I think about her every time some Isaac related Mississippi news appears.

I hope she and all her butterflies are ok.

I know there were tornados around Pascagoula but that is southeast of where she lives, which is north of Gulport, if I recall. I used to live in Ocean Springs, right along the coast.

I am hoping she responds soon. I did see the reports about the tornados, Mary. I think Mississippi was hit pretty hard, too. Lots of power outages, so she may not be able to check in until they have that resolved.

Susan

Miss Sherry;
Thinking of you. Stay safe.
-Elisabeth

I'm doing fine, everybody - thanks so much for your concern!
I didn't even lose my power during Isaac, but I couldn't get on the internet, because I have service by satellite, which doesn't connect during bad weather. The first day I emptied my rain gauge during the middle of the day, and it was filled to the top, which is a little over 5" - I emptied it again in the evening, and, once again, it was filled to the top. Then we had 1.3" yesterday, so I've had at least 11.3" of rain the past few days, probably a little more. The rivers and creeks are flooded, of course.
The wind was minor, not much stronger than you get with an ordinary thunderstorm, but the rain was something else! Of course, I'm 35 miles inland, so our winds were less than on the Coast.
We lucked out, the only trees down are a few dead ones from Katrina. Somebody's coming with a chainsaw Wednesday to cut them up in pieces, so I can pick them up and haul them off. I starting picking up debris, small limbs and such today. I'll be doing that for a while.

I'm having some trouble typing now, because a yellow jacket stung me on my right index finger, and it still hurts and is badly swollen. After Hurricane Georges, I must have been stung by them on the legs 100 times! I don't know what it is about hurricanes and tropical storms - maybe the water and wind tears up their nests? - but they're the only outright aggressive insects I've ever seen. Just your presence will make them sting! Plus, I've had to replace hummingbird feeder sugar water often, because so many of them are getting in there.

The butterflies and hummers are fine. I brought in some gulf frits and cloudless sulphurs to raise in cages on my front porch during the storm. I weighted the cages down, so they wouldn't blow off the tables. All the CSs have pupated, and I put two little ones back outside on the partridge peas. Many of the gulf frits have pupated, some are still eating, and there are JILLIONS of them outside - things are looking normal for the gulf frits, a cat on every leaf!
There are butterflies of many types in my garden, and I've not found any dead ones, so they knew how to take care of themselves, thank goodness!

Let's hope that dam near McComb stays puts and doesn't break - that would make things even worse for people down river in Louisiana, already badly affected.

It's good to be back on the computer!

Sherry

YAY Sherry! Glad to hear that you and yours are okay.
I think the yellow jackets sting more after a storm 'cause they are just ticked off at the weather. :)

Glad to hear you are okay,, exept for the sting! I know that when Elena came through while we were in Ocean Springs, we (all the moms on our street) went to the ice house to get ice. I was wearing a yellow rain slicker and the bees would just swarm me. We were out on one of the docks and the people in line around me told my friends to get me the ----- out of the there. I was told that the storm messes up their orientation and so they get aggressive. I knew from that point on not to wear yellow, evidently they thought I was a big old flower full of pollen!

How did the coast in MS fair during Issac, Miss Sherry?

mboston.......the yellow rings a bell for me.......I used to have a hummer feeder with yellow around the feeding ports. I would always find drowned bees in it. Then I read I should get rid of the yellow, so I bought hummer feeders without the yellow, and haven't had a drowned bee since! Maybe they can only see yellow? Interesting......

I well remember Elena, Mary, because it's the only hurricane where I saw the eye. We were living in Gulfport, and when the wind stopped, I went outside, and it looked like we were in a domed stadium of clouds with a little hole in the top - very weird.

Hancock County has MUCH flooding, both from the Gulf and rainfall, but I'm not sure of the particulars, just that it wasn't nearly what Katrina was. We have friends who live in the Kiln, and the creek that's pretty close to their house that surprisingly flooded it, didn't flood it this time - they were SO relieved! Hancock County probably got between 15" and 20" of rain, Harrison County got between 10" and 15" and Jackson County got 15" - 20" of rain.

There was a tornado in Gulfport that damaged a few homes.

