September 18, 2005 5:51 PM Sunday, Jacksonville, Florida

 

Canada Trip Photos

Here are the photos I took while we were driving from state to state. Some of them aren’t as clear because I was actually inside the car when I took these pictures. Besides, I must admit I am still learning to use this SLR digital camera.

Notice the houses in the countryside? You see not only in the Philippines where you would see houses in the mountains that are way behind the civilization.

We were also able to visit Tamarack, the best of West Virginia. It's basically like a stall with restaurant and other stuff to buy from paintings to just about anything. I remember my artist friend, Geri from Chicago when I saw paintings from $8,000-$10,000 a piece.

Photos approaching the US and Canada border.   We drove through the Immigration booth window, handed both our US passport and Driver’s license to the Immigration Officer. He looked at them and asked us few questions like: What are you here for? How long do you plan to stay? Do you have any weapons in your possessions right now? After DH answered the questions, the officer said, “Welcome to Canada.  Enjoy and have fun!”

We checked in at Hilton Hotel around 2 o’clock in the afternoon of September 8, 2005. As soon as we came inside our suite, I immediately peered through the window overlooking the spectacular, clear view of Niagara Falls, the rainbow bridge, and the gorge. I just stood there admiring the garish falls that lured me into the beauty of nature. The enormous waterfalls from both sides—American Falls and Canadian Horseshoe Falls are by far the most spectacular attraction I have even seen in my life! See photos here taken directly from the window of our hotel room.

Later in the late afternoon, we came down to the falls site, wander around and took lots of photos around the area.

We had dinner at the German Restaurant which wasn't bad for the price. Then, we went to the Casino place which basically it looks like a little smaller version of Las Vegas Casino. DH taught me a little about how things work and such but it didn’t make an impact on me as I abhor gambling. Period!

It wasn’t too late when we headed back to the hotel so DH enjoyed the hotel’s sauna for about 30 minutes, came up to our suite, hopped into the Jacuzzi with me and that’s how we celebrate our wedding anniversary ;-) Life is sweet ;-)

Next morning, Sept 9, 2005 was my birthday! We had breakfast at the Watermark Restaurant. Oh my, I was enthused by the spectacular ambiance (water theme design and decorum complete with two aquariums) and breathtaking falls view overlooking from where we were--the rooftop of a 34 story hotel building. The restaurant has wave entrance and soothing sounds. What a beautiful morning to start our day!

After breakfast, we had to go downhill to Queen Victoria Park to catch the people mover bus to go to the different tourist attractions.

Our 1st stop was at the Butterfly Conservatory where we got to see the exotic butterflies of the world in a tropical rainforest setting. There are over 50 different species of butterflies moving through a lush, climate controlled environment. Butterflies are beautiful creatures of God!

Our 2nd stop was at the Whirlpool Aero Car. The ride offered the fantastic view of the lower Niagara River, Rapids and the Gorge, while traversing over the Whirlpool in a suspended cable car. That was fun!

Our 3rd stop was at the White Water Walk. We took an elevator to the bottom of the Gorge. Then we enjoyed the walk along the white boardwalk bridge adjacent to the mighty rapids of the Niagara River. What an invigorating place!

Our 4th stop was at the Maid of the Mist boat ride. Everyone was given a blue disposable raincoat. I had to put the new camera inside the bag for the wettest part of the ride. It wasn’t long before we were out on the water getting drenched by spray. We forged right up into the centre of the Canadian Falls Horseshoe. The Maid of the Mist boat ride was an incredible lifetime experience for me! Pictures just can't do justice to the experience of riding into the thundering heart of the falls. The raincoat did its job because I came off relatively dry from head to foot, with grins all over my face ;-)

Our 5th and last stop was at the  "Journey Behind the Falls".   Again, we were given yellow disposable raincoat to put on. Then we walked through the tunnels leading behind the waterfall and to the observation platform right at the base of the falls where you can strappingly feel the intensity of the water falls and the mist. It gets a little chilly around there.

