Good luck with Fema tomorrow. Wish you guys had help with the clean up.

Thank you for letting use know how things are. It will be so nice when you can go home, even if things are ok , there is no place like home even if things are a mess.

I hope things go well with FEMA tomorrow, had been wondering when they could get to you. Results were kind of hit and miss here after an earthquake. They declined to help at all with a broken seal (and sill) in my 8' dining room window and plaster cracks, but a friend got a new chimney from the ground up through her second story roof. An elderly neighbor was granted two tubes of sidewalk caulk to repair her broken sidewalk ;0) Your need is of course greater than any of those things and I hope they respond. Will be thinking of you tomorrow morning, be sure to let us know.

You must be anxious to get home again. It sounds like a ton of work, I wish we were close enough to help. I'm so happy you got the truck today!

You need a photo of your water lilies in the pasture. I would hope you could frame and hang it in your cleaned and comfortable house - you're going to get there. Day at a time, I don't know how else someone could approach it. Will be thinking of you tomorrow....

Wow, such a lot of work! But so glad you are safe and well so you can get it all done.

Envisioning the waterlily trough made me smile. I'm glad you're progressing and will be ever so grateful when it's back to where you want it.

Sounds like you're hanging in there and getting things done. It will be nice when all of you are home together.

Good luck and best wishes for a good outcome with FEMA. Their workers must be feeling the strain now too.

Hoping for a favorable outcome with FEMA. I've talked with a few of my customers from Florida and they aren't feeling too happy with that group right now. One lady voided any help with her roof because after the roof vent was blown off she went up and tarped the roof, using staples to hold the tarp. FEMA told her that they would cover it if she had used sandbags, but using staples caused damage to the shingles!

It will be good to be back home and to have the horses back with you too. Hoping that you can get rudimentary appliances and a new bed for the 'camping out' phase. I was going to offer you some water plants when things settle down but it is amazing that the trough of waterlilies is still there!

Will the silt be too salty to sustain plants or do you just need to get the level down so that gates open? We have sandy, silty soil from an old freshwater creek and it's pretty good to garden in.

Oh Marilyn, reading your post about Amos, brought tears to my eyes!! I'm so sorry for all that you're going through. How on earth are you and Jody going to do it yourselves?? Are there volunteers where you are?

Living with a alcoholic and a smoker? OMG, you don't need that either, but unfortunately it's a necessity right now. I don't think I could do it, but what choice is there.

Keep the Bird of Paradise, it's a good luck omen :-) Actually, I don't know, I'm just thinking of something positive. ((((Marilyn and Jody))))

It sounds like things are still moving in a positive direction. Hope FEMA gives you a good deal.

Crossing my fingers for you. FEMA, go do your job! ;)

Moni

If you or neighbors need extra hands for cleanup Mormon Helping Hands has volunteers on the ground ready to come out- it's always free, you don't need any religious affiliation, just call the hotline and request a work order!

Yes the Mormon group has been around and I suggest you call the southern Baptist convention group that helped us so much. That's what they are here for. You are in a more isolated area so they may not know you need assistance.

I know exactly what you mean about a jumbled up mess! It is amazing how some things traveled, floated, and landed.

Good luck with fema. They are giving us $2600 total. That is for housing while homeless and fixing the house! I don't know what they think we can do with that. But at least we got something. I hope the flood insurance gives us a good amount.

I am so sorry about your loss of animals. It is just not fair.

I sent you a email please let me know.

Take care of yourself and Jody!

Marilyn, can you still see the images in your pictures? I looked up how to salvage photos the other day. I came across this link from Channel 2.

If you have a decent camera or even a good cell phone camera, you can re-photograph the image to reprint later. You could use a scanner too. The scanner is never properly hooked up to my computer so I often do the cell phone thing to share the old photos with family. The quality is fairly decent depending on the camera.

The link says you can also freeze the pictures to work on them later. I've never tried that, but it would be worth a shot.

Property is one thing, but the loss of the animals still breaks my heart as I know it does yours. Sure hope Fema comes through for you and hope you can get some help, like Raven did from the Southern Baptist Convention people. Maybe Raven can contact them and let them know of your location. I'm glad you got a truck and Jody too. His needs work I know but I'm sure he is good at that. Praying you get to go home soon and get the animals back home too.

I hope you get some good news today, Marilyn!

Your house was an amazing "work of art" before and it will be again. You and Jody will work together as usual and pull together...and git er done. :0) Would love to see your "after" photos. Your always in my thoughts Marilyn....

We didn't have flood insurance and I was told if you don't get flood insurance, within one month, you have to pay the FEMA money back.

