Astros Game
June 9, 2006 at 4:41 pm · Filed under Family, Fun, Gallery Updates
I took my Dad to the Astros’ game on Tuesday and have posted a few pics in the gallery. The ’stros played the Cubs and won 4-1!
Archive for Family
Update: Hurricane Rita
September 27, 2005 at 2:33 pm · Filed under Family, Gallery Updates
Thankfully hurricane Rita was uneventful for my family and I. I didn’t get stuck in the horrible traffic jams leaving Houston and got to spend several days with my parents and friends, Brian, Mary Ann and Sydney Hegvold. We spent some time by the pool and I took some pictures of the ever so cute Sydney. Album link We returned to Houston on Monday and didn’t have any trouble getting back. My office re-opened today, so it’s back to work for a short week!
Update: Hurricane Rita
September 23, 2005 at 8:51 am · Filed under Family
I left Houston on Wednesday evening along with my friends Brian & Mary Ann and their daughter Sydney. We left around 7:00 and headed east on Hwy 90 towards Beaumont. It took us about 2.5 hours to get to Beaumont with some heavy traffic. After getting on I 10 we made good time. There was heavy traffic but it moved well. We arrived at my parents’ in Covington at 1:30 am making the trip in 6.5 hours. From the news reports that I’m sure you have seen, it looks like we left at the perfect time. I’m certainly glad we weren’t in the largest traffic jam in US history!
We’re trying to find things to occupy our time instead of just watching the TV all day, but it is hard. We do expect some good rain here in Covington, but they are in desperate need of it. With all of the down trees and debris and no rain since Katrina three weeks ago, my parents’ yard is like a dust bowl. Now if we can just get rain here and not in New Orleans, that would be perfect although I don’t think it’s possible.
I do know a few people that are staying in Houston to ride out the storm, including my roommate. Please keep everyone, where ever they may be in your prayers.
Hurricane Rita
September 21, 2005 at 1:42 pm · Filed under Family
It’s hard to believe that yet another powerful hurricane is threatening my family and friends. I will be heading east to Covington, LA to my parents’ home along with some friends to escape the storm and aftermath. Hopefully I will be able to return on Sunday. I will keep my blog updated with the latest.
Katrina Photos & Videos
September 5, 2005 at 10:58 pm · Filed under Family, Gallery Updates
I’ve returned from a trip to Covington to help my family with the clean up from hurricane Katrina. I have brought back photos and video to share.
My aunt Sherry flew to Houston from California on Thursday to ride with me to Covington. After she arrived in Houston, we went to pick up gasoline containers from Kevin, my cousin. After that we went to Wal-Mart to stock up on food, water and supplies to bring to Covington. We ended up with 20 gallons of water, 200 pounds of ice, 30 gallons of fuel and plenty of food and supplies to aid in the clean up. Friday morning I rented a trailer so that we could easily transport all of the provisions. After loading the trailer, we left Houston and headed east along with emergency workers and repairmen from many different states.
Our trip was mostly uneventful. We were surprised to find gas for $2.55 a gallon in Jennings, LA when we stopped to fill up since the price in Houston was hovering around $3 a gallon. Although St. Tammany Parish was “closed”, we had no problem getting to Covington.
Our first stop was Pinecroft. Pictures describe the property best:
More photos are available in the photo album. A video is also available.
As you can see, the porch is completely destroyed by the uprooted tree. There are several holes in the roof from limbs that caused water damage inside. The boys’ room and bathroom, girls’ room, hallway, and dining room all suffered water damage. The ceiling and carpet will have to replaced in these rooms along with some furniture, doors and shelves. There are five trees down on the property and likely a few more that will need to be removed for safely.
Our next stop was my parents’ house. Their home has two trees on it, although not as large as the one at Pinecroft. When we arrived, most of the clean up in the front yard was complete and the roof was patched. Lindsey’s room has some water damage from the limbs that protruded into the room and let in rain. The second tree did not cause as much damage to the house luckily.
