Category: Dear Mom

Hello Everyone!

It is really good to be back with all of you once again.  As you are all aware Hurricane Ike recently slammed into the Gulf Coast region.  As a result, the area was under a manditory evacuation order and people were told to leave the area for our own safety or stay at our own risk.  I left the area with my father on September 12, 2008 and then returned to his house on September 19th and then finally returned to my apartment in Beaumont , Texas earlier today.  So. now you can understand why there have not been any new post in the past several days.

My father and I ended up evacuating to a small town called Merridian, Texas.  Why there you ask?  The answer to that is because it was located far enough north to get us out of the storm’s path and it was the only place where we knew we would be able to find anavailable hotel room.  You see, we knew about this very small town, population about 1500, because my grandmother, my dad’s mom, had once lived there.   The people are very nice there, but there is really nothing to do there for fun.  We stayed there until we returned to my dad’s house. 

As I said before, we returned to my dad’s house on September 19, 2008.  We retuned there knowing that the house had not sustained any damage, and that the electricity was not yet back on. While we were away, we kept hearing about the devastation caused by the storm in Galveston, Crystal Beach, Orange, Bridge City, Beaumonmt and other places.  My dad’s house is located about five miles or so from BridgeCity, Texas and 99 pecent of the homes in businesses located in Bridge City were severly damaged or totally distroyed by the devastating storm surge and the amout of water this produced.   People are still trying to clean up and salvage what lttle if anything they can from their homes and businesses.  This is going to take quite some time and is being made much more difficult because people need housing or lodging while they work to put their lives tback together once again.  Athough, it will never be the same again and it won’t return to anything resembling "normal" for quite some time, I’m quite sure.   

After our retun, I kept telling my dad how very fortunate we were that his house had not sustained any damage and that he only had two trees in the yard needing to be removed.  Yes, we all take elctricity and water for granted, but after seeing what true desistation and loss look like It isn’t something to complain about.  After all, we were safe and had a home to sleep in and food to eat, while other aren’t as fortunate.  My heart breaks for all those who have lost  vitually all their belongings and their homes, but I know that the Lord will help see them through during this difficult time and that each of us should do whatever it is that we can to lend a helping hand along the way.

It wasn’t until earlier today that ectricity was restored fully to the apartment complex where I live.  Part of the building has had power for a few days, but the rest just got it today.  That is why I have not been able to post until now.  It is so good to be home!  I have so very much to be thankful for and I truly am blessed.

Have a great day.  Please keep all those who are continuing to try and put their lives back together after Hurricane Ike in your thoughts and prayers.  While it may seem like a small thing, prayer truly does change things and I know that it is far more powerful than this situation.

 Thanks, mom!  I know that both you and the Lord were looking out for all of the family during this.  We came through just fine and are all so very blessed.

If you are like most people, one of the many things you admire most about the hummingbird is its amazing ability to hover.  These tiny birds never cease to amaze us with their ability to do so for such long periods of time.  As a result, I know that my mom would have been interested in this post and I hope you will be also.

Hummingbirds have the ability to hover better than any other species of bird due to the unusual structure of their wings.  They have the ability to do so because their wings are permmanently fixed and rigid, except at the shoulder joint, which allows the wing to move freely in all directions.

When hovering, a hummingbird’s wing moves forward, and then the leading edge rotates nearly 180 degrees and moves back again.  This wing movement causes the tips of the wings to trace a horzontal figure eight in the air.

Have you ever wondered why female hummingbirds are larger then the males?  This is the kind of question my mother would have wanted answered, so if you have ever wondered the answer to this question as well then this post is just for you.  Hope you enjoy what you read here.

Female hummingbirds are solely responsible for the care and rearing of the young. Therefore, the females need to be a tiny bit bigger to be able to produce eggs, to afford to share their body heat with the eggs while incubating, and to be able to share their food when feeding nestlings.  It may surprise you, as it did me, to learn that male hummingbirds are the tiniest warm-blooded animals on the planet.