Thank you for all the prayers and support over the past two weeks. Your prayers and encouragement have lifted many, including myself. The physical and emotional strain has been challenging; but we are okay and getting a little better each tomorrow.
Power was just restored to casa del Sundance, and thankfully the electrical restoration did not encounter damaged internal wiring as reconnection was accomplished. Many others are not as fortunate. When the power comes back on it is always a mixed blessing. Thankfulness is accompanied by a sense of guilt in knowing there are so many still without basic utility services.
According to the LCEC utility company 42,906 homes are still without power. There is zero restoration on the barrier islands (7,400 homes on Pine Island and 10,946 on Sanibel). Major infrastructure repair work is underway on the islands as the effort to remove debris continues. Fort Myers Beach, Sanibel and Pine Island will be rebuilding for a long time.
Water restoration services are still underway throughout the county and boil water notices still present for many areas. There is joy in the simplicity of taking a hot shower in your own home and having the ability to wash clothes changes the outlook on a task many consider a chore. My prayers continue for those who have a long way before that simple joy returns.
There are no words adequate enough to express appreciation for those volunteers who organized field hygiene stations, portable showers, cooling tents, and even laundry services in community parks and neighborhood parking lots. Trust me, this is an underappreciated and valuable resource needed during emergency operations. Related to this, please remind yourself to include topical antiseptics and skin creams in your own hurricane or emergency kits.
It is also appropriate to give a huge shout of appreciation to the small engine mechanics who keep all the generators, power saws, winches, tools and chainsaws buzzing. One small piece of equipment that stops working can have a major cascading impact. Those who use Lava soap nightly, and undress in the utility room so they don’t drag the smell of diesel and gasoline inside, are another underappreciated crew.
Coincidentally, I had the good fortune to run into the deployment teams who establish internet services for emergency operations. These are the cool cats who quickly deploy satellite systems, including Starlink, to get the emergency communications networks up and running. They have a seriously important job, and they are extremely good at it. That Starlink system is pretty spiffy.
Residents are being allowed back onto Fort Myers Beach now. That’s a good thing. That likely means the search crews are optimistic every structure has been searched and cleared. A survivor was found alive last Thursday under the rubble, eight days after the storm. FMB Residents are being allowed to look for belongings and retrieve personal items, but they will not be staying there. There are zero utility services.
Pine Islanders are picking up the pieces and preparing for the long-haul of restoration. Sanibel will likely begin the same once access to the island is reestablished. Prayerfully and stunningly, an interim roadway system may even be completed this month.
After a full day of sleep yesterday, I will be returning to more regularly scheduled postings now on events leading up to the midterm election. There’s still a lot of work to be done in/around my community, but the immediate emergency aspect is in the rear view.
I have missed you, our Treehouse family, and I am looking forward to our conversations again. Thanks to the site admins Ad rem, Stella, WeeWeed and Menagerie for keeping everything afloat.
Above all, my deepest and most sincere appreciation to YOU. I am thankful for the opportunity to deserve your support and fellowship.
Love to all,
~ Sundance
May God bless each and every one and give the compassion to help each other through. Sundance you are a good kind soul and your words are so encouraging to hear.
I have yet to read anything Sundance has written without tearing up all the way through….to the point of having to read it more than once. I love my treehouse family and I really don’t know what I would do without all of you.
Blessings and love to all. Thank you for being there. Stay safe and well, Sundance, for you are the tie that binds us here on earth.
Amen
I’m really proud to know of a person with your principles and goodness, Sundance.
So glad you’re back safely!
Thank you for the updates and for being you. Your fellow support staff did a great job but have missed your wisdom and insight. I wish someday we could have a “Treehouse Convention” of some sort. Would love to meet some of the wonderful Treepers encountered here.
The FBI would infiltrate our gathering in order to find more people they can claim are domestic terrorists. Just a guess.
I thought of that. We are probably all on their radar now anyway. But, a girl can dream!
Perhaps. But it would be easy to single them out!
Sir, your Testimony of Blessings is powerful and stengthens us. Godspeed.