Most of my time was spent with the immense task of cleaning up the yard at Pinecroft. There were four of us working in the yard: Dad, Lindsey, Ryan and myself. We were able to make steady progress cleaning up the limbs closest to the house while the seemingly constant sound of military helicopters and aircraft buzzed overhead. Dad had already cut many of the branches off the tree on the house and a tree service had lifted the tree off the house before we got to work. Ryan’s truck was a great help in transporting all of the limbs and debris to the street to await pickup.
After two days of bending over and cutting our legs for tree limbs, we decided to give the pool some attention, although this wasn’t the usual refreshing activity we as most accustomed to at Pinecroft. Scuba Steve and Limb-fetcher Linz dove to the bottom of the murky green water to retrieve branches, while I used the skimmer to get as much pine straw from the bottom of the pool. We think we were able to remove most of the large limbs and stick from the pool, although it is hard to tell when you can not see the bottom! Once power is restored the filter will easily clean up the pond-like water.
With the power out, we were lucky that my parents were able to buy a generator and two window unit air conditioners. This made the stay not so much like camping out since we were able to sleep in comfort and watch satellite TV. Although, it was humorous when the generator would run out of gas and we were all left in the dark. Luckily we all kept a flashlight close by.
There is still a lot of work needed at both homes. We’ll need contractors to clear most of the remaining debris. Estimates for power restoration are between 1-5 weeks. Once power is restored, hopefully the renovation will quickly follow.
Links:
Pinecroft Photos
Mom & Dad’s House Photos
Pinecroft & Mom & Dad’s Video
Katrina Update
August 31, 2005 at 10:08 am · Filed under Family
Here is an update on my family. My parents made their way back to Covington yesterday. Two trees hit our home and 10 others are down on the property. One tree hit Lindsey’s room causing roof and structural damage and the other only minor damage. At our other property, Pinecroft (my grandparents’ former home), one of the largest trees on the property fell across the entire front end of the house damaging the front porch and two bedrooms. My parents were able to buy a small generator and a/c unit last night. They plan to clean up and patch the homes as much as possible and then come to Houston until utilities are available. I may be heading over there this weekend with supplies and to help with the clean up.
I’ve also heard about the condition of some of the church members in the area. One of the elders, Dr. Rick Avent is a civil and structural engineer at LSU and was interviewed by Fox News! Below is an update from Mr. Giese.
Thanks for your continued prayers…
Mark
Dear brethren,
Here is some information I received from Andy Burnett, our pastor in New Orleans, Covington and Laurel, describing conditions in those areas relevant to our brethren who were in the path of Hurricane Katrina. In addition, I have included some comments from Rick Avent, an elder living in the Baton Rouge area. We should have additional updates on Sabbath. Please keep the people in these absolutely devastated areas in your prayers this week!
Regards, KG.
FROM ANDY BURNETT . . .
We evacuated Saturday night from Slidell, LA to family in Little Rock, so we are safe. To our knowledge brethren in the New Orleans area evacuated. I could not reach anyone Sunday night, only answering machines, which was a good sign. One family, who couldn’t travel, evacuated to a shelter in Houma (south of New Orleans).
Unfortunately, several of our brethren on the north shore of Lake Pontchartrain (Slidell, Mandeville, Covington) did not to evacuate. There is no way to contact them, since all of the phone lines are down. None of the news networks are focusing on these smaller areas, so we don’t really have any credible information yet.
On a positive note, our brethren to the west (Baton Rouge) are okay and power has been restored there. You may also want to contact our elder
in Baton Rouge (Rick Avent) to gain information as well. On Monday morning, Fox News contacted him for an interview regarding the structural
integrity of the superdome. Dr. Avent is a professor of Civil Engineering at LSU. It was quite a surprise for us to hear his voice on Fox News
while we were glued to the TV. I told him he missed his one opportunity to preach the gospel to millions by instead focusing on wind physics.
He could have at least thrown in a comment or two about the Sabbath, the Holy Days, or the food laws. All kidding aside, we were honored to
hear him represent us well on national TV.
Please let everyone know that we need their continued prayers. We’ll let you know as we begin to account for our members not only on the north shore, but north into Mississippi as well. Katrina slammed through all of southeastern Mississippi where many of our brethren reside.
