Sandy Toes 8339

06/05/2023

Well, we've been silent for six months but not idle. Lots and lots of research to do (insurance, taxes, real estate and so forth) and loads of decisions to make. Just taking one step at a time and asking for a lot of help from God. It's been a long road but our path forward has become clear.

Our property has been listed for sale since November 15. We received many low-ball offers from flippers that we did not accept.

Our neighbors to the south sold quickly and moved to Chicago. Their home and pool were bulldozed to the curb before New Years. Our neighbor to the north recovered quickly, being a newer elevated home.

Last Friday, June 2, 2023 at 4:30 pm, we sold our hurricane-ravaged property for a fair price. It's been purchased by a contractor who plans to renovate it.

We are so very grateful to be relieved of this burden. We know that so many have been holding us in thoughts and prayers and we appreciate that. Our prayers have been answered!

01/11/2023

Rest in peace 🙏

11/25/2022

The people from World Central Kitchen were there with us ON DAY 1 and stayed for a month. The daily hot meals were amazing, served to us in our car in a recyclable box. We are so grateful.

We learned much about the intensive support that WCK has been providing in Ukraine. 🇺🇦

Founded in 2010 by chef José Andrés, the organization prepared food in Haiti following its devastating earthquake. Andrés was named the 2018 Humanitarian of the Year by the James Beard Foundation.

If you're looking for a good way to support Ukranians this Christmas and this winter, please consider World Central Kitchen.

11/24/2022

On this Thanksgiving Day 2022, Chris and I feel much gratitude to the hundreds of people who have been helping us since Hurricane Ian on September 28. ❤

Friends who have become family while giving us shelter in Fort Myers for the better part of six weeks. ❤ Bruce and Linda laughed and cried with us as we rode the emotional roller coaster and gave us invaluable advice. We were blessed to be sheltering with a retired money manager and a retired real estate professional.

Wisconsin neighbors and family who have taken care of our home, our Amazon returns, our mail, our gardens and plants and more ❤

Friends who gave us respite Tuesday through Thursday each week in their Clearwater condo so we could rest and recharge before returning to Fort Myers to work at the beach ❤

Florida neighbors and friends who are sharing this great adventure with us - thanks for sharing your tools, your time and your ideas about recovery. You have inspired our thinking! Especially Mitch and Diana ❤

Dozens and dozens of friends who have reached out by phone, text and mail over and over again to support us and let us know that we are not alone ❤

The American Red Cross who fed us a hot meal WITH HUGS every noon at the beach for the past month. Three things about that: 1) we are humbled because we never thought that we would or could be the people who needed help from The American Red Cross, 2) it's an all-volunteer workforce and 3) The American Red Cross is really, really good at making chicken in lots of different ways in its mobile kitchens. Chicken and dumplings was the fave!!

If you're looking to support a good cause, we recommend The American Red Cross

11/05/2022

BREAKING NEWS

We plan to win $1.6 billion tonight with one of our ten tickets. This will more than cover the cost of our new beach house 😂😂😂

We never ever buy lottery tickets but, somehow, this seemed like a good idea!

11/05/2022

One of the more interesting aspects of this adventure has been the swimming pool.

Since arriving in Florida we were surprised to learn that our pool's value was double what we thought because it's more expensive to build an inground pool so close to the ocean.

We needed to empty the pool of toxic storm water and mud but it wasn't long before we learned from neighbors that empty pools can pop out of the ground!

We were able to remove two vents on the bottom of the empty pool. This allows air and water from underground to flow up through the vents rather than creating pressure that pops out the pool .

Now the tides flow in and out of our pool. At low tide the pool is totally empty but at high tide it has a up to a foot of water in the deep end!

This weekend we're adding fencing around our pool so no one falls in. LOL

11/03/2022

Chris said goodbye three days ago to his vintage Harley Davidson Softail motorcycle. It was well loved and well cared for over the past 23 years. We're waiting to learn how insurance will handle this.

The bike was submerged in salt water for 8-12 hours. Every chrome part is covered with rust. The leather saddle bags are moldy. The gas tank is severely dented. 🥲

10/29/2022

On Friday, October 21 our car was extracted from our swimming pool by a giant crane and lifted right over our home. They pushed it to the curb where it awaits pick up by Copart, the Auto Auction specialists.

