Okeechobee Sees The Eye of Frances

Yesterday Charlie and I drove south to Okeechobee where we have our boat ‘The Milagro’ docked. My brother, Dockie and wife Annie P. also have their boat, The Eagles Nest, along with Walker and Pat’s, Sea Ya .. Knowing that Frances had an eye for Okeechobee we didn’t know what to expect. Our friends, Sam and Sally, live about 15 miles away on the Kissimmee River and we knew they had tree and roof damage and was still without electricity. In fact, they were living on their 42 ft. houseboat, the Gemini, which was docked at their home Pier 33 behind their house.
It has been a week without electricity therefore staying on their boat, which has a generator built in gives them first-class facilities.
Both Sam and Sally were well, at peace and still had a mind set for helping others as is their normal life.
Arriving at Taylor Creek we saw glass fragments all over the front of The Milagro….one windshield had disintegrated…another had flown intact from the harbor to the dirt parking area. Both 16 foot poles used for tying off the front of our boat were broken off about 3 ft. at the bottom….
Dockie’s boat was fine…they had cleaned up the day before….Walker’s was completely untouched and swinging merrily along at its dock next door.
We did lose the top roof of our Tiki Hut along with other covered boat shelters in the harbor.
Repositioning our boat, we tied it again in preparation for a possible visit from Ivan and then being tired, dirty and hungry….we started home.
Many of the fast food places in Okeechobee was still closed…no electricity…but we did get something to eat and stopped by Sam and Sally’s on our way back to Clearwater….
Driving two different ways there and back we saw the devastation of Zolfo Springs and Arcadia. Much work has been accomplished in a week but everywhere we stopped we saw…..tired people.
Speaking to a 77 year old man who was waiting patiently in line for ’fried chicken’ for his wife and neighbors, he spoke a simple philosophy of the day….”I’ve learned to appreciate every day that I’m given….NOW!”
So saith….Floridians in September 2004.