So as you can imagine, our day was packed with all sight seeing activities and it finally worn us out! We headed back to the hotel and took an hour nap before we had dinner at the Blue Martini Lounge at 7PM.

Around 9 o’clock at night, we went down to Queen Victoria Park to witness the Falls Illuminations and Fireworks.  What a timing for my birthday huh?  We didn't actually anticipate this event as we know the Falls Illuminations and Fireworks ended a week ago but hey, maybe they know I was there celebrating my birthday :-)    Before heading back to the hotel, DH treated me for some midnight desserts at Denny's Restaurant.   I had banana split while DH had Apple Crisp. Ooh! I tell you, I had a blast on my birthday!

Saturday morning, we again had breakfast at the Watermark Restaurant. Then we checked out the hotel at 10AM and drove around the area. These are the photos of the houses I took while Dh was driving around the vicinity of the falls in Ontario Canada.

We spent few minutes watching the Jet Boat ride before going in to the Botanical Gardens and School of Horticulture where amazingly you can see any type of cooking herbs, flowers and plants. I love flowers and herbs!

Well, I think we had seen everything we wanted to see in Niagara Falls.

On the way out, we drove through the Immigration booth window again, handed both our US passport and Driver’s license to the US Immigration Officer. He looked at them and asked us few questions: Are you both US citizens? I see you are from Florida. Where do you work and what do you there? Anything you bought from Canada that you are bringing in to the States? That was it. I can tell that going in and out of US and Canada is no hassle if you are a US passport holder.

Our drive back home was pretty much exciting as we drove through different route. We stayed overnight at Best Western Hotel in Summersville, West Virginia. Then the next day, we continue to drive down through I-81 to I-75 to Chattanooga, Tennessee to avoid hurricane Ophelia which was forecasted to make a landfall somewhere between South and North Carolina. So to break up the monotony of the trip a little, we decided to make a quick detour off the interstate as we planed to make a side trip to Ruby Falls in Chattanooga, Tennessee the very next morning. We ended up staying at the newly built Econo Lodge in Chattanooga, Tennessee, Exit 175 off I-24. It’s a pretty decent room with a small fridge, microwave, coffee maker and continental breakfast for the minimum price of $69 plus tax.

Next morning, we drove to Ruby Falls in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

After getting a ticket, we took an elevator down into the mountain and then a tour guide showed us together with 20 more visitors through some decent tight caverns and such leading up to the waterfall. The rock formations were so-so.

As it turns out, Ruby Falls is not as marvelous as Niagara Falls but it’s is a quite nice cavern trip deep into Lookout Mountain to say the least.   After the tour was over there's a nice observation area overlooking Chattanooga. It was a pretty nice place to find the serenity of life.  Photos of the Ruby Falls, on Lookout Mountain Chattanooga, Tennessee

On the other hand, while we were on vacation, my mother-in-law had to fight toe in toe with the Ford Motor Service people to get my car fixed. As soon as the car was ready to be picked up, she went to pay for the repair cost of $288 and drove it back home for me. So when we got back from vacation, I have my car back ready to be used again. Bless her heart!

Tell you a little story about it. Three days before I took off work, my car broke down in the middle of the highway. Well, it was still drivable but with two warning lights illuminated (engine check and coolant warning lights); I was very leery to continue driving to work. I am glad it happened right next to the shopping center so I was able to park the car in the parking lot. I then asked around where to catch the bus to downtown.

As soon as I hopped on the bus, I greeted the driver with the sweet ‘good morning’ then went straight ahead to the vacant seat. The driver looked at me and back in my mind I was liked “What? Ito na naman. Type siguro ako ng matandang ito!” Then he asked, “Miss, are you paying or not?” I responded, “of course I am”. I dug out my wallet in my purse and handed him a $5 dollar bill. He said, “No, you only have to pay an exact change of 75 cents”. I dug out in my purse again and told him sorry I don’t have any change. The lady sited beside me dug out her purse and said, “Well, I only have 50 cents” then another lady responded, “here’s another 25 cents for you”. I thanked them for their generosity of course and apologetically told them it was my first time to catch the bus so I have no clue on how pay for it.