Copart asked me if the vehicle was towable...I was speechless. How would I know but I don't think so. It was submerged in toxic water for three weeks, it stinks to high heaven, the front fender is off and the muffler is off. They'll have to be the judge of that.

State Farm has totaled the vehicle but we don't have their settlement offer yet. They required us to put the key into the vehicle. It wasn't easy getting the door open but I don't think anyone will steal it. 🤣

Follow our page Toes 8339 for more news about Hurricane Ian and Sandy Toes Guesthouse. Lots of interesting stories!

10/28/2022

Our pool

Follow our page Toes 8339 for more news about Hurricane Ian and Sandy Toes Guesthouse. Lots of interesting stories!

10/28/2022

Our dining room

Follow our page Toes 8339 for more news about Hurricane Ian and Sandy Toes Guesthouse. Lots of interesting stories!

10/27/2022

Our living room: before and after

Honestly, I never knew how a house was built. It freaked me out at first to look right through the living room and into the guest bedrooms because the drywall is gone. I couldn't understand what I was seeing. But I'm adjusting quickly.

Follow our page Toes 8339 for more news about Hurricane Ian and Sandy Toes Guesthouse. Lots of interesting stories!

10/27/2022

We also received the first photographs of the interior of the Sandy Toes Guesthouse on October 3. It was shocking and not at all what we expected.

Basically, we expected our furnishings to be wet, soggy, moldy and ruined but instead OUR HOUSE IS virtually TOTALLY EMPTY.

All the furnishings are gone and even the INSIDE WALLS ARE GONE. Where did it all go? Over time, we would acquire some answers but mostly we think it's all in the sea.

Three king beds, two queen sofa beds, kitchen cabinets, dining table and chairs, patio set, lamps, end tables, 4 dressers, 6 nightstands and lots more. There's no evidence that they ever existed.

Multiply that by 15,000 residences affected in much the same way as ours. That's A LOT OF FURNITURE in the sea. Is an octopus sleeping in our bed at the bottom of the sea, I wonder?!!

Follow our page Toes 8339 for more news about Hurricane Ian and Sandy Toes Guesthouse. Lots of interesting stories!

10/26/2022

Monday, October 3 - five days after Hurricane Ian - was my birthday. I wasn't feeling very celebratory so we already had cancelled our plans.

That afternoon a Florida neighbor sent the first photos from the Sandy Toes Guesthouse. They just popped in via text without any warning during the afternoon while I was at work.

What a birthday gift...my cousin Noah said that's the worst birthday present he's ever seen. And there's no way to return it for a refund!

Humor can be healing at a time like this.



Follow our page Toes 8339 for more news about Hurricane Ian and Sandy Toes Guesthouse. Lots of interesting stories!

10/26/2022

On Friday October 21, our boat was extracted from our neighbor's swimming pool at a cost of $3,700.

We've submitted the receipt to insurance but we don't know if it's covered or not. We don't know if the boat will be totaled or repaired. Our boat is vintage - a 1988 Baja Sunsport - that Chris Lambach has owned for decades. We worry about whether insurance will value a vintage boat properly...only time will tell.

We have to make decisions every day for which we don't have enough information or experience. We're moving forward on faith alone 🙏

Follow our page Sandy Toes 8339 for more news about Hurricane Ian and Sandy Toes Guesthouse. Lots of interesting stories!

10/23/2022

The island is closed to residents as Search and Rescue efforts are performed but we prepare to drive to Fort Myers Beach, leaving Thursday, October 6. What do we need? Our trailer, a camping toilet, waders, muck boots (think snakes and alligators!), a generator, a trash pump and lots of tools and supplies.

We're lucky because we have a safe place to stay with friends in Fort Myers. Our next door neighbors who have become dear friends are hurricane refugees, having lost their permanent residence. They each drove a car to the Hertz Arena when they evacuated on Tuesday with the clothes on their backs. They tell us that they have lost everything. Including old baby pictures and family heirlooms.

My sister gives me a suitcase full of clothes for my friend, Diana. I am grateful and we make room in the car for that treasure. 💔

Follow our page Sandy Toes 8339 for more news about Hurricane Ian and Sandy Toes Guesthouse. Lots of interesting stories!