Once upon a time, we took out a loan to convert the shop into a house. We told them we were on a bayou...nothing was said about it. The day before we were due to close, they said, you are on a bayou, you have to get flood insurance. It was so expensive, we didn't take the loan.

Jody doesn't usually get to work but certain months. Right now is the main shrimp season but due to the fresh water, there are no shrimp. I think in a month or so, he will be able to work enough that we will get by okay, but we can't afford flood insurance. And here's the thing....our land is the highest on the bayou, but it is a flood plain. The land has never flooded before. I am not worried about it flooding again. We were on the "dirty" side but we came thru the hurricane fine. It was when the storm came back and stalled out right over us that caused the flood, at least for us.

I have also heard that some houses on the bayou may be condemned. It may be a rumor. You know how rumors go when something like this happens. I have to depend on the internet for news.....because the TV here plays nothing but 1950's westerns. (Sigh!). I think my house would be condemned, if that is true.

The help people are offering is for tearing out Sheetrock and stuff like that. We don't need help with that, because we don't have any of that to do. Ours is general clean up and we can do that.

I don't cry, because I don't cry. It isn't like I am holding anything back. I shed tears over old horses in kill pens. I am warped. Too, I think, part of it is shock, and also the dread of dealing with anyone in a governmental body because you can't reason with these people. Most of them have no experience in the real life issues most of us live through.

So if FEMA doesn't come through, I don't care. We have never asked the government for anything. We have been through tough times before and we will get through this.

There is always the option of selling this place. I can't believe how fast land is selling out here.

Our well pump went under water and gave out a few days later. We bought a new one and Jody will hook it up today and we will have water again. I have never drank or cooked with the water, so that's not an issue for us, but still need to chlorinate the well, and we will be using so much water, I am sure that will help.

Someone just gave us a washing machine....GE similar to the one we had. His parents passed away and he needed to get rid of it. Will get that today.

As for the silt being too salty...the flood water was from the rain, so actually the silt will help improve the gumbo soil we have here, which is mostly clay. The grass is really growing and all the trees are putting out new growth.

Sorry this is so long,...

Thank you for the update,Marilyn......and your stories are never too long.

My heart goes out to you for the road ahead. Good news on the washer though. That will help.

I hope that shrimp return to the gulf soon.

Thank you for the update. I wish you well, and to be home soon. I so enjoy reading about things and learning about so many things (from all the KTers) like about the silt being ok for you as it was fresh water not salt water . For me never think that your posts are to long.Short or long , they are just right.

Your posts are "never" too long, Marilyn. We want to know how everything is going for you, Jody, and the animals. I'm thankful that you got a washing machine and hope it will give you many years of good service. I'm hoping you can get help at rebuilding fences that are probably down so you can get your horses and donkey back home.

Are you really doing all your typing on your phone?? If that is so, double thanks from me for your informative and heartfelt posts, Marilyn! I hate typing on my phone so kudos to you.

I'm in awe of how you (and Raven) just keep on keeping on, working away at your homes. I suppose you must both be some stage of shock and or you're both tough cookies. If they were to condemn your house, would you have to tear it down? I can't think why they would as it's so well-built, but I hope you don't have to fight them on this. Would it be ok to ask how your husband's health is? He went through so much last year that I hope he is well.

You're lucky to be a non-crier! I cry so damn easily and nothing I can do will stop it. Literally, if I see someone crying, even on tv, I start tearing up. You'll certainly always mourn your babies and I'm glad you had Amos to cry with, once. I don't know what happened to Tuelow but I hope whatever it was, was fast. I'm glad your surviving animals are doing well and that you have a new pump. Thanks for keeping us with you while you fight your way back.

Fema does not take any money back once they give it to you. They will post updates to you on the account you set up online at disaster assistance.gov

I check mine every day and they have posted information to me on how much I am getting and what is denied.

If you have been given a large amount of money for a flood from fema to fix your house and then don't get flood insurance they will give you very little in the future. My neighbor got $20,000 last year from fema because she did not have flood insurance is elderly on a fixed income. She did not get flood insurance and flooded much worse this year and she was denied everything except $1200 for housing. She will not be able to get fema in the future either but she is selling her house as is so she is done with it. She rented a condo.

I got $2600 which is for housing while homeless and fixing the house. Lol I will use it for my rent here and groceries.

There is a buyout program where you can volunteer to get bought out because you flooded but it takes years. You get on the list and wait. We are on the list. You must have flooded at least 3 times. We qualify.

Is FEMA supplying trailers? My area had a huge flood in 1972 and they supplied completely furnished trailers (mobile homes) to people with homes that needed a lot of time to rehab. My MIL had one in her driveway. Others had them in temporary trailer parks.

