October 14, 2008. Double D Ranch, Harper, Texas.

Our top house at the ranch is a little gem. Every time we arrive here we are surprised at it's beauty and function. Now we are here and doing all the things we like to do, but most of all, we remember our beautiful home on the hill. One of the most interesting things about this house is that very few people have ever seen it, perhaps twenty in total. So this really is a hidden gem. So far, since we arrived this morning, we have fed the cattle their treats, counted and fed the fish (eight large gold fish and four baby gold fish and at least one large perch), driven around the land on the Mule, eaten lunch, and last but not least, taken a nap. Now at 5:30 we will go over to our friends, Robbie and Joyce, for a glass of wine. Later tonight we will watch a movie at the ranch house. Robbie and Joyce have just returned from their place on the Bolivar Peninsula so we will be very interested to hear their report.

Alice Ann, who lives on the West end of Galveston Island and who works at the Medical Center in Galveston, reported to us in an e mail today that the city is in very bad condition. Almost all the large oak trees on Broadway Boulevard, the main road into the city. have been blown over and floated away. The Historic District where she owned a large Victorian home until two years ago was under 10.5 inches of water during the storm. The Hospital is still not open. My goodness what a mess. She said nothing about the clean up at her new house on the West end, but without consistent water and electricity, no one can function or do much to restore the place to normal. Jose told me about his friend who lived on the west end of the island and lived their permanently, not only had his house blown away, but his land washed out to sea, so where his house once stood is now four feet of water. He is waiting to see what the Insurance Company will do to his claim. He had a mortgage and had good insurance, but you can not replace his house on the same location. On the other hand, he has a lot of equity in that house and he is afraid the company will just want to pay off his mortgage. His parents live in Dallas, so his wife and three children are living with his parents, and he works in Houston during the week and commutes on the weekend. "It is a big pain", says he. We have been very fortunate in our life, and I am happy to keep it that way.