Chameleon by Finijo

I took this shot when I arrived home and found this little guy waiting for me at the driveway. I was surprised he let me get as close as he did before scurrying away. They came out in droves after the storm. At least they had plenty of bugs to eat.

Porky Rescue

Give Up by Finijo

About a week after the storm, we went to Kim Son downtown to get something to eat and I noticed this gorilla art on the side of the Cadillac Liquor Store. I really liked the morose irony of the message and the placement.

Rescue Porky by Finijo

While shooting the grafitti, we noticed this skinny black dog wandering way too close to the freeway. I called him and he came and we put him in the car and took home a victim of Hurricane Ike. We took him to the vet and have been treating him and taking care of him and looking for a good home for him. He goes by the name of Porky McLardass and he is sweet and LOVES people (and is fascinated by cats). If you know of anywone who is looking for a wonderful dog who NEEDS love and attention - please, let us know.

Light a Candle for Ike

During Ike, we were without electricity for about 7 days. We went through a lot of candles. BTW, I highly recommend that you stock up on cheap candles and tea lights at IKEA. They are inexpensive and sold in bulk. These are some shots I took in the days after the storm hit. In the perpetual darkness you experience without electricity, the candles can become your only source of entertainment.

7 Candles by Finijo

Shoo Fly 2 by Finijo

Mosquito Demise by Finijo

The Aftermath of Ike

Tree Knocks Down Tree by Finijo

Our most major damage was caused by one tree falling down. It took out our electricity and phone line, it damaged our pergola, and it knocked out one of our favorite trees. Some good came from the storm. I found out that I have friends who can be counted on to be there for us when things are really bad.

Downed Tree by Finijo

The tree that was knocked down by a tree we barely noticed before the storm, was the home to all of our squirrels. The squirrels have relocated to one of our three palm trees in the front yard and they are making a mess of the tree and the yard while they build their new nest.

Tree Cracks Pergola by Finijo

This is some footage Marilyn took of our backyard the morning after Hurricane Ike hit. Bear in mind, we are about 55 miles from the coast. Our neighborhood was without electricity for 3 days, but we were without for a week, because the line to our house was down.

Ike Aftermath by MEG

The Wind Before Ike

This footage was taken around 7:30 PM in my backyard before the arrival of Hurricane Ike to Houston. The hurricane hit later in the evening (around midnight), but the wind was unbelievable hours before it hit land. It was an incredible experience that nobody living in Houston at the time will forget in their lifetime.

Frumpy Does Not Sell

Ugly Mannequin by Finijo

JC Penny's has the most unattractive mannequins hawking their plus size clothing that I have ever seen. The breast on these things are flat and sagging, as though they truly believe that fat women don't own bras.

Frumpy Mannequin by Finijo

This one is a blob. How do they expect fat women to want to buy their clothes when this is what they are telling us they will look like on? What the hell are they thinking? I have to say it - a skinny man designed these mannequins and another skinny man bought them for JC Penny's. What I really wanted to do was get a shot of them unclothed - I just didn't have the courage to look like a total perv undressing the mannequins that day. Next time...

I Want This Thing

I Want by Finijo

I want this thing. It is a lump of cement that once held a sign post in the ground and it looks to me like something that should be made into a statue.

I Want by Finijo (turned)

I have no particular place to put it, but each time I pass it at the corner of Almeda and Blodgett, I imagine myself going at it with a chisel. The pipe dreams of an unmedicated pack rat.

Twas the Night Before Gustav

Galveston Gustav Dusk by Finijo

We went to Galveston the night before Hurricane Gustav was due to hit and in the course of 15 minutes saw the dusk fall and got of a few pretty good shots. I stood out in the ocean to get this shot. I am facing the beach and looking towards the West end of the island.

Ripple Effect by Finijo

We crossed the foot bridge going to Jamaica Beach and just over the dune we watched the sunset and felt blessed to be in the midst of such a beautiful dusk. We were worried about what would be left after Gustav Hit, but were pleased when it landed well away from Galveston.

Rickety by Finijo

I guess we could not imagine that the next Hurricane, Ike, would wipe out just about everything. This bridge, needless to say, is no longer standing. In some ways I feel like Gustav was a bit of foreshadowing for the Gulf Coast and even for me. Many of the things I thought were strong and functional before these pictures were taken, have since proven to be less functional than previously believed and unable to stand the test of time.