Okay, so I got busy and didn’t get to write a second post during the storm.  It all went pretty fast after the wall passed.  Unfortunately, the storm made a slight right turn and I didn’t get to experience the calm in the eye, but that may have been a plus.  Everyone who is acquainted with me would know that I would’ve been outside and scrambling for the door as the other side of the wall approached.   There are trees down all over, but through some miraculous blessing, we maintained power and water.  We were among the 4% in the area that did.  My wife’s mother and grandfather are still without power and we’ve been to their part of town twice, delivering ice, batteries and corded telephones.  With my last employer, I was constantly purchasing those ten dollar GE telephones from Walmart to test phone lines.  They have come in handy lately.  I cannot emphasize enough that people should not eliminate all the hardline phones in favor of cordless ones.  If you lose power, you are sunk without it.

The other erie thing we’ve experienced is the complete loss of the stoplight system in Houston.  They are one of those things you take for granted until they are not there.  HPD is too busy with other issues to be out directing traffic, but navigating a 16 lane intersection without any direction as a four-way stop is death defying right now.  Perhaps this could be a National Guard thing for future storms or maybe Civil Defense (not sure if Houston has this).

Well, I may have some time tomorrow to put up the video I promised.  There is much more to share, such as the tunnel that was formed by the lines and poles on West Houston Center Boulevard.  I will make a concious effort to get it up soon.

Well, anyone that’s been on my myspace profile lately has noticed the flippant remarks relating to Hurricane Ike.  Though I have seemed to make light of the situation, things have been pretty rough in the Houston area.  Hannah and I have been shooting video, though it’s been difficult in the dark, even for the professional media.  I will do a quick edit sometime this morning and toss the vids on YouTube.  I am planning on staying up all night to monitor this thing.  Its hard for the weather radar to pickup tornadoes with a hurricane in range due to cloud thinkness.  Channel 2 news has recommended that one person in each household stay up to listen for twisters.  An Indiana boy on tornado watch… go figure.  Well, I’ll post again once the eye is overhead.  Getting a little loud outside right now.

Katy, TX Fireworks

Gardening : Landscaping / Design : 25 Biggest Landscaping Mistakes : Home & Garden Television

I viewed a exceptional back-to-basics gardening show on HGTV called 25 Biggest Landscape Mistakes.  This was a really good refresher for getting back into the swing of things this year.  The items I am paying close attention to are Number 24. Forgetting to Recycle and Number 21. Cutting Grass Too Short.  With this new list of things to avoid, maybe I can avoid ending up on rottenneighbor.com this year.

I am also working on Number 1. Not Having a Plan by sketching what we want the yard to look like in 10 years.  I’m working with 3 years of high school art training, so if I do post it, don’t be too critical. please.

Gardening Season is finally here again!

We have four Crape Myrtles in our backyard that I am very carefully raising from saplings.  When I planted them, I visualized a formal party, around Christmas  time with clear white lights in them, kind of like how they light up Michigan Avenue in Chicago.  I am studying how to care for these trees quite a bit lately.
  
crapemyrtles.com

Crape Myrtle Culture

My wife’s idea of adding a gazebo will fit into the backyard  will fit in nicely with them.

Hannah and I are raising vegetables in backyard this year as well.  She’s just getting to the age now where she can start developing responsibilities.  Every afternoon, she comes home from preschool and checks her plants for water.  We are attempting to grow tomatoes, watermelon, zucchini, strawberries, and black beans this year.

All in all, we have a plan laid out for a productive spring and summer, one with less video games and more outdoors.