Bless you Sundance. It is good to have you back. Your hard working admins – Ad rem, Stella, WeeWeed and Menagerie have done a great job keeping everything going. I appreciate all the work you all do keeping this Treehouse functioning. Thank you all so much for being our eyes and ears to keep us updated with the Truth about what is going on around us. We are truly blessed to have you all here.
It’s good to know you’re back to a better functioning casa. You certainly deserved a day of sleep to recover your aching body.
May God continue to bless you, your family and all Floridians. As someone above said, we missed you bro.
King James Version “ a thousand shall fall at thy side ten thousand at thy right hand” I always understood that to be a battle in this world and though 1000 fall of your tribe 10,000 shall fall by thy right hand. Thy right hand is the hand of power, mighty.
That describes you Sundance, you have been proven in battle.
One of the attributes of hell is all hope is lost. (God is absent) “ Hope deferred maketh the heart sick”. Proverbs 13:12
If we see an end we can persevere, that is equal to numbering all the times our lord stood beside us or carried us in adversity. There is no other rescue besides him, he is good, he is love. And especially in this time or season of our nation, people need that reminder.
You ask “why” this IMO is why bad things happen. The Godly look to heaven and begin counting their blessings the ungodly curse him. Job tells us all about adversity.
Thanks for the update.
NKJV 1 Samuel 18:7: So the women sang as they danced, and said: “Saul has slain his thousands, And David his ten thousands.” David had just killed Goliath (if you are not familiar with Nephilim, that adds another element to the battle, and Goliath’s 4 brothers are why he took 5 stones). Then Saul ultimately failed by trusting himself rather than God.
Don’t despise the day of small things! (Zechariah 4)
SunDance! Very Happy to hear that you are over the worst part — out here in treeperland we all prayed for your safety, as we value your discernment and analysis of current events which affect us all. Here in Taiwan we are well aware of the power of nature (typhoons), which cause flooding and rockfalls from torrential rain. And so we appreciate the agony of searching for loved ones and the daunting task of reconstruction. Here’s hoping for a red tsunami on November eighth! WWG1WGA
For those that are sincere about wanting to help, I will tell you that there are 3 things needed right now:
1) Prayers
2) Boots on the ground
3) Financial donations to organizations that will make an impact in the local communities (more on this below)
I just returned from volunteering with the hurricane relief efforts at the Samaritan’s Purse Punta Gorda location and I hope to have enough energy to add a note a little later, but it’s pretty draining being in your 50’s and doing physical labor for 8-10 hours a day, then sleeping on a church floor and doing it all over again day-after-day.
Many of you/us don’t have the flexibility to drop everything and volunteer in-person, so in addition to praying for those impacted (also for the emergency responders), I highly recommend avoiding the ‘big box’ charities and doing something a little more targeted. If you just want to do something quick, I would personally advocate for donating to Samaritan’s Purse or to The Treehouse (link above right).
If you want to have a bit more of a direct impact, I witnessed many of the local churches as being on the front lines of helping out the community. So, just pull up Google Maps and pick some churches in SWFL and go to their websites to donate. If you attend a Presbyterian Church in Pennsylvania, donate to a Presbyterian church in Ft. Myers Beach. If you attend a Baptist church in Texas, find a Baptist Church in Cape Coral, FL and donate on their website. If you attend a Catholic Church in New York, then find a Catholic Church in Englewood, FL and donate on their website., etc. I guarantee you that these funds will be much better utilized and impactful than if you donate to the American Red Cross or the Salvation Army.
Samaritan’s Purse: https://samaritanspurse.org
New Life Church Punta Gorda (my home for 5-days): https://newlifeforall.church
Treehouse: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=RZ4BWXR87UTLW
Well…, you rock!
-Be and stay well, Freakonomics.
Another thing you should consider doing if you donate to a church is to designate what you want your monetary gift to be used for (“Hurricane Ian relief” for example).
It’s my understanding that if you do this, the church is required by law to use it for that purpose and nothing else. This can give you a bit of peace of mind if you’re unfamiliar with the church to which you’re donating. (I hate to think of any church helping themselves to Ian donations during this difficult time, but, let’s be honest–it happens!)
Excellent! And thank you. I agree with you on the Red Cross. They have a ton of overhead and your money might end up somewhere in Africa in a place you’ve never heard of.
I donated to the Salvation Army. The money goes to the food trucks where they give out hot meals and cold water. A hot meal and a cold drink go a long way to lift people’s spirits…. They are out there every day.
This is exactly what we did. We are in Central FL and had our own issues to deal with, but none like in SWFL. So we made a small contribution to the Englewood Chamber as we have friends and family in that community. Another donation to a local friend who got displaced due to flooding (him, wife, 6 kids and pets) – all now living in temp housing. Prayers of thanksgiving for all those resourceful people, for safety of Sundance and all in the treehouse; you keep it real and help keep me positive.
Keeping the prayers flowing for you Sundance. The Treehouse Crew is a pretty special group.
God bless and keep you and yours Sundance. Praying for the good people of SWFL as they begin the recovery process. Thank you for always reminding us that there are truly more good people than evil, and that there are more of “us” than “them”. We must unify to succeed.
Sundance, so happy to hear that things are slowing getting better. And with so many exceptional individuals working to restore some normalcy, to such devastation, things are looking up. The treeper family is proud of you and your admin support Sundance. We all stand together. Much love and respect to my treeper brothers and sisters.
First time back since the storm. Thought I’d be catching up for days. Thankfully most of the posts I missed were about what I was experiencing first hand. Feels good to be all caught up! Lake Monroe been steady at 8.96 for a while now, hopefully rain stays away. Gonna be a while though for the folks down where Sundance is.
Excellent update, offering “credit where credit is due.”
What is your age?
Because of my deep association with you for many years, I have taken a very continual interest in the developments after the hurricane.
Your humility and your wisdom in the midst of so much without is another part of your character that creates so much respect from me for you.
I’m so grateful to the Lord that you have found more stability and comfort in your days.
In 2005 when Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast we watched from afar and were horrified seeing what our countrymen were going through.
We prayed and we sent money, hoping the organizations we sent money to were using it wisely.
It seemed to us up here in northern Minnesota that as soon as the destruction came it left. Little was spoken of on the news concerning what was still taking place in hurricane ravaged areas down south.
8 months later something gripped our attention, something was written or said about how terrible things still were for many of the survivors of Hurricane Katrina.
At the same time my employer was offering a weeks paid salary for anyone who wanted to go volunteer anywhere — for “Volunteer Week.”
My husband and I found ‘Hands-On America,’ an organization that works around the world helping people in such events, and an organization that provides food and a place to stay while volunteers go into the “field” to work.
We rented a minivan, loaded it with tools, clothes, blankets and food and headed south, fully expecting to sleep in the minivan once we got to Biloxi. We chose to volunteer during a week with a holiday attached to it, giving us extra time to travel and work.
Reading your daily reports and remembering the destruction we saw first hand along the Gulf Coast 8 months after Katrina did her damage has tears running down my cheeks. My raggedy old bathrobe is used to getting wet these days. . .
We saw blue roofs everywhere.
We saw churches whose alters stood, but the guts were all blown out.
We saw sand covering roads to the point you could hardly make the roads out.
We saw mold and mold and mold on everything.
We saw trash, junk, stuff everywhere.
We saw churches whose steeples had been ripped off and were still resting where they had fallen — five miles in from the coast.
We met people who had lived among the destruction for 8 months, and in many ways their faces reflected that destruction and its aftermath. We saw those faces for many miles, we saw those faces everywhere we went.
My husband and I flipped houses in the Twin Cities long before doing it became a tv show, and we both knew how to hang sheetrock, mud, tape, do cement work, tear off and put on roofs, lay flooring of all kinds, hang cabinets, etc. — anything it took to rebuild old homes — so we knew we could help at least one family make a tiny part of their home livable again.
We stayed in Biloxi, but spent all our time working in Moss Point, a tiny town that lost its medical clinic to Katrina.
Because we already had building experience we were given the job of teaching others how to tape and mud newly hung sheetrock. These two old people — us — taught hardworking youngsters how to tape and mud, and we all worked together to complete one phase of getting a clinic up and running for the community. We were officially given the title, “Minnesota Mudders.”
How trivial our work was in the big picture, how minute in the swath of destruction.
