Finally - some post-hurricane Ike photos!

Happy to report that we were lacking for nothing, except ice, during the aftermath of Ike due to my excellent preparations (see previous post with photos) and we fared much better than our neighbors regarding damages as these photos will attest.

Our cactus was actually at a 90 degree angle when I first saw it. Gina had already straightened it by the time I got my camera out to assess the situation. I now have it standing tall and straight again.

Unfortunately, the middle part of it was beyond repair... a moment of silence please....

There must have been quite a strong wind gust coming through our front porch area. The trellis was flattened out as well...

The backyard fared much better. No damage to any of our landscaping, despite nearly 100 shingles strewn across the patio and lawn.

Our crepe myrtles, all the shrubbery, and even the maple tree are still standing, despite having a more pruned look than they did the day before Ike hit.

Here was the biggest damage we sustained - 2 panels of our fence blew down. Flat. This was between us and the neighbor behind us (Scott & Tiffany). It left quite a big hole for the dogs to run through! As you can see, my maple tree stood firmly in place. Not so the willow tree in their backyard...

A third panel of our fence partially blew down. This is between us and the neighbor to the right of us (Ken & Gwen). But, we were able to make repairs to all 3 panels before the sun went down. Scott is handy with a hammer and a few 2x4s.

We only lost 4 shingles on our roof. Two on each side of the gable covering the front porch & unlike many of our neighbors, it didn't seem to go through the tarp to the wood.

I figured I'd just wait until I see someone working on one of the neighboring roofs and ask if he will come over and repair ours as well for $25 - think that's enough to offer?