Hurricane Ike hits Ohio

Wow... geocachers all over central Ohio are scrambling to see if their caches are intact... okay, that might not be their first priority. I talked to Dad this morning. He lives about 30 miles east of Columbus. He has power, phone, etc., no problems there, and no major damage to the house - a couple slats of siding came loose, but otherwise pretty good. His gazebo was decimated, though... look at the picture below, and keep in mind that thing was bolted to the deck and was covering the table once upon a time.

So, we're grateful that he was spared major damage and praying for those in areas hit much harder, particularly those down south. Also hoping the one unaccounted-for cat comes strolling home soon. This particular kitty has a habit of disappearing for days at a time, so we're not panicking yet. I guess one out of eleven isn't bad, but still...