Sometimes we become all-consumed by what is going on around us. So consumed that we can't see (excuse me) the forest for the trees. Well, we sat back after the storm, decided what needed to be done and in what order, and made a plan so that we were able to see that forest.

Obviously, protecting our property - the shoreline - from further damage was a must. After talking with five contractors we were able to get two quotes and two very rough (!) estimates, neither of which we were willing to take a chance on. The choice was down to two contractors, we decided which one to go with and after a friend with "heavy equipment" cleaned up the debris on the beach (another fire, of course) the rocks (well, huge boulders) for our riprap job started coming in by the truckload, with each load carrying between 15 and 18 tons.

The riprap job was started on February 27, 2007 and we paid for a job well done on March 12. In nine days they laid down two tons of stone per foot on 165 feet of our shoreline and the 200 feet of our neighbor’s shoreline. That’s a lot of rocks.

It's done. It's over. For now.

Time heals memories and landscapes, and shorelines change. Millions of years ago this area was tropical and covered with water. No one but we three (you, Gus, and me) will remember that the Hickory is missing from this picture.