First, about TueLo. She drowned. We moved them to that nice pasture where I thought they would be safe.

Less than 12 hours later...this

Thank you for the info Raven. That eases my mind a lot.

My house is worth nothing. Anyone who could afford to buy the land, would not want the old house, so I am sure it would be torn down.

Today when I went to feed myhorses, I called about some land for sale a couple miles down the road. It is 600' on the bayou, bulkheaded, has boat ramp and boat shed. Barndominiom (barn with living quarters)....so well, driveway and septic already in place. If I could sell my place, I'd buy it. So a little incentative to work and get it cleaned up. More later.... Phone about to die.

I've never heard of a "Barndominiom" but that sure sounds neat. Does the property for sale that you inquired about have any fenced in pastures? Is the barn part big enough to house all of your animals?

The property is 30 acres. It is fenced. I didn't go look at the barndominium because the owners live there and I wouldn't go without their Realtor. I don't have the money to buy it so except for inquiring about it, I can't do anything now. I am going to call my Realtor tomorrow and talk to her about maybe putting ours on the market in a month or so. I had already decided to pack up everything but absolutely necessary things to have it out of the way to work on the house. Like, I have a ton of cookware and dishes. Some to get rid of, some to keep.

I don't think the barn is a livestock barn. I have never seen animals on the place. They cut hay on it, so it has an agriculture deferment which keeps taxes down. I'm going that way in a little bit. I'll take a pic from the road.

Well, I learned something about barndominiums. I searched for examples and they are not necessarily attached to a barn...some are simply metal buildings with like a house inside them. I don't know how to post a link on my phone but I looked at a website called Texas Barndominiums and they are pretty nice. I will post it later from the laptop.

I went googling too Marilyn to see what a barndominium is and basically it is like what we've always called a pole barn, but it is made into a house...some are metal, some are wood. I think a house attached to a barn with a breezeway inbetween would be neat. I saw one picture that was set up that way. One roof went over the whole thing.

Marilyn with that much land I could park my RV on an acre and pay rent lol.

I think we may just look for some land around here that is high and dry and set up to park the rv now and possibly do a small house later with a work shop for him to do wood working. We don't need a big place, been there done that lol.

Good luck!

Marilyn, I will cry for you! I'm exhausted just thinking about what lies ahead for you. But, like life itself, just one foot ahead of the other, one step at a time. Whatever you decide moving forward, I wish nothing but the very best for you.

Ohhh, I'm so very sorry about TueLo; I guess I missed that part when some of your posts weren't visible to me. I'm really sorry to have dredged the subject up, but thank you for letting me know. I'm glad you're considering moving to higher ground, if it's possible. I have no idea how you continue to have the energy to do all the work you're doing. Seems to me your hip (?) was really bothering you previous to the flood and I hope it's not bothering you as much now, somehow.

That's okay, Erin. I don't mind talking about TueLo. I am sad she went that way, but it is what it is. My hip is okay. I don't know why it got better, but it did.

I don't worry about our place flooding again. That isn't why we want to sell it. I guess I should say, "I" want to sell it. It was my idea. That storm was a freak incident. They say an 800 yr flood. We never have any water on the place and my house is almost 4' off the ground. I love the place. I love the privacy...except for the meth addict who is sometimes next door. His wacky mother kicks him out periodically but she always lets him come back.

The reason I want to sell it is because we are having a hard time getting any traction to do the work necessary to improve the place. Jody has been in the hospital four times in four years and missed six months of work each time. We can get by fine but it is hard to get ahead enough to do all the things we need to do...like dig another water well. Ours in original to the place....from many years ago. No shortage of water, but it is only 30 ft deep....the water well on the place I want is 735 feet deep. We don't drink or cook with the water from our well.

We need to finish working on the house. We can do that but Jody's health isn't as good as it used to be. He still have trouble with his lungs.

We need a better barn. It takes at minimum a couple hours a day to just feed the horses because they have to be taken out and tied up separately. There are dozens of little things we need to do, and it is overwhelming after such a long time.

Here is a link to the realtor's page on the place I like. The driveway is a half of a mile long....I like privacy....you might as well shoot me as put me in a subdivision. Or, never mind....I would shoot myself, and that is no joke. The barndominium doesn't appear to be anything fancy, but that's okay. I care more about the land and there's a pond.... :D ....than anything else. I love that it is a hay farm. I spend 18.60 a day on hay for my horses. I wouldn't have to buy hay again. The septic is set up so it is big enough for another house. Boat ramp and boat shed and covered dock. We live on the bayou and Jody likes to fish, but he seldom has time. (Me, I don't fish....I feed the fish).