There were two tornadoes in Jackson County, one that tore up a home in Pascagoula and one in Ocean Springs that people heard and saw tearing a roof off a home. The OS tornado was on North Washington Ave. Somebody got a home video of one of the Jackson County tornadoes, the first of a hurricane related tornado I've ever seen, and it didn't look as menacing as the ones you see on TV in Oklahoma and Alabama, but if you were under it, and it damaged your home, I'm sure it was awful. The beach road in OS was badly damaged. There was some flooding of homes near creeks and/or rivers in the northern and central part of Jackson County. Still, it was nothing compared to Katrina.

My finger is still swollen, not as bad as yesterday, but now it's itching! :( Thanks for the info about the bees and hurricanes - they act weirdly crazed!!

Sherry

Glad to hear you are okay. I agree, yellow jackets are just evil. They are the one thing in my yard that anyone has cart blanche to spray. I won't even spray for mosquitos (and I hate them with a passion).

We could use some of your rain here in Ohio. The clouds from Isaac are here and I have heard estimates of up to 5 inches. Alas, nothing yet, just a sprinkle. I stopped watering Yesterday because I CAN'T STAND IT ANYMORE! Now, everything is looking wilted and sad. It is very frustrating to see dark, dark clouds, but no rain.

Take care,
Elisabeth

So glad you're okay, and didn't have as much damage as in Katrina, MissSherry!

You have an "owie", as Char-Char would say! Itching is a good sign - that it is healing.

What is odd about Isaac is that it occurred on the same day as Katrina! Shiver me timbers!

Everything is so clean and fresh in the garden after a storm. I seem to have lots more butterflies then, too. We are going to have another wave of heat here, supposed to be 103 degrees today. Argh.................

Gotta water especially the potted plants. My Tecoma guarume 'Miami Sunrise' is 8' tall in a pot (not counting the pot height) and getting ready to throw tons of blooms. Can't wait!!! It was only supposed to get to be 5' tall. Hmmmmmmm. I love Tecomas, though. The foliage is always bright green and unblemished and they are so showy.

Susan

If ONLY I could send the drought-stricken parts of the country the excess water that's fallen here, Elisabeth. There are miles of pipelines in this country that pipe in oil and gas, so how about water? The people whose houses have water up to the roof would love to send you that water, for sure!

Tecoma is a plant I've never tried, Susan. One day I will, though, since I try just about everything once. You've sure got a tall one!

Yesterday I stepped off the bottom step into the yard and twisted my right ankle. It's swollen today, red and turning blue, but it's not as bad as the one I had a few years ago. I was so involved in my clean-up I forgot to watch each step as I walked down them - I was looking out at what I was going to pick up next. There must be something about getting old that makes us clumsy, I know I've sure gotten that way. "Help, I've fallen and can't get up!" Now I know where that comes from! :(

Sherry

Oh, no! I can't tell you how many times I have missed that step in a hurry to check something out that is flying or perching in the yard before I totally miss it. The last time - and I've been pretty careful since that time, I actually broke my foot. I think sprains take longer to heal, tho. Try not to overdo it and use the RICE method - rest, ice, compression, and elevation. Oh, and Ibuprofin!

I know I have gotten clumsier the older I get. Not to mention other issues.........

Susan

Sherry I hope your ankle is better today. It's amazing how much a person can hurt themself just falling from one step. I've done it too. I try to make myself always hold the rail when going down stairs but it's easy to get careless. We certainly break easier as we get older. Those falls didn't hurt near as much when I was young. It's downright dangerous now.

Yep, nothing like being young, Christie! I didn't follow my own rule and brought in too many groceries at once, and now my right shoulder is hurting. Nothing bad like in the past, but achy nevertheless. I'll be 64 next month - I don't know how my 84-year old mother stands it! I've got to mow a little grass today - here's hoping I don't do myself serious damage!

A giant swallowtail emerged from a cage this morning, a really GIANT one! A smallish pipevine swallowtail emerged yesterday. There are LOTS of black swallowtail chrysalides in the emergence cage. These were caterpillars last spring, and I can't remember any of these emerging this year, so if they overwinter, they'll all be a year old this spring. They all have good color, look healthy and alive. There are a few sooty black giant and pipevine swallowtail chrysalides in the cage that I'm sure are dead, but I hate to throw them out!

Sherry