Hi ronkala...well actually I do give blood on a regular basis since I have a rare blood type I get a lot of calls.
I just feel that I can do more in addtion to donating blood and giving money to Red Cross...oh well I will stay on the look out and see if there are any specific needs

Stopping by from the Canada board to send thoughts to Florida posters.

My prayers are with you.

Judy_in_Calgary, it is nice to hear from you. Thank you for your thoughts.

Anyone looking for their loved ones, here is a number issued by the Red Cross: 1-866-GET-INFO.

Patrick, thanks for taking the time to give us that information. Sanibel and Captiva are two of my favorite places. It is upsetting to think of the destruction, loss of lives and injuries due to this storm. I send my thoughts and prayers to you and all the other people who were/are in its path.

Checking in from Alachua, a few miles NW of Gainesville. We prepared for the worst and at 5 AM this morning it was absolutely beautiful and cool outside, with a million stars showing. Just moved here from Orlando, and I wonder if my 50 foot oak tree in the front yard there survived the storm. My relatives there tell me there are a lot of missing roofs.

We all SO appreciate our fellow Fodorites in the path of the storm checking in, and know that others may not have power to do so at this time.

Still haven't heard from LilMsFoodie, Jayne, and a few others. So, let us know how you have fared when you can.

In the meantime, it's still so heart wrenching to watch the news and see how so many have suffered.

This evening I spoke with a friend whose brother lives north of Daytona, just off highway A1A. He got power back on right about 9 PM this evening. He rode out the storm at home and was glad he was there, the winds almost blew out a large window but he was able to do a quick fix to keep it from being blown out. He was glad Charley had weakened so much by the time it got to Daytona.

Whew, finally finished putting house & business back together (25 acres of containerized trees had to be untied, laid down, stood back up and re-tied). But thankfully, as others have said, we dodged the bullet once again. It's been a stressful week worrying about whether to evacuate our home with so many geriatric pets but double stress worrying about possibly losing our livlihood. Even though both husband and I are native Floridians and have been through many hurricanes, I don't think I'll stay put the next time one is bearing down on us. Yet, deciding where to evacuate to is daunting-my neighbor left for Orlando yesterday morning assuming she'd be out of harms way and ended up in 90 mile per hour winds, tornadoes, etc. If Tampa is a cat with 9 lives, I wonder how many she has left? I think I might be experiencing post-storm blues (definitely exhaustion): relieved for the Tampa Bay area but saddened for those who were not so fortunate and humbled by Mother Nature's wrath and unpredictability.

Jayne and family are fine, thank God. See her touching post under "Hurricanes, oh my".

My continued thoughts and prayers are with you all.

How is everyone today? You are all still in our thoughts and prayers. The loving concern within this forum just touches my heart. Anyone hear from LilMsFoodie?

We are planning a trip to Florida next winter so I have been accessing the Florida board regularly and recognize so many of the screen names of those in the area. We also have good friends who have a mobile home in Fort Myers area. I am still waiting to hear from her as to how they fared.
My thoughts and prayers are with all of you Floridians.

Thank you for the thread...It began 9pm Friday for us and I have been through storms before but no one thought it would be like this...we still do not have power at the house (central FL)....by 9:30 I was in the hallway frightened...we awoke the next morning to very few birds singing, but singing nonetheless..the air was as still as could be and it was like Christmas morning but the opposite-you don't want what you get when you wake up and run to the window...debris everywhere as the 3 oak and magnolia trees in the yard dumped large branches all over...part of the chimmney was in the backyard and the wooden fence was down...but the neighborhood came alive with the sound of saws and rakes, everyone pitching in and cleaning up....I found what I was made of during this and the people close to me...it is sad it takes such a disaster to bring the best out in people, but I am thankful even so....we went to the local store around the corner and in the parking lot saw a small tree tipped over..on the ground next to it was a baby dove that had been ejected out of his nest...he was alive and now lives with us...we had syringe fed one of our parrots since birth so we still had the supplies and knew what to do...he is getting some flight feathers and is eating and going to the bathroom....so we have hopes he'll make it...we named him Charley....

Anyone have any info on Northport? Have an uncle there in a trailer park.

Glad to hear our Floridian Fodorites are doing fine. I was thinking about you all. I also feel a connection with the Floridian Fodorites. Been so helpful to me for planning my Florida vacations. DH & I were just in shock at the devastation from Charley. Hope Lil Ms. Foodie is fine. She probably doesn't have any power. I know Heartburn is another Floridian. But I think she lives in Ft.Lauderdale area. Don't think that area got hit? You all have my thoughts and prayers!!

I am visiting from the Europe Board to say that it's so good to hear that many of you are OK, and to thanks everyone for all of your personal reports which are much more vivid than anything in the news.

To Croque madame, yes, I have learned firsthand the importance of sending messages of concern.

I have a really strong sense of how this event helps us know the preciousness, and unpredictability of life. The sense of the level of destruction in some areas is just heart-breaking. I think of all those folks left homeless.

Some of the posts have brought tears. As the days pass, I continue to keep all of you foremost in my thoughts.

Ronkala, My mom and aunt were there for that 1938 hurricane too!

Take good care of yourselves, especially in the coming weeks.

Life is a blessing!

Glad to hear many Floridians are okay. My heart goes out to those suffering from the storm.

Charley did little in Durham, NC. The storm Friday night (not hurricane related) was worse, and it's raining again today, but no damage.

Maybe we should plan some type of Florida GTG after the recovery to boost the local economy?

I would like to add my thanks here that everyone made it through the storm in good shape.
It does bring to mind what is important in life.

Ronkala - :O

Wednesday - good touch with your (naming) adopted baby bird :)
Glad to hear that things were not worse.

Thanks for all your well wishes.
We finally have our power back although we have a number of friends that still do not have power. The mess is big (and I'm in Orlando - not Ponte Gorda). Even though we have some significant damage, we are so lucky - it could of been so much worse. I've been watching TV this morning (haven't had TV since Friday about 9pm) and it gives me chills. My thoughts and prayers go to all in the Ponte Gorda area.
Thanks again for your thoughts.

Thanks nanb....everyone is still in a daze here, it's an odd feeling between stress, relief, and complete helplessness...power may take a week to be restored...it's very surreal...I am SO thankful I don't have physical or major property damage...it's devestating....we can't find ice anywhere, most traffic lights are out and you'll drive down a road only to find it blocked by a tree and have to turn around....the healing begins...