A toast to showers..and electricity,and surrealness.

It has been 48 hours since the Hurricane, but in some ways it feels like a very long time. Tonight I sit looking out the window at a peaceful street as I sip a glass of red wine and just wonder about the whole event.

So much damage..so many stories to tell about. Folks without cars, furniture..businesses without insurance..heat and mud. But there are other stories too...taking the infamous birthday cakes to the Salvation Army's headquarters down the street and share Philip's birthday with the community (not the party I had imagined!!) It was a poignant moment, though, as all the volunteers sang Happy Birthday to him. They were a welcome sight..they still are with hot dogs and pure bologa on white bread, nothing ever tasted so wonderful.

We spent yesterday helping folks by hauling out carpets, scrubbing floors with bleach, rinsing furniture..bikes...turning over dryers.

A mandatory evacuation began late last night..all the tourists are gone. It is quite interesting to bike through town with just the "locals." Some tourists drove off in their cars...others (over 500) left on school buses that had been brought in a their cars are flooded and ruined. They waited for the busses just like kids on the first day of school with their bikes and wet laundry and much disappointment.

It is time now for serious clean up..to get things scrubbed and repaired and ready for the tourists of next week. I am fascinated with the love of the community...I am so happy to be a part of it..to be needed. There is no TV or radio news for us..the news comes in the lines at the Salvation Army or as postings on the community store. Throuh it all...stories live.

Update for Alex..

While we have power I thouht I would do my own up date..although for more complete covereage go to Philip's web site.

It is amazing to me that folks off of the isand do not know whatis going on here. No reporters come to Ocracoke to wait out storms. We took a very hard hit. The tide waters of yesterday's storm match that of the 1944 Hurricane. Water, debris...everywhere. Hundreds of cars have been lost, docks, water in homes. I can't even begin to describe all the devastation. Philip's business and houses are safe on the inside, the water did not get inside...but we are knee deep outside. There is a curfew for the islnd from dusk to dawn..power will come on for a short amount of time, but no air conditioning is to be used. All businesses are closed. The pressing problem is getting the tourists off the island..there is no food for them and they use up the precious emergency electricity. Then we can attempt at the clean up. 29 power polls have been lost up beach on highway 12.

The winds were sustained at 60-80 miles per hour for hours yesterday with gusts clockedat 125. There are of course trees down, but the biggest damage was that the storm swung around and brought in the water from the sound side, thereby flooding the entire island.

Our first goal is to help Banch haul out flooded rugs and furniture and meander down to help friends and neighbors. The birthday party? I am donating the cakes to the red cross when they get here. We are sure to be declared a national disaster area.

But no loss of life..everyone is in good spirits and will be helping each other. Philip will have photos later on, check back.

So...here we are on a little tiny island in a hurricane..

Where do I begin to tell about the last 24 hours..so I will do it in headline fashion!!

PHILIP'S 60th BIRHDAY (YESTERDAY)

NEW BABY BOY BORN (PHILIP'S FOURTH GRANDCHILD) TO AMY AND DAVID !! ALL IS WELL AND ADORABLE!(YESTERDAY)

QUICK TRIP UP TO ELIZABETH CITY (FOUR HOURS UP AND FOUR HOURS BACK)TO SEE THE NEW FAMILY AND HOLD LITTLE LOCHLAN WESLEY TWEEDIE HOWARD (YESTERDAY)

HURRY HOME TO CATCH THE FEERY BEFORE THEY TIE THEM UP BEFORE IMPENDING HURRICANE (YESTERDAY)

PHILIP'S SURPRISE BIRTHDAY PARTY CANCELED AND RE-SET THREE TIMES DUE TO STORM, BABY, STORM (YESTERDAY)

A quick run into the village this morning for conversation and bottled water..drove out to the beach, could not stand up in the wind and blowing sand. Everything closed on the island..campgrounds evacuated and tourists asked to leave. It is a hurricane 1, and it is my first. I will keep you updated as long as there is power...between times it will be games of gin rummy and cribbage an baking cookies and feeling the shudder of the wind and the pouring rain. But, all is well, and I could't be happier!! Check Philip's blog for more details and photos of the baby and the hurrcane: go to www.villagecraftsmen.com and then click onto the Ocracoke Journal.

Hurrcane Update..

We have just been updated to a Hurricane 2...winds to be 100 miles per hour and to have a direct hit on the island within the hour. Power and phone lines still intact...wind shrieking out our window..branches banging against the shop..cars all pulled to high ground..jugs of water await use. But we are fine. It is odd to think that the ferries are tied up, and we are all on our own. There is no emergency management team..just friends and neighbors to help each other.