September 18, 2008. Western Head, N.S. Storms.

Ken was just dying to go down to see the storm in Texas. When we moved to Galveston in 1964, the storm Carla was fresh in every body's mind so we talked about it a lot with the folks who lived through it. Evidently, it was a mess. The decision was made to use the hospital as a safe building, and when the water failed, there was a building full of people with no bathrooms. The whole hospital reeked of urine, I was told. While we lived there we watched storms enter the gulf and go into land another place. For the first time, we observed the whole population monitor the weather map and track the path of the storm on charts they kept on their desk. Since Carla, no storm came directly into Galveston. When we first arrived I read everything I could about the history of Galveston, which included the storm of 1900. That storm is still the record storm for loss of life. Between the water and wind and waves and the flying slates, over 6000 people died in that 1900 storm. The most amazing thing to me was that after the storm, the good folks of Galveston, with no help from anyone else, built the seawall and raised the level of the island 15 feet, including all the houses. It was quite a feat, but was successful and Galveston flourished. At least it did until the ship's channel was put through to Houston. From 1900 to 1960, Galveston was the only city in Texas that lost population.

Ike has roared into Galveston and the Bolivar Peninsula, but the Seawall has held. There is a big mess and lots of flooding, and many many houses damaged or gone, but nothing like the loss of life. Our friends Joyce and Robbie own a beach house on the Bolivar Peninsula. The are not yet allowed to go and see their house, but a friend took his boat to peruse the area and found their home still standing but the boat not there at all. The bridge to their area is damaged and the ferry from Galveston to Bolivar is not running, so there is no way to go there even if they were allowed. With no electricity and no water, staying there is impossible. Suzanne's parents live on the north side of Houston, and they elected to stay home and ride out the storm. They were fine, with no flooding in the apartment. They lost power early in the morning, and stayed home all day, as instructed by the officials. They reported debris everywhere on the roads and the lawns and on the cars. Dick reported several feet of pine cones in their patio. When the water stopped running, they decided that it was time to get out of town, so they went to Suzanne and David, where they had both electricity and water. Both great blessings.

Both Ken and Dick lived without indoor plumbing for most of their life, until they left home. If you ask either of them what was the best invention of the twentieth century they would say indoor plumbing. I think they are right.