Foraging

Out front of My Ranchburger, remained a small pile of debris, remnants of Hurricane Ike. Taking a lesson from the local squirrels, I went foraging. There in the untidy pile of twigs and tree limbs, glowed white berries (seeds of the Chinese Tallow tree.) I recognized them as the same berries for which I had paid dearly at a flower boutique last winter.

The two rubber pots are from Ligne Roset in Houston and the vintage lab flask is from Found for the Home.

And voila! A small, minimalist bouquet, a feast for the eyes and the soul.

The Red Telephone

At My Ranchburger in Houston: here is our vintage Southwestern Bell telephone that kept us in touch with the outside world during Hurricane Ike and following, when power outages hit the entire Texas Gulf Coast. Doesn't she look sassy? Couldn't you just imagine putting in a call to Russia from the White House?

You can see our modern, digital wireless phone in the background. It will not work without electricity but Tall Husband was undaunted; he simply hooked up our vintage Southwestern Bell telephone and we had a land line. Thanks to At&T we never lost phone service. Both our AT&T land lines and cell phones stayed with us through Hurricane Ike and subsequent power outages.

Hurricane Ike update:

We now have water and electricity at My Ranchburger! We are giddy with power. We have won the electricity lottery! No Internet (Comcast) yet, so I am mooching Internet connections from friends who have such luxuries.

I Don't Like Ike...

but I love these Texans.

The owner of this Houston home was grateful that this 60 foot tree did not hit her home when Ike blew it over.

The Texas Chainsaw Crew in Meyerland, Houston. This is one of many crews of neighbors who joined forces and resources to begin the horrific clean up that we face in Southeast Texas.

A crew of chainsaw-wielding neighbors clears the streets the day after Hurricane Ike blows through My Ranchburger's area of Houston. One of the crew insisted that I take a photo of the Poulan chainsaw. Guys love their chainsaws!

Ike's Landscraping

In Houston, many old trees were blown over; some narrowly missing houses, others smashing onto them. Power lines and poles were blown down. Water pressure is low, so water has to be boiled and conserved. There is no electricity and the weather is hot and humid. My Ranchburger and The Bunny Bungalow appear untouched by Ike...only tree damage and debris which we can handle. We Texans are a "can do" people. We don't stand around and whine about "when and what are they going to do for us." Houston mayor, Bill White, personifies the "can-do attitude." He has been on the radio (there is no longer television or Internet available to many of us) giving us encouragement, tips and real information about how we can help ourselves and our neighbors.

Larry, like all of his Meyerland neighbors, was out clearing his property as soon as Hurricane Ike quit blowing debris around.

There is a house somewhere behind those trees that Ike blew over.