10/14/24 Update

I slept better last night, thank goodness!  Nothing quite like a Lazyboy recliner next to a large open window. 

I spent the morning canceling and rescheduling appointments for the next few weeks. People were very understanding.  I emailed the screen company about replacing our door, received an automatic reply which basically said they were swamped and if it was an emergency to call them, otherwise it would be a while.  Probably a long while if I’m guessing. 

A Florida Power and Light employee was assessing the damage on our street which was a great sign.  I caught up with him and he shared with me that we had 3 lines down and that our little section of street will need a few new poles and a transformer or two.  He would not give me an estimated day/time when we would get power, but I just checked the FPL app and it says tomorrow night by 11:45 p.m. If that happens then it’s a 2-day improvement from when they first provided information online.  Woo Hoo! 

My task for today was cleaning out my tool chest.  Every year I buy myself a birthday present and back in 2008 I bought myself a deluxe 7 drawer, wood top, rolling tool chest.  I love it. After we moved to Anna Maria Island permanently in late August my tool chest was one of the first things I organized.  I had not opened it since Hurricane Helene hit on September 26.  Let’s just say it was disgusting.  Every drawer had salt water in it and the tools were in a state of slime, muck and rust.  I did a lot of research on how best to clean my tools so off I went to pick up some supplies, I needed vinegar, steel wool and 3 in one oil.

We have a small Publix grocery store on the island, and they are open running on generator power.  There was a very long line at the deli counter, so many workers getting their Pub Subs for lunch.  I grabbed 3 gallons of vinegar and checked out.  The young man monitoring the self-checkout line said, “God Bless you mam, have a nice day.” Sweet.

Next was Ace Hardware.  They had no power but had a small generator to support the cash register.  They always have helpful employees and today was no different.  I had one person get me the 3 and one oil and another take me right to the steel wool.  They had a steady flow of customers, everyone grateful they were open. There was a woman checking out in front of me and she was telling the employee working the cash register all that she had lost and been through.  Then she looked at me and she said, “We all have a sad story”. I agreed with her, sad stories indeed. I shared that what we all needed right now was a big hug, and she said, “I’ll take one”.  I gave her a big hug, both of us dirty and sweaty.   We both left the store a bit happier. 

I then stopped by a small family-owned Mexican restaurant called Los Chiludos to pick up our lunches, two steak tacos, pinto beans, and rice, $11 each.  They had no power, but were serving the food, which they made at home, outside their restaurant.  It’s important to us to support these local businesses. It will be a long time before tourists are back. The food was phenomenal.

During my very short ride – it’s literally 4.2 miles round trip to Publix & Ace, several sections of our main road was closed off for the electrical lineman to do their work. I was more than happy to detour! 

Late in the afternoon we heard an ice cream truck. What a happy sound from our past childhoods.  The seller was really taking advantage of the situation - $11 for two ice cream treats.  Scott gave him $15 and told him to keep the change!

Our landscapers got here about 3:30 PM to start work on the fallen Seagrape tree. What a job.  We didn’t realize how enormous that tree was as we share it with our next-door neighbor. From the base of the tree there are many trunks, I’ll do a final count tomorrow hopefully but today I counted around 19 and there aren’t close to being done. They wrapped up around 5 PM and will be back tomorrow to finish. 

We took our evening bike ride and were able to get to the north end of the island for the first time since Hurricane Milton.  It’s dreadfully quiet.  The power lines were in much worse shape, poles down in the middle of some streets and lines everywhere.  As we got to the homes facing Tampa Bay, we were astounded by damage to some of the homes. Older homes were destroyed, entire floors gone. Other homes lost all their siding facing the bay and many had roof issues.  Unfortunately, at the furthest point from our home, the marina 2 miles away, I got a flat tire.  Scott rode home to get the car to come back and get me.  It wasn’t a big deal, I enjoyed the walk and got to see the city pier, of which the walkway was destroyed during Hurricane Milton, up close.  It was a pleasant evening.  Scott called to tell me that I wasn’t going to believe it, but 4 electric trucks were on our street, and he couldn’t get the car out.  Not a big deal at all, I enjoyed my walk and the sunset.  He did show up sharing that the trucks left, leaving us with some new wiring and a transformer right in front of our home!

Dinner was the same as last night just ham sandwiches instead of turkey.  Sitting out on our back porch we hear a few more generators tonight, crickets and our dogs snoring.

Thank you to all our friends and family for checking on us.  We truly appreciate each one of you.