From Rick Avent . . .
The engineers in this area have long known and warned that a major hurricane coming in on the east side of New Orleans would be catastrophic. It appears that this worst case scenario has occurred.
Here is what I know as of noon Tuesday. The eye of the hurricane passed through the heart of the New Orleans, Covington and Laurel church areas. The hardest hit areas (with respect to where brethren live) were New Orleans and points east and south of the metropolitan area, the Covington/Slidell, LA area, and the Central/southern Mississippi area. Most of the brethren evacuated before the storm. However, there were a few that did not. I know of several families in the Covington/Slidell area that did not leave. There are probably no more than a half-dozen families that stayed in one of these areas. So far, we have not been able to contact any of these people. All land and cell phone lines are down and no one except emergency workers are being allowed into these areas. The most recent word in that it may be Labor Day or later before residents will be allowed back into some of these areas. I Live in Baton Rouge which was on the western edge and received little damage. Power has been largely restored and we are hoping to be able to help some of the brethren further east as soon as contact can be made.
While the storm is over, the crisis is not. Flooding is continuing to increase in New Orleans. Supplies of food and water have been cut off in many of these areas. It could well be a month before services can be restored in some areas. In the meantime, the sanitation problems are increasing rapidly and could lead to illness among the survivors.
Of course our first concern is the safety of the people caught in this devastation. However, It also appears that property losses will be huge in most of these hardest hit areas. At this stage we do not know what the needs of the brethren will be. Once we get an assessment, I will let you know what kind of help would be most beneficial. Right now the most effective help is the prayers of all our brethren.
Rick
Katrina
August 30, 2005 at 10:22 am · Filed under Family
My family is safe. Lindsey evacated to Shreveport on Saturday and remains there. My Mom and Dad headed northwest on Sunday for seven hours and found a hotel room in Vidalia, LA, just across the Mississippi from Natchez. On Monday they traveled to Brookhaven, MS and are staying with our friends, Anthony and Pam Kimmons.
My aunt Barbie was in Columbia, MS during the storm. The house she was in had seven trees fall on it and she said it was the most frightening experience of her life.
Our neighbor says that our house is fine and that we only have one tree down that did not hit the house. We do not have an update on Pinecroft.
My parents are going to try to find a generator and air conditioner before heading back to Covington. That’s the plan for today, Tuesday morning.
Update: Pinecroft Pool Renovation (34 New Photos)
May 24, 2005 at 12:16 am · Filed under Family, Gallery Updates
As you can see, much progress has been made to the pool. The before and after photos remind me of “The Money Pit” with Tom Hanks and Shelley Long, but hopefully the before and after shots are the only similarities! I don’t have much of an update of what is left to do, but I think the main job is to refill, which could take a few days. I can’t wait to jump in this weekend!
As usual, the new photos have been added to my Pinecroft Pool Renovation album. The new photos consist of the tile work, pump installation, and plastering.
Update: Pinecroft Pool Renovation
May 14, 2005 at 12:05 pm · Filed under Family, Gallery Updates
New photos of the pool renovation progress are available in the album. Pool patching is 98% complete and should be complete by Tuesday or Wednesday next week. The crew began installing the coping (brick around top of pool) today. The new brick will be flush with the sidewalk. We have decided to replace the filter with a diametaous earth filter and the pump as well. The pool should be completed by Wednesday 5/24, just in time for the re-grand opening Memorial Day weekend!
Pinecroft Pool Renovation- Day 1
May 2, 2005 at 10:52 pm · Filed under Family, Gallery Updates
Major renovation began Monday at Pinecroft. The crew drained the pool, removed the brick and tile, bored out the cracks and cut the concrete for the new shallow end skimmer. I’m curious if the pool has ever been entirely drained before! The photos are posted. Take a look if you wish, but our beloved summer time oasis looks more like a pool at a $29.95 per night Super 8 in the middle of New Mexico right now! My dad says that if the crew keeps up this pace they should finish all the work by the end of the week! Stay tuned for updates. Link to the album