Caroline, I'm so glad you have finally got some relief from the terrible weather you've had. Not that we have had the dreadful time those of you in the south have had to deal with, we've had our share of problems too. Today it is raining buckets, coming down so hard it sounds like hail, not. I can hear the garden sighing a sigh of welcome relief. you can almost hear the soil reaching out to capture every precious drop. The one thing I have learned from this past year is to mulch, mulch, mulch, a good layer of maple shavings on top of newspaper is going to be the name of the game for me. The part of the garden that did not suffer was mulched this way. Next year I'll be out there early on, getting as much mulching done as I can manage. That hurricane sounds like it's going to be another nasty one, PLEASE STAY SAFE EVERYONE, I'm praying for gentle breezes and calm waters for all of you. Annette

Sorry, folks. We had one like that here a few years back that did the same horrific number on the garden. On another hail damage thread, I had tried to remember something that the nursery guys around here swore by for damaged trees - it's that "Superthrive" stuff. It sounds like snake oil, it's sold like snake oil, it looks like snake oil, but several gardeners I really respect and who were almost apologetic in recommending it because it seems so hokey, say that for hail damaged trees and shrubs, it does work wonders. At least it's something to do other than cry.

We did pretty good... only damage was to some lambs ear. Little holes in the big leaves... wierd looking! Crazy wasn't it? All that noise woke us up, thought the house was falling down! Thankfully the hail balls were small... hate to think what it would be like if they were golf ball size...shutter... Sorry to hear the rain gauge got hit.. :o(

Very good information, chas045. Thanks. I have always suggested everyone to get a generator. Weather problems will be with us for the next century. You need to power up your heating system in the winter. Pipes bursting in the winter can cost you thousands. You need to run your water pump if you have a well. You need to keep your refrigerator going. It's good to have lights, computer, phones and internet. I am not advocating this, because it is illegal. Back-feeding with a generator is the cheapest way to go to power up half of your house. However, I always find it difficult to understand with the main technical reason that back-feeding can kill a lineman. A professional lineman takes all kinds of precaution when he is working. If you don't turnoff your main breaker, you simply cannot start your generator. Your generator will be attempting to power up your entire neighborhood and all the street lights. Repeat: Don't do it, just use a heavy duty extension cord. It is not that painful to use an extension cord for a few days. A 1,000 watt generator is about $200. How big a generator do you need? Incandescent light about 100 watts CFL light, 25 watts Computer about 100 watts Phone charger, 1 watt Small electric fan, 50 watts Microwave, 600 to 1,250 watts Toaster oven, about 1,800 watts Refrigerator, Freezer, depending on size, from 800 watts Attic fan, 350 watts Forced air heating system fan, 500 watts Refrigerator, 20 cf, 800 watts TV, 250 watts Air conditioner, about 1 watt/BTU rating Hair dryer, up to 1,850 watts Electric oven, forget about it. Takes too much power. Electric water heater, 2,500 watts to 4,500 watts. Three other important things to keep in mind, besides capacity of a generator. 1. full-load running time 2. Noise level - quiet generators are more expensive. But you don't want your neighbors complaining. 60 dbs is very quiet. You will get lots of complains at about 80 dbs. 3. weight - A good 2,000 watt generator can be light enough to go camping with, others can be very heavy to transport. dcarch