It remained breezy today as we started getting out after yesterday's blow. There's a lot of trees down, power is out for 100,000 in Marion County, the flooding is more wide spread as the saturated ground refuses to accept more.

Many of the folks without power are repeats from Frances. Including my in-laws who all are without power. People are getting weary of this while they've come to realize the restoration of power may not come as "quickly" as before.

Resources are stretched with the demands of repairs needed by the damage from 4 hurricanes in 6 weeks. Still, we are resilient and will manage to tough this out.

We have been blessed to have sustained no damage or outages, so our home becomes a refuge for others.

The stress and heat from no electricity or air conditioning is especially tough on the elderly. An 88 year old friend and former neighbor is in the hospital, admitted Sunday night after her power went off increasing the stress on her body already fighting pneumonia.

She is only one of many for whom no electricity is not just an inconvenience, but a life threatening struggle. Keep them in your prayers as you also remember to give thanks for the many things we all take for granted every day. Water, refrigeration, air conditioning, hot showers, cool nights.

Many of the homes here are all electric so folks cannot cook unless they have a grill. Refrigeration is impossible so daily trips to the grocery, smaller quantities, no leftovers increase the expense of providing food.

I've no doubt that as stress levels increase, tolerance levels will decrease and there will be more strife between people. Again, keep them in your prayers. Not everyone's personality is suited to this struggle. Many are coping on the outside while crying out on the inside.

We will make it through this...year. It's only 64 days to the end of hurricane season!

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