Well, an epilogue is in order and we'll let this thread sink back into cyber-oblivion.
Saturday as transformers were blowing and this town was sounding a bit like Beirut a huge wind gust broke off the top 20 feet of a laurel oak in my front yard and landed across my power line and boom-boom out went the lights. You may think I'm BS'ing you about that Beirut comparison but at about intervals of between 1 and 10 minutes another could be heard blowing around here interuppted only by the frighteningly loud hum of high tension wires shorting against fallen tree limbs.
After the power went out last Saturday (on 9-04-'04) about three hours ago(9-08) it was finally restored. Being thrust back into medeival times for about five days was an experience I don't wish to repeat. It's amazing how quickly the simple things we take for granted suddenly become of paramount importance. Like ice, for example. After the freezer ice melts and the food, and in my case insulin, all starts go bad ice suddenly becomes a valuable commodity. In my case, the local ambulance service volunteered to BRING ice to my house for that insulin. We thanked them but declined as they were needed elsewhere or would be soon enough. That was a very kind offer none the less. Anyway, folks begin covering a lot of ground on a search for this stuff along with non-pershible food and batteries and other sundry survival items. But, you know even with the little bit of Hell named Frances that visited here the vast majority of people kept their composure and overall kindness and I saw none of the fruits of desperation manifested in my fellow Floridians. Lots of tired looking people, but no one losing their tempers or getting rude or violent. Try turning off the electricty and water and things tend to go south rather quickly from there usually. It sucks BIG. My opinion of my fellow man took a big step upward this past week as I saw people with very little of their own stuff left intact giving to others out of a sense of generosity. Whether it be material goods or their time to help their neighbors, people did not withold their humanity.
That storm nearly razed this state from what I'm seeing here in my neck of the woods. It's not widespread total nuclear type destruction, but there is a LOT of damage to see and you don't have to go far at all to see some. I've yet to see a single yard or house here in Marion county that was not adversely affected to one degree or another.
Well that's all folks, thanks for taking the time to read this and if you pray please keep these people in your prayers. Some have lost all they owned and built in their lifetime.
All the best,
Mike U.
Nuthin' holding that puppy down but gravity. 
