Curious Mind

Janet Walker saying goodby to her mobile home.  

Here it goes. 

Goodby mobile home. 

Juan-Carlos Perez ready to go to work. 

Here's another shot out our bedroom window. Lucy helps me check our the back yard in the early morning. 4-7am. Notice the trees and the bent and broken trees. Before Charley there was no blue sky showing, solid trees. Alligator Park owns that 10 acre piece. It fronts on Taylor Rd. That lot was recently acquired by the Park. It will become valuable to us in the future. 

John Hopkins, FEMA point man here at Alligator Park. John's been a big help to me, and to many others, I'm sure. He's moving on today or tomorrow to where he's needed more than at Alligator Park. Good luck John, and thanks for all your help. 

Tuesday 5:32 PM 9/27/2004 A beautiful blue sky day. What hurricane? Here's a short story that is a common occurance down here. airdressers are a source of infomation for their customers. An Alligator Park winter resident now in Michigan phoned her hairdresser, Jeanne asking her for info on a place to rent because her mobile home was totaled. She also wanted someone she could hire to pick over her shed at the destroyed mobile home. She didn't want to pay too much for rent or labor. Jeanne said she couldn't help the lady. The lady phone again and again. So Jeanne gave the lady Pat's phone number. Pat told the lady that there are no rents, there are no people to pick over her shed. The lady couldnot understand. Pat explained what was really going on down here. Finally the lady said, "That's what Jeanne said, but I couldn't believe it. I had no idea.".................bye for now, henry

Here is a picture of the first homeowner repair I've seen in Alligator Park. It was started yesterday and the two man crew is back on the job just after daylight today. Strangely enough I received a phone call from Pete, a mobile home installer from Alabama who is in the county waiting to go to work for FEMA. His wife had been surfing the internet about work in Charlotte County and she came across my yesterday compliant about not being able to get work done and he phoned me about 5pm. Such is the wonder of this new communication. 

Here is the westerly view this morning. Beautiful. I watched this morning moon setting from my bed. Took a picture when I got up. 

About time we get some good weather. 

Monday 5:55 PM 9/2/2004 Hey, a whole day of sunshine and puffy white clouds. What a change. Doctoring today for Pat, still on antibotic pills, and blood tests for Janet. It's a big deal not to have to go to IV antibotic every day. This afternoon I met with the SBA property inspector, who totaled Janet's mobile home and will file a report tomorrow. I then chased the FEMA on site rep to see if anything happening on Janet's application for a travel trailer to live in till the end of this year.

Our neighbor was out bright and early wearing a snazzy new outfit. But her face showed the weariness of her shingles. I was away into the middle of the afternoon so don't know how much coming and going she did.

Strangely, a contractor showed up and started replacing my neighbor's roof this morning. Which puts my morning post in error. I'll now have to say one contractor showed up. ........bye for now, henry

8:14 AM Monday 9/27/2004 Sun, blue sky, white clouds. Cool, huh? Pat and Janet are still asleep. Pat has Dr apt at 11AM and Janet has to get a blood test, which is all one trip today. They'll be up in time to go, I'm sure.

Would you believe there has not been one bit of repair work done in Alligator Park for anybody? In fact, hardly anyone has even seen a contractor to get a quote. They call and call but nothing happens. Why? Because every hammer swinger or tech person is working only on emergency jobs at emergency rates. Emergency rates are way above regular rates and do not get classified as price gouging.

Has anyone had their destroyed trailer taken away? One person last Thursday. There will be others going out in the weeks ahead.

What about getting a new Mobile home installed. The fly by night so called dealer installers are quoting December delivery and taking deposits, but I don't believe it will happen as they promise. The reliable dealer installers are quoting March 2005 delivery and out. I believe any 2005 delivery will be hard to complete in any volumn. Remember, all new installation have to go through the county building permit and inspection. Charlotte county wins awards on the amount of time they can tie up a project.

I see a long recovery because our main reason for our local existance is winter visitors. Much of the housing for them has been destroyed or damaged. Can it be repaired in time for this coming season? I don't see it happening. Also, the hands and feet who supply the services, the people who do the work for low wages do not have a place to live either. Where is the engine to drive a recovery?......bye for now, henry

7PM Sunday night. Patchy blue sky and white clouds overhead here in Punta Gorda now. Today mostly gusty wind and some moderate showers, both diminishing as the day wore on. We are very thankful and happy to have got off as easy as we did because Jeanne had the whollop to do us harm, if she had aimed over here in Punta Gorda. Tomorrow's post will discuss trailer deliveries, why homeowners can't hire a contractor now, and why recovery will be measured in years, not months. But for now calm peaceful best wishes from Punta Gorda.......bye for now, henry

7:42 Sunday morning. Strong winds all night but little rain-I guess. I slept all night and Pat and Janet are still asleep. Good news. The blue tarps held. Both Sunday papers arrived. So far so good..................bye for now, henry

