Touching up Mirage. 1 Yr. Since Hurricane Ike

Ray and I were trying to find out why one of the florescent lights wasn't working in the dog room. If it is overcast I like to have that one on, the farthest from the windows, so that it isn't so gloomy for the cats. We had to put a little wedge between the cedar trim and the light, and then it made a good connection.

Second electrical problem is with the Mirage. The other day it was driven to the marina down the road, and when it went over a bump the AC/heater fan stopped working. Ray and I looked at all the fuses, as the blower fuse wasn't marked on the schematic in the fuse lid. They were all good. We looked under the hood, as some big main fuses are often there. There were none. As Jim, the mechanic, is still off in his motor home up north, (I wish I were), so I had to ask a question on a Nissan repair site. Still no answer on that.

Ray touched up a few little places with an artist brush on the Mirage. Then there was a white part that had dark dirty marks on it each side of a 3/8" wide brown stripe. We tried everything to get the dark gray smudges off the white, so I carefully cut a 3/8" wide strip of masking tape, covered the brown stripe so that Jay could spray paint white above and below it.

While we were doing this, an ambulance and fire dept. pick-up truck came in the subdivision, and I remarked, "Oh, I wonder if Jay OD", (he is getting that bad). About half an hour later Claudia called, and it was indeed Jay, but it was for throwing up blood. He shouldn't drink with the ulcers that he has! I hope this will be his wake-up call.

Remember a year ago? Hurricane Ike came through this area, even ravaged all the way to the northern states and caused power outages and grief up there.
Galveston got the worst of it, and most of the news was centered on that. But it shattered the windows in the tall buildings downtown Houston, and flooded a lot of the city, and counties around.

These are some of the behind the scenes pictures that you may not have seen. There were a lot of people who refused to leave as the authorities would not let them take their pets. This has changed now, as it caused more loss of human lives. I know that I would stay with mine if I couldn't take them.
A lot of the animal rescue groups went down to Galveston and saved a bunch of the animals, from horses, cattle, dogs, cats birds and to a baby squirrel with a broken leg.
This from the Houston SPCA site:
"The Houston SPCA has spent the last two weeks devoted to saving the animal victims of Hurricane Ike. We evacuated animals from coastal shelters to safety; rescued, saved and shelter 1,562 storm victims; fed/sheltered in place another 484 animals; placed 424 animals into temporary foster care; celebrated over 100 miraculous reunions; and in cooperation with our affiliate Wildlife Rehab & Education fed and cared for more than 1,000 orphaned baby squirrels and other wild animals who also suffered from Ike's wrath. The road to recovery may be long and filled with debris and other obstacles. But, the Houston SPCA has been a beacon of hope and a safe haven since 1924 and with your support we will continue to be a shelter from the storm for those in need! Here are some of our favorite reunion pictures and one of a baby squirrel with a broken leg that WR&E will nurse back to health!"

"The five little terrier-mix dogs had been left behind on Galveston Island by their owner. Alone and frightened they watched as the storm surge began to rush into their home. As the water continued its relentless rise, they jumped to the top of a table and that’s where Houston SPCA rescue teams found them trembling and whimpering in fear. The high water mark was over their heads and our rescue teams knew in their hearts that these little dogs spent most of the night swimming for their lives. But they had a strong will to live and thanks to the Houston SPCA, they also have a second chance at life."


Being a Montgomery Country SPCA foster mom, you know I get teary over animals, this reunion picture really made tears come today!