I forever have those pictures burned into my brain. I forever have the heat and humidity, the smells and sorrow planted deep into my soul. And I had a home to return to, one that had not been ravaged.
I pray for God’s mercy and grace, goodness and comfort, loving bountiful provisions, to be poured upon all those who suffer and mourn, and those who live with joy in the midst of the storm. Because even though the hurricane has passed, the storm still rages.
Praise God to Whom all blessings flow,
Praise Him all creatures here below,
Praise Him above all Heavenly hosts,
Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost.
Raven – it’s still early, but pretty much the same scenario for Southwest Florida (SWFL). Many impactful organizations with experience have already extended the calendars for volunteer help through December, because they know this is just a start. Cities like Arcadia, FL, which aren’t even on the coast, still had flood waters 6 feet high a week after the storm, due to the runoff from Central Florida.
Blue tarp roofs, streets lined with debris & destroyed household goods, and festering model will be an issue for months & months to come for SWFL. Anyone looking to volunteer will have a long window to get involved. Plus, you will learn many skills and gain experience around disaster recovery, in addition to renewed spiritual fitness!
Two years to the day after Michael, and Mexico Beach is still not back together, and neither is Panama City Beach.
You can still drive down Hwy. 20 between Tallahassee and Ft. Walton Beach and see blue roofs all over the Bay County area. Many people are living in sheds. Marianna, in Jackson County, still bears scars as well.
As an aside, in 2016, when Hermine went right over my house (eye and all), as a Cat 1, it took Talquin Electric Cooperative TEN DAYS to get my electricity back on. I had a medical note in the file because Dad was on oxygen at the time. I had to drive to Carryville to buy a generator to keep him alive. I’m glad that the state under DeSantis has gotten better at restoring electricity after storms, even much worse storms. Scott did a terrible job, the Missouri Misery (wish he’d go home.)
Raven, you say:
How trivial our work was in the big picture, how minute in the swath of destruction.
I can’t imagine anything less trivial, less minute.
Bless you.
Can someone please get the dog out of the tree now? Seriously, very glad you’re OK Sundance!
Job well done…and ongoing.
Thank you.
Progress is a beautiful thing:-)
God Bless
Yes. Progress is beautiful.
Its lying imitator, Progressivism, is, however… hideous.
Had to drive over to Lee blvd and Sunshsine blvd this morning, smack dab in the middle of Lehigh Acres. Lots of traffic, about normal at 6:30am. Gas stations looked about normal. Not a whole lot of severe structural damage visible to speak of. Much less than Irma. (I’m hearing that a lot) Lots of stop and directional signs at 45 degree angles, lots of tabs missing on ..>older<.. roofs–newer shingle roofs seemed intact. A couple of homes had the PVC facia on the overhangs blown out and down. Only one very large/old oak tree uprooted in the entire trip. Not much foliage/branches pilled along the roads (today is pickup day along the route). Not much inside furniture etc. on the curb from water damage.
One or two remarkable sights–makes perfect sense. A couple of new home construction sites had apparently got to the point of drying the roof in (Plywood/OSB on only), without shingles. Block house not at the stucco phase with no windows, doors, or anything in. Just huge openings at ground level. Openings were to the south where the eye wall winds came from. The wind must have got inside and under the roof and absolutely blew/shredded the plywood/OSB. It looked like a bomb had gone off inside. Chunks of wood all over the lot.
Keep everything closed people. Those double garage doors and patio sliders (with storm panels over them) are going to sound like someone is throwing a bowling ball at them. Keep everything closed. That’s the rule down here. Don’t listen to that attic venting crap you see on the internet preparation advise on “things to do during tornadoes or hurricanes.”
And, DON’T BUY A FRAME HOUSE DOWN HERE.
” … after a full days sleep”. Right? Well deserved and needed. I have no idea how old Sundance is … but I can attest that as I have aged, I’ve gone from a man who’s never napped since kindergarten … to the proverbial old guy fast asleep in his BarcaLounger (my couch actually). I sleep less at night and now MORE during the day … and esp. after dinner time … I’m always dozing off.
So enjoy your old boy rest, Sundance … exacerbated by days of hard physical labor. Rest up, and rest well my friend. And might I add, your attitude in the midst of disaster makes me proud to be an American.