After I got to work, I called my DH and mother-in-law to let them know about the embarrassing incident I just experienced.

My mother-in-law decided to call a tow truck and drove me after work to Ford Service Shop since DH is working late that day. Meantime, she lets me drive her car for 3 days! All I know is I am blessed! What am I going to do without my mother-in-law? I tell you, I owe her big time! I don’t know how to thank her enough for everything she does for me.

That concluded our 6th wedding anniversary and birthday gateway.

.

September 13, 2005 1:07 PM Tuesday, Jacksonville, Florida

 
 

Canada Trip Review

We just returned from a ten day pleasure trip late last night!  Oh boy, time sure goes by quick when we are having so much fun on vacation doesn't it? As much as we would like to extend our trip and just be with each other 24/7 and have a good time like rich people do however we got no other choice but to go back home and relive our usual life—work home work. We surely couldn’t afford to stay any more than two nights and three days in a 5 star hotel, more so in the heart of Niagara Falls, Ontario Canada. We just blew roughly half of our month paychecks for this trip and for a lower middle class couple like us, staying in a 5 start hotel on a leisure trip is already considered luxury.

Imagine paying $4.25 for one bottle of water as opposed to a regular price of $1.50 in the States?!? Outrageous isn’t it? Yes! Hilton Hotel right in the heart of Niagara Falls Ontario, Canada charged us that much for the bottle of water we consumed in our suite. The wireless internet which is supposed to be free hotspots in most hotels anyway, Hilton charged $10 per day. Parking fee is $20! Jezz Luis!!!!

On the interesting thought DH noted in our recent stay at Hilton Hotel. We were dinning at The Watermark Restaurant (the Hilton hotel's restaurant at the rooftop of the building) one night and sitting at the table next to us were 6 corporate looking individuals wearing business suits. There were many very formal couples in the other side of the restaurant and quite a few casual couples as well. DH and I were the most informal couple in the room because we wore plain T-shirts and shorts. DH observed that 99% of the rich patrons and guests of the hotel don’t seem to have a common courtesy at all. He hardly heard them say “please” and “thank you Sir/Ma’am” to attendants, servers and servants of the hotel. I was quick to point out to him that of course rich people expect us—the poor and the servants to bow our heads to serve them because they think themselves as highly individuals and that they expect us to thank them instead because they pay us good for whatever service we do for them. He says, “they can kiss my butt!” LOL    I said, look how much additional tip these rich people leave on the table for the waiter. A whopping $100 bucks!!! Whereas we can only afford to give $10 bucks---our dinner bill that night was $100 including taxes and gratuities.  What's up with this Canada taxes anyway?  In every bill we get, there are always three  types of taxes:  GST tax is 7%,  PST tax is 8% and DPF is 3%?!?!?!

Get this, 100 bucks for dinner

DH order:  
   1 Roasted Prime Rib of Beef with few pieces of veggies, baked potato)
   1 Ice Tea

My order:
    1 Classic Caesar Salad - lettuce drizzled with black pepper, cheese, dressing and nothing else
    1 Appetizer Platter - fried calamari with 2 pieces of good size broiled shrimp,
                                     two thin slices of smoked salmon
    1 Water

After we got our bill, I thought of going on a hunger strike for the rest of our trip! LOL

Also DH doesn’t seem to think rich people get better or more stuff than we poor people get. They just pay more or get charged more for being rich so he says. For instance, a $39.95 main dish at Hilton which happens to be the less expensive dinner main course in their menu, we can literally get the same type of dish at Tony Roma’s in the States for $18.00. The ‘eat all you can breakfast buffet’ at The Watermark/Blue Martini Lounge at Hilton charges $39.00 per couple whereas you can in fact get the same type of breakfast buffet  with a lot more varieties at Golden Corral for $5.99 per head. I mean except for the spectacular ambiance and breathtaking falls view overlooking from the rooