-year-old grandson got a rocket shaped tent to play in the living room. However, he was verry frustrated that try as he might, he could not get it to fly. He even had his entire family put on their bike helmets and join him in the rocket and demanded that they 'Take Off''. His aerospace engineer father simply could not explain in a way he could understand why he could not.