First para – Exactly! 🙂 Sundance’s ages is questionable – however, his self confidence is definitely NOT in question. He called Starlink *spiffy*. Only someone very self assured would use the word spiffy, IMO…… :):)
Florida Disaster Response and hurricane response in particular is unparalleled anywhere in the world. I feel you, dude, getting your power back on. It’s amazing, what an upgrade in life that is, in the middle of all the other chaos.
The wife and I embarked on a massively invasive remodel of our home two years ago. My framing contractor started 3mos. late which put us into an unusually early CA rainy season. We lived for months with no roof, and no furnace … think of it as a “voluntary disaster”. Tarps on the roof framing … which despite our best efforts of support would develop ‘bubbles’ of water over living spaces.
Suffice to say … I feel your pain, Sundance. I “asked for” my pain … you didn’t … but the misery is the same. There IS light at the end of tunnel … and now … we no longer lose sleep when it rains at night … feeling imaginary leaks and drips all night long … a new roof is a wonderful thing.
I too was glad to hear you have your power back, sundance.
I have never been subject to a serious hurricane (thankful!) but the closest I came to anything like it was 9 days without power in deep snow in New England. It was challenging to keep warm, fed, and clean.
Since then my home is still lit largely at night with battery candles with remotes, so I can turn them on and off quickly as I move through rooms, and save on lights (even those are all LEDs).
When the power does come back it can be a bit disorienting. Don’t forget to fix the clock on the microwave… 😉
God Bless.
Bienvenido otra vez… Welcome back. Please accept my deepest gratitude to you Sundance for all the hard work you’ve done to help others, particularly as you and your own family were affected, and as you sustained serious property damage yourselves.
Thank you for providing the daily updates in spite of your own fatigue and connection challenges. You share that importantísimo personal characteristic with our President Trump – the quality of never-give-up, never say die, never throw in the towel, always tell us the truth, and “Forward, March!”, no matter the obstacle. Each of you is as beloved to us as the other in this household.
The outstanding crew of Ad Rem, Stella, Menagerie, and WeeWeed did a remarkable, and immeasurably appreciated, job of keeping this Treehouse secured and operational. God bless and protect each and every one of you five rays of light in the present darkness.
What a relief to have the power back on…every recovery step helps….and we keep in mind that many are still unknown weeks away from either power or water.
May each one continue to find the resources they need to stay on their feet this day–enough food to keep going, a place to lay down and sleep, and something cool to drink.
The Psalm was PERFECT and brought tears to my eyes.
So thankful you are okay and can sleep, shower, change, and access the internet.
Continued prayers.
Sending positive thoughts and prayers for continued recovery for all areas.
I am driving an elderly neighbor down from here on Long Island (NY) to Punta Gorda tomorrow or Wednesday and I will fly back to NYC in a few days. She lost her pool screening and power was out but no major damage according to those who checked on her house.
Thank goodness; was waiting to see an ‘Update’ post from Sundance; glad to hear a good full bit of sleep was had. Ditto with what everyone else is saying too. Blessings to all.
You guys don’t just talk the talk, you walk the walk! Well done. Prayers for strength, and hugs sent to you. Thank you for everything.
God’s blessings to you and yours, Sundance,. It’s good to have you back. 🙂
“And when you’re lost and on your own
You can NEVER SURRENDER
And when your path won’t lead you home
You can NEVER SURRENDER…”
Corey Hart
GBY brother. God is good, ALL THE TIME.
So happy there is light in your tunnel Sundance. Prayers for you and your family!
Having electricity makes a huge difference. Glad to hear it.
Love to all
❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️
So happy for you and your family. All the best!
Hope everyone is safe
Keep on truckin’ SD
This is great news.
We love you, brother.
You have lifted my spirits and knowledge incalculably over the years.
All credit to God.
My brother drove over with supplies to help and said it was the most moving experience in his life (over 60). Incredible damage with very large boats/yachts tossed around in the most unusual places and empty foundations where homes once stood. He’s going back!
Our prayers to those suffering and working to rebuild. God bless!
May the Lord continue His Grace Blessings upon all who labor to recover and restore as much as possible of what the storm took away.
