One year ago tonight, those of us living in Houston and Galveston and points in between, were preparing for Hurricane Ike.

I didn't have the presence of mind to photograph the beautiful "hurricane sunset" that I saw. I was busy washing every bit of laundry and making other preparations. But everyone of us has a story to tell.

My daughter was then a senior in high school, and I asked her to sleep in the room with my husband and I because I feared the huge oak tree in front of our house would fall. (Months later that huge oak would save our lives from a car). My husband and daughter slept through the entire storm. I wandered through the pitch black house after the power went out--unable to see what was happening outside. All I could see was the flashlights of my neighbors as they kept similar vigils. I listened to the local talk radio station for hours and hours. I knew, however, that we'd be fine in the end. I was well aware that south of us in Galveston, some were losing their lives.

There are many deviations related to Ike, but I have chosen to feature photographs from the Houston and Galveston area.

Waiting for Ike:







It's no wonder power was out for thousands for a month or more. And Galveston is still recovering.

These black and white images depict the surreal feeling we all experienced afterward.

One of the most famous Galveston landmarks. I was there the day this statue was dedicated to the memory of another fateful Galveston hurricane, The Great Storm of 1900, in which 6,000 to 12,000 lives were lost.














Ike left more than just human victims. In addition to my own two cats, I kept a neighborhood stray tom cat in my house that night.











:icondream3434:








:icondream3434:


They are still recovering remains. There are still over 100 souls unaccounted for. Folks who thought they could ride out a Cat 2 hurricane that was the size of the Gulf of Mexico itself.
There are several very old cemeteries in Galveston.




Don't feel sorry for Galvestonians. Anyone who is BOI (Born on the Island) will let you know in a heartbeat that they are tenacious survivors.

I have many fond memories of the Galveston that was. I've stayed at many of the hotels there, including the Flagship. I can't believe the Balinese Room is gone. What an historic landmark! Frank Sinatra, Bob Hope, The Marx Brothers, etc. were just some of the stars who graced the room with their presence back in the day when it was a gambling and nightclub establishment. The last time I was there a few years ago, I was afraid to enter it but I did so to view the famous photos. On that particular Sunday, there was a cadre of New Age shops set up inside selling jewelry.

And then there's Murdock's pier, the sterotypical beachy t-shirt shop where you could buy t-shirts and live crabs. Next door was Hooters, but before it was Hooters, it was The Ocean Grill. The ONLY place I ever wanted to eat because it was right over the Gulf. And we spent many fun days walking the seawall and having fun on Stewart Beach.

On that night and the days that followed, I knew there was 3 friends on dA who were thinking about me and that made me feel quite comforted. Thank you for thinking of me that night: :hugs: to


If you would like to see my Ike gallery, [link]
I look forward to making new memories in Galveston but I could not help but mourn the loss of the one that was.
After The Winds Came