I think my daughter and her husband would like this place better too, since she is my only heir and I would leave it to her. When you look at my current place, you only see massive amounts of work that need to be done. They aren't the go getters that Jody is.

Anyway, I don't want to get my hopes up. The place has been for sale for quite awhile. The realtor said they were open to offers. It may sell and if it does, and I don't find another place that I like as much, I will stay where I am. It is something to give me a little umph as I clean up this mess.

(I keep saying "I"....it's my idea but Jody will go along. He likes the place too.)

Here's the link.

The place I want to buy....

I loooove it! It's the perfect place for you, Marilyn!

What a nice place! Fingers crossed for you!

Marilyn, it looks like a nice place, but being south of Houston, is it likely to flood also? Have you seen the inside of the Barndominium? I assume that it is set up as living quarters but didn't see any interior photos in the listing. Maybe I missed them.

There weren't any pics of the inside of the barndominium. I am assuming it is pretty basic. I don't really care very much about it. I am sure whatever it is, I have lived in worse. We lived in an old R V for a couple of years.

Yes, this is the same area. I love it here. We don't normally flood. When Raven flooded before, we didn't have any problem. Houston has flooded many times and we don't flood. We have to live close to the coast. My husband is a commercial shrimper. Anyway, even so....the "new" place didn't flood because the bayou is even wider there than it is here. Also the barndominium is built on a pad of soil that was built up before it was built, so that raises it some too.

You can tell by driving by the place that no flood water reached it. There is no debris tangled up in the fences. I drove down the driveway almost to the bayou and no evidence of anything that floated up from the flood.

The flood was a freak storm. I call it a flood, rather than the hurricane, because the hurricane didn't do any damage to us. It was after it passed, it made a loop and came back around and stalled out right over us. That is what caused all the problems...at least for us. They call it an 800 year flood. I don't expect to see another one in my life time....we have never had any water on the place before and we have been here for 20 years. If I thought it would flood again like that, yeah, I probably would move, but even so, that place down the road didn't flood.

I really love this little town. People were so kind to us and so helpful. It is a tiny little community but the people are absolutely the best.

I don't know what I did to make the laptop start typing in Italics. But it has quit now. ???

It would be a wonderful place to have, and if it is God's will, that will happen. I looked at "all" of those steps...yikes. Those steps would be impossible for me. Wondering what the cage is used for and if that is a purple martins birdhouse up on the pole. The silver tank...is that an oil tank and what is the green metal box? It sure is a pretty place and pretty area.

The silver tank is for propane gas used for water heating and maybe cooking, the green box is electrical utility, that cage is a three-bay dog kennel and yes, that's a purple martin house :-) There is a nice description under the slideshow.

Marilyn, with this property, could Jody bring the shrimp boats into the dock or do they need deeper water?

Thanks PKponder. We were too busy looking at all of the great pictures to see any descriptions under the slideshow.

Wow! Just. Plain. WOW! ! ! That place looks like a dream come true! At least it would have been for me 20 years ago, or even 10 years ago!

I was hoping to see a good report about what FEMA has decided in your case. I know nothing about them, or how they operate, but that doesn't stop me from being optimistic for you.

I can't even begin to imagine the amount of work you are facing with clean-up and repairs. It is just mind boggling. I am very happy for you over the truck and the washing machine!

God luck, and God bless!

Rusty

FEMA is giving us a pretty fair settlement. I will tell you about it later. PKponder, Jody shrimps in a different area....not easily accessible from this place....too far to run the boat on a daily basis, but nice to have a place on the bayou if you need to bring the boat home, like during a hurricane, although during Harvey, they were in a safe place, so he left them there.

Got my washing machine hooked up and plugged in my refrigerator and it works! I took all the food out before we left the house but it needs a good scrubbing with bleach but it works and I am glad about that.

I am in town....went to see my Realtor but she is out of town. Another Realtor in the office sent her a text and I will text her when I get home.

Here is a pic I took a few days ago of the entrance to that place.

I'm happy to hear that FEMA is coming through for you. The entrance to that place is so pretty.

Nice place! It says utilities available. Does that mean no electricity now? Would you have to pay to run it all the way down that driveway?

The owner is living there and there is already electricity ( and poles going back) to the place. Also a 735ft water well and a septic system set up that can support two houses.

There is another piece of property for sale nearby that is 34 acres. It is more money yet doesn't have electricity, well, any buildings, or driveway. It does have a stocked pond....which the place I want has also.

I wouldn't buy a place that didn't have those things. I know how expensive it is to put in all those things...not to mention putting in a half mile drive way. It is just a gravel road, but that's a lot of money.