Thanks from SADS 669

[SADS 669]

Last week my house was leaking like a sieve now it is bone dry thanks to the donation of tarps by the American people

I so appreciate this, words cannot tell you how much.

Sorry for posting in shipwrecks but that's where the maximum amount of my American friends will see it.......

 

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[MPH200]

Keep us posted on your progress Kevin. Glad you and your family are safe.

 

[Red_desert]

Some big storms out there, late as it is in the hurricane season.....glad you are safe SADS!

 

[TheRingFinder]

Living in paradise except for those nasty storms - Glad you're safe and repairs are in the works!!!

 

[favored papa]

Anyone heard how he made it through this last storm? luckily it was a fast mover and not so much wind.

 

[TreasureCDave]

I wondered the same. We have been real fortunate on the east coast of Fl. as either of these 2 could have whacked us.

 

[SADS 669]

Hello again from Long Island,
It’s now been five weeks since the hurricane hit us. A lot of progress has been made in different directions, so time for another update.
Bad news first. We still have no power, phone or internet services. That said, the Bahamas Electricity Company have been working flat out to restore power as soon as they can. What must be understood is that every single pole, and most of the wires along the roads and to individual houses and businesses has been destroyed. There have numerous been trailers loaded with new poles and wires coming in via mail boats and our friend who works for BEC said there are over 400 poles that had to be replaced. That involves much heavy machinery, huge drillers and of course a workforce. The BEC is being assisted by workers from Grand Bahama , the British Virgin Islands and Jamaica. As I write, power is restored as far south as Clarence Town. We are 10 miles further south so hopefully it won’t be too long until we are reconnected. Internet and phone may still take a while yet. For now we still travel to Clarence Town to make calls and send emails. Very occasionally if the conditions are right, we can make a call from the roof of our house.
The truck we loaded with supplies for repairs has been offloaded and delivered to those concerned. Since then we both have worked on repairing our 76 yr old neighbour’s house, which was badly damaged. So far we have installed new walls in the living room and bedroom as well as the ceiling in the bedroom. Soon we will start trims and finishes so that painting can then be done before she moves back in. For now she is staying with her friends in Nassau.
Much debris of course still litters the roads and people’s gardens and it will be many months before it will be cleared. On a positive note, a lot of the trees and bushes that were burnt brown by the wind and salt water have new green growth coming through. This is mainly due to the October rains that we have had. Usually we celebrate the rains but with so many without roofs or leaking roofs, we could have done without quite so much of it.
The hardest and most challenging result of the hurricane is that people’s livelihoods have been so badly affected. Most fishermen have lost their boats. Most farmers have no crops and many have lost the land they were farming. The plait ladies have no silver palm “top” to make their straw work. With no income they now have no way of paying for repairs and replacements of all they lost. We know several people who had to swim out of their homes and literally have nothing left. Think about that – everything you own, documents, appliances, furniture, clothing, memorabilia, – everything gone – replaced by a couple of feet of mud. Where to re start? Once again, we consider ourselves so very lucky….
Some 5th wheel trailer homes have arrived on island. So many are needed, how its decided who gets one is a decision we would not want to make. A woman and her two young children who live about half a mile from us had one delivered two days ago. Her wooden house disappeared and she lived temporarily in the local primary school office. Though her world around her had gone, we saw her one evening, sitting in the middle of her concrete foundation, cooking on an open fire over 3 rocks and hanging on a make shift rod was a school uniform that was clean and ready for wear. Despite her desperation, she was determined to see her children properly looked after. The local primary school is not open yet, the children from the south are being bussed north to a school that was not so badly damaged and has reopened.
At home, we have made only minor necessary repairs. We still have three big tarps on the roof but they are keeping the house dry until we can get round to repairing it. At least we are dry, so we are busy dealing with more urgent repairs for now elsewhere. We have made a little progress on our kitchen remodel but the wind has been taken out of our sails by what we see around us and it seems so unimportant for the time being.
The grocery stores north of us, now that they have power, are finally able to bring in fresh produce such as fruits and vegetables to their shelves. Last week we enjoyed strawberries and mushrooms – a real treat under the current circumstances.
Monetary donations have been raised by our friends and we will ensure that every cent is spent on those who truly need it and making a difference to their lives. The funds will be used to purchase such items as fridges, stoves, beds, linens, building materials and gasoline for generators. Many have been gifted a generator but cannot afford to put gas into it. This problem will hopefully not last too much longer with the restoration of power, however once they get to us they still have 12 miles until they reach the southern tip of the island. THANK YOU is such a small phrase for such a large gesture of your kindness. In time we will be able to thank many of you personally as well as report by way of a Reconciliation how the funds were spent. Know that your generosity is so appreciated and will make life a little more comfortable for many.
On a more humorous note it is amazing when you are ‘out and about ‘ to hear someone moaning up a storm because they do not have their TV service back yet, and that the selection of vegetables, fruit and gourmet food is not what it should be, needless to say these individuals are neither Bahamian nor were they here during the storm…ha ha.
On a personal note, please understand that Christmas this year will be a time for reflection and gratitude for us. Any monies we would normally spend on decorations, gifts, cards, postage and over indulgence will be applied to others much less fortunate. However, we will think of you all fondly and if we are very lucky may be able to call from our home to yours.
As always we send our love and hope that this message finds you all well and happy.
Audrey, Kevin and Gizmo xxxx

 

[BigWaveDave]

Hurricanes are no joke....lived through Charley, among others, and the recovery process can seem so freakin slow...as time passes, those months go by, and infrastructure comes back, and a normal way of life returns... don't have to tell you this, as you know well enough. We all are hoping the best for you and your people... BWD

 

[grossmusic]

Wow. Still no power. Crazy!

The loss of livelihoods is especially tragic. It takes a resilience of spirit few possess to start over with nothing but experience.

I'm hoping more will find the online campaigns to help out financially. Wish we could post it here.

Stay strong & smiling, Kevin!