10/21/2022

YEAH! On Sunday, October 1 we found, on social media, a picture of our boat in someone's swimming pool. It's a vintage Baja that Chris Lambach has renovated over the past two years. A new problem but it makes us feel hopeful ❤

Follow our page Sandy Toes 8339 for more news about Hurricane Ian and Sandy Toes Guesthouse. Lots of interesting stories!

10/21/2022

Friday evening, September 30, we deduced for the first time that THE ENTIRE ISLAND, which also is THE ENTIRE TOWN, had been submerged under 12-18 feet of water for 8-12 hours on Wednesday.

The scale of the disaster was just becoming understood by us and in the coming days we would learn that the town has virtually no remaining infrastructure: water, electricity, internet or sewer. We are so sad about this.

Later that evening, we received high-res satellite images from the National Hurricane Center that showed us that our house is standing and has a roof. But does it really matter if the town no longer exists?

Follow our page Sandy Toes 8339 for more news about Hurricane Ian and Sandy Toes Guesthouse. Lots of interesting stories!

10/20/2022

On Friday, September 30, two days after Hurricane Ian, we saw the first picture of our boat lift, clipped from a video made by a neighbor. We noticed three things from this picture: 1) our boat is missing, 2) our shed is missing and 3) our pool cage seems to be standing. HOORAY!

photo credit Stephen Clark Singer/Songwriter

Follow our page Sandy Toes 8339 for more news about Hurricane Ian and Sandy Toes Guesthouse. Lots of interesting stories!

10/19/2022

This 2-1/2 minute time-elapsed video has captured Hurricane Ian. It's well worth watching. You can skip the ads.

PS Much later, we learned that there were two young adults and two dogs in the house while this video was being made. They became separated but, through the grace of God, all survived.

Follow our page Sandy Toes 8339 for more news about Hurricane Ian and Sandy Toes Guesthouse. Lots of interesting stories!

Our surge probe captured the heartbreaking evolution of a massive storm surge in Ft. Myers Beach, FL. NOT FOR BROADCAST OR RE-POSTContact brett@livestormsmed...

10/19/2022

Please know that our story is no different than thousands of others and the data has told us that 5,000 homes are significantly worse than ours which was made of concrete block.

For the most part, those 5000 homes were built in 1940s and 1950s of wood. They are the "quaint beach cottages" that now are gone completely having been splintered into toothpicks and washed out to sea by the power of the wind and the water.

10/12/2022

On Thursday, October 1 at 10:30 am I learned that our home had been submerged, meaning covered by Gulf waters. I knew the meaning of that word, SUBMERGED, but it was not active in my working vocabulary.

I didn't know what to do so I googled it, of course, and learned that THERE ARE HANDBOOKS for recovering a house from submersion. This normalized our experience and gave us some hope, as we began to understand that many people globally recover from submersion each year.

The handbooks confirmed that we were right to be concerned about palm rats and snakes but revealed two problems: 1)flood waters are toxic and 2)MOLD requires only 24 hours to take hold in an enclosed space and we were approaching that marker already. There was no way we could get there from Wisconsin in time. Something new to worry, pray and think about. 💔

When returning to a home that’s been flooded after a natural disaster be aware that your house may be contaminated with mold or sewage, which can cause health risks for your family. Follow these safety tips for Reentering Your Flooded Home provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention...

10/12/2022

One of my biggest fears has not come true at our home: swarming alligators and snakes. Also, palm rats. But I keep on knee high boots all day, no matter how hot it is! I'm not taking any chances.

"There are a lot [of] places that are not livable," Sanibel Fire Chief William Briscoe told CNN. "There are alligators running around."

10/12/2022

If you're new to the page, we recommend that you FOLLOW this page. Then, start at the bottom and follow our journey upwards. We're telling our story here in chronological order, mostly because we have found disaster management to be interesting.

There's an overwhelming number of videos and photographs available but we're curating only the most interesting content here to tell the story of Hurricane Ian in Fort Myers Beach.

10/04/2022

Sunset over Fort Myers tonight. 🤍🤍🤍

Still beautiful. Even as we recover, we are given little reminders that we still live in paradise, like this beautiful sunset. We will get through this SW Florida! ❤️ Hang in there 🙏

10/01/2022