Here I am.......You beat me to the punch, Kenni. I came over here to post a
S. FL thread.

What a mess. But we personally are fortunate this time. Our roof, like so
many others in this neck of the woods, is new. The damage we had is largely
vegetative, and not that bad. A neighbor's fence went flying, and some of it
pierced a section of screen on the north side of our lanai extension, but
even that isn't bad.

Last year we were without power for 8 or 9 days after both storms, in 90+
degree heat with no generator. This year we have a generator, but the power
was only out for about 4 hours. We were amazed. DSL was out for a day.
Direct TV came back on the minute the power did. The phones were sporadic,
but only on Tuesday, and the cel worked throughout. The cold front that
pushed Wilma this way also brought us fabulous weather following the storm,
so clean up was so much easier than last year. The orchids are fine, as they
were only under cover for a day.

Kathy, I think about 20% of the citrus crop was lost, and plenty of
vegetables, as well. Pictures today show smashed sugar cane fields. In those
cases, it's not just the crop loss. The situation puts out of work a lot of
folks who can least afford it.

Here on the Treasure Coast, most power has been restored. Not so in Palm
Beach County, where Kenni is (my son, too). And south of that, well, they
are in a world of hurt.

Does anyone have info on the Redland growers? Martin Motes is supposed to
come up here on Nov. 8th; we'll see. I haven't bothered him up til now; I'm
sure he has other things on his plate at the moment. Guess I'd better have a
plan B in case he can't make it. Here goes Diana's song and dance
routine........

Diana