Glad to hear it Mike. Pretty bad up here as well. People still without power, massive flooding, downed trees.

Thanks for checking in!

Trees grow back, homes can be rebuilt, but it takes time to rehabilitate a damaged body.

Life is priceless, and I'm relieved to read none of you have suffered losses.

A little food for thought:
Back in K-6 days (I'm that old) we would be told the tale of the Three Little Pigs over and over and over, each time the morale would change because we'd be one year older, but the fundamental line was always the same..
"Build your future on sound foundations"

Yet, people still insist on building their homes... with lumber ?  

Guys, pardon me, but have you ever heard of brickwork ?

Bricks are wonderful climate insulators, termite-proof, will NOT catch fire, and will NOT rot with age.

A few pictoral examples:



Porta San Paolo (S.Paul's Gate) in Rome, dating back from the 5th Century AD; the pyramid is the burial monument to Consul Caestius





Pont du Gard, in France; regardless the name, it is actually a Roman acqueduct older than Jesus





Old Georgetown, Washington, D.C.



Bricks never die, they simply acquire a special, romantic hue...