I had posted to the OGD that I hoped our Texas friends were doing OK after
hurricane Ike when I realized that secondary tornadoes were felt as far
north as Cincinatti Ohio. (I don't watch the news anymore, my bad)

Anyway, Tennis posted that he's OK in Columbus:

"I don't know about the Texans, and though they surely got the worst of
it, but we had a hurricane here in Ohio too (75mph winds were clocked)
- though you'd never kow it from the news which has completely ignored
it. Ike was the only hurricane to make it this far. Normally the worst
we get from them is a thunderstorm. Over a half-million out of power,
trees down, roofs torn off, flooding in some areas. Not what we were
expecting. I am now in a public library (I'm glad I have always
supported them!!) which has had power restored in another part of
Columbus, using their wireless connection as I am still without power ,
phone, internet, etc at home. All the food is spoiled and gone, a few
groceries have re-opened, and I have finally gotten my toppled huge
beloved pear tree cleared from the street, my car, and the sidewalk so
I can at least come and go, though the yard is full of tree. My American
persimmon clone I have been babying had the top beoken off as did our
japanese maple. But we didn't get the worst of it. And it does bring
home an appreciation of the much more dire conditions those on the coast
face.


"Though conditions in my new GH are not optimal now (no air movement or
temp control - the generator I bought last year as part of the project
froze up on the first try -so much for being prepared!) the good part is
thanks to my nervousness about the glazing coming loose from the frame,
I hjad put in extra supports to which I screwed it down, and though I
heard it wobbling and woo-woo-whooshing in the wind, it stayed in place!


Tennis Maynard


"P.S. - The above was sent Thursday afternoon and for some odd reason,
bounced back. It is now Saturday just before midnight and the power has
only just now been restored - 16 hours shy of a week. Now to clean out a
refrigerator filled with mold, etc. Ugh! But the cool growing orchids
which had begun to suffer as the temps rose the last couple days and the
sun came out again, are looking forward to the refreshing breeze from
the evap cooler!"