The tragic realities of this hurricane are just now coming out: all the people who couldn't evacuate stuck in their homes in flooded areas, the deaths, the amazing destruction of property. I wonder about all the animals who might still be stuck in houses, unable to climb to the roof to be rescued, too. It's just horrendous to think about.

I made my donation to the Red Cross today (online) and urge others to do the same if you can. Just give what you can afford - every little bit will help those in need get their lives back. Living in NC, where Hurricanes Fran and Floyd delivered a one-two punch in the '90s, I can only imagine what the Katrina victims are experiencing. We lost power for three days from Fran, had a few trees down, and our back fence torn up, and I thought that was bad. The folks in Mississipi and Louisiana may not have power for weeks or months and many have lost everything they had.

So very tragic...

Emily