Hi Y'all, I just wanted to inquire about all our fellow maple folks in the area beat up by Ike. I know there are several people that frequent this forum that are in the Houston area (Nelran, are you okay?) and Louisiana too (is it you, mapleman that's in LA?). Having friends and family all over the Texas coast, I know some are all but washed away. Luckily, none that I know were stranded or hurt by the storm and all are beginning to dry out. My Texas peeps still are largely without power and report that it's "Little House on the Prairie" down there. Thank goodness they can laugh, huh? My point is - I am thinking about y'all and hoping all is well with you, your families, and your maple kids. Let us hear from y'all, so we can stop worrying! :)
I also have been concerned about our friends and their families and maples in Ike's destructive path. I pray for their physical and emotional health and wish them my solidarity with them. All of us have been or will be in distress and need the comfort of one another. Thank you, Katie, for putting this topic front and center. Mike
Thanks for your concerns, Spookie!! Fortunately my family and I are OK. We made it through the hurricane pretty well considering other areas, so I'm ones of the fortunates. My house didn't have any damage and 95% of my garden is intact. Just some of my palm trees were knocked for the strong winds and they fell off. However they doidn't look bad so I replanted again and secured with guy wires. Some of my fellows and friends are living closer to the path of the hurricane, so they have some damage on roof, fences, trees, and in some cases furniture and belongins. However the worst part is the power loss. Still it's affects about 50% of the Houston area and surrounding neigborhoods, that's mean no food preservation, little job activity, and huges traffic jams due the fact that traffic lights are off. I hope that soon all this problems will be solved, and get most of the Houstonians to normal life. Galveston is in full activity with the cleaning process, and probably will take much time to reach normal status. Thanks for your interest, and good wishes, Katie and Mike. Also, I already answer your mail in the thread: http://www.botanicalgarden.ubc.ca/forums/showthread.php?p=165836#post165836