Blessings upon the website Admins who have stepped in without skipping a beat to keep CTH up and functioning well for the large and ever-expanding Treehouse.
Praise and glory to our Father in Heaven for his Divine Protection of and Divine Provision given to His faithful servant Sundance.
Hope you have an updated tetanus shot, Sundance. Working in rubble presents lots of rusty nails and sharp metal objects that can cause lockjaw. Be careful, as you work to help others.
Are you on my shoulder? LOLOLOL
I actually had to get a tetanus shot (few days ago) as the result of losing my footing and falling into a barbed wire fence. [[[ouch]]] Another major issue is the abundance of roofing nails everywhere.
Ugggh … nails everywhere. And SCREWS !!! You have no idea how many nail/screw punctures my dump trailer gets. I get weary plugging up all of em.
Sorry about the barbed wire … but that’s how God works … He gently … OK … sometimes PAINFULLY reminds us what we need to do to protect our earthly bodies.
PS … I was just reminded that everyone should carry a “bleed kit” … for example:
https://www.aedsuperstore.com/north-american-rescue-bleeding-control-kits-basic.html?select2=1&msclkid=9bf4d98cfced167c31c2bac89b558bce&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=(ROI)%20Rescue%20Products%20-%20Shopping%20-%20New&utm_term=4580221854743677&utm_content=Bleed%20Control%20%26%20Wound%20Closure
It might be wise to have one at the ready. Even if for a neighbor. The Paramedics no longer show up in a timely fashion.
Added to our hurricane kit! Thank you!
Glad to hear things are slowly but surely getting back to normal. God bless.
Thank you Sundance, for your honest and clear reporting. And most especially for the list of items for our hurricane kits. We thought we were prepared but have quickly learned that many items we thought were important are not given your circumstances. We are making changes. We continue to pray for your safety and to the team holding down the fort. These evils will not touch you.
After working on damaged homes over the past week, here are a few more Hurricane supplies that I will be keeping in my attic that are not usually on supply checklists:
You can get all of the above items (excluding tarp & gas cans for under $50). I guarantee you most of these items will not be in stock once you are hit by a storm. With experience comes wisdom! 😉
Thank you! This group has saved many in the future
I love the term “cool cat” – brings back good memories from the olden days.
22 The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases;
his mercies never come to an end;
23 they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
24 “The LORD is my portion,” says my soul,
“therefore I will hope in him.”
Lamentations 3:22-24
We The People at the Treehouse are thankful for the site Admins. and are glad that Sundance is making great progress. We welcome you back soon.
I don’t know anything about Habitat for Humanity, except the fact that Jimmy Carter volunteered with it. Hopefully they’re a trustworthy organization.
They’re working on rebuilding homes in Florida. See https://www.habitat.org/page/Hurricane-Ian and https://www.habitatflorida.org/donate .
I have donated MUCH to Habitat for Humanity. They are an awesome organization! H4H will take all goods that are not launderable (so no clothing, towels, sheets, bedding… etc. Find a great local wildlife rehabilitator for those!)
Here in Central IN, H4H will come out and pick up your building materials, tools, furnishings, etc and they will provide you receipt for your taxes, if one is needed.
Thanks. I’ll check them out. I’ll start with donating some stuff that’s left over from when the bathtub was replaced.
Good to hear from you Sundance! You have cultivated an amazing community of patriotic, God fearing people, and I’m grateful to be a part of.
Happy for your continuing ‘recovery’ from events we have never experienced. In your article today you state: “Thankfulness is accompanied by a sense of guilt in knowing there are so many still without basic utility services.” Perhaps you might have worded your thought a bit differently, Sundance. For many years, in your amazing writings, you have urged (or implied) on other subjects, that we should not feel guilt. I think that I understand your ’empathy’ for others less fortunate, as your emergence occurs… but, as you had no involvement/control over the hurricane, why should you (or anyone else) feel ‘guilt’?
I think it is just a normal human trait in good hearted people.
It’s called survivor’s guilt – you see it in times of devastation and war. Why did I survive and the next person did not.
Soldiers returning home have experienced the guilt of living when a buddy has died next to them. It’s the grief over the ones who don’t have what you have and you would gladly give what they need. But you can’t.