5:50 PM Saturday 9/25 We're buttoned up again but not under any type of evacuation orders at the present time. I filled my car gas tank this morning, and went to the grocery this afternoon. We're eating chips and dip and waiting..........................bye for now, henry

An Eleanor update. I've not seen Eleanor out and about today or yesterday so I asked Pat to phone and check up. Eleanor has just been laying low, doesn't feel like doing anything. Eleanor did get out and put plants away this afternoon while I was replacing my window protection. We'll be keeping an eye on her...........................bye for now, henry

Here's a link to a current AP report on Jeanne. Scarey, even to a seasoned hurricane veteran.
Jeanne nears Florida with 115 mph winds; up to 2 million urged to get out
I've just eaten supper and I'm thinking I'll have a second on Orange Sherbert and a fresh brownie. From the start, dip and chips, main entree BBQ Beef Red Cross Heatermeal (www.heatermeal.com) followed by orange sherbert and whipped topping.........bye for now, henry

Our neighbor lost her collection of hanging objects to Charley. This is the start of her new collection. (Upscale, uptown compared to the lost ones.) 

A few minutes this afternoon I restored the custom recycled free building material to again secure our windows from flying debris. 

I grew tired of being shuttered up, so took off the covering on the South side of the mobile home.  

Here is an outside close up showing the new leaves that are coming out. Charley stripped it clean. I wonder what Jeanne will do to this new growth? Doesn't matter, it will leave out again if it needs to. 

Our single twin beds side by side allow me to look at this view in the morning when I wake up. The busted broken tree is a Silver Oak and was at least twice as tall. The neighbors branded it a dirty tree, but I love looking at it in the morning. Now it's just a stub. 

2:03 Saturday Sept 25. Yes, another hurricane. We will surely get a lot of wind and rain later today and overnight. I have just gotten up from my nap and now will go out and replace the storm protection on the south side of the mobile home. I will be making further posts today as I have a few moments, and as long as I still have an internet connection-either broadband or dial-up. I have both. Do not worry about us, we've made it through before. Do not phone us, we're flat out protecting ourselves and our property. Further reports right here..........love to you all, henry, pat and janet.

9:41 PM 9/21/2004 Tonight a few comments on the new normal. Below are a series of pics from up around the corner from us here in Alligator Park. These are homes that are not being lived in. I do not know if the people were here in the park, or still away when Charley hit. No matter these people have become homeless, as have thousand and thousands of people. First of all they have to find some place else to brush their teeth. That's a major problem, because of the extreme shortage of housing. Some will go back North, some can move in with someone else. But whatever they do it will not be just a temporary. There is no way every damaged home can be replaced at once. ..........................bye for now, henry

Fifth in the series.  

Fourth in series. 

Third in series. 

Second in series. 

Here is a series of pictures of the new normal. These houses are located around the corner from Henry and Pat. 

Here is a picture of Pat and Janet, standing. A good shot. 

These are Heater Meals we received one day from the Red Cross. Finally go around to trying one. It's a system where you open a little bag of water and pour it in a tray holding the meal. Then put the meal back in the box and wait 14 minutes. The water activates a product in the tray which heats and gives off steam. Pat and Janet said they didn't want to try a meal, so I said I'd eat it. I offered Janet a chance to sample the meal-and she ate the whole thing. I didn't get a bite.  

This is a typical steel window shutter. The size is about 5 foot square. I have no idea what hit this shutter, but can you imagine what would have happened if if wasn't in place. This is a kitchen window on our rec hall. 

8:34AM 9/20/2004 Overcast and gentle rain here today. That's OK. Yesterday we picked up around the house, and in the evening picked up trash off two neighbor lawns. They're not down here yet. Our neighbor Eleanor was up bright and early and heading out with her car. I commented she looked sharp today, but she replied she didn't feel sharp. I said, "You'll fool a lot of people this morning." Both newspapers, we get two, had front page stories on the amount of trash lining the streets down here. A lot has been picked up, but a lot more than what has been picked up remains. Also a feature article in the Hearld-Tribune on mold. My classmate Doris reports the morning Temp in Orleans, VT is 30 degrees. No mold problem there.........bye for now, henry

8:32 PM 9/18/2004 Today's weather was perfect. Not too hot, not humid, sunny and no shower. Tomorrow is predicted to be the same. Wow. A whole weekend without a hurricane. No IV antibotic for Pat today. I got some picking over and throwing away done. Tomorrow is our 48th wedding anniversary. Time flies when you're having fun. Our neighbor Eleanor perked up a bit today. Was running the vacumn cleaner on the carport this morning, later did a fair job of hand watering. Then off and running in both the new-to-her golf cart and the car. Later this afternoon she had suggestion on how I should be doing my work, so I know she's feeling better..........bye for now, henry.

"Ah, it's getting clearer.....I see your roof falling in............you will move to different quarters." 

My neighbor Hoagy's home. He and his wife are living here. This has become our new normal. 

My neighbor George's house. A typical house being lived in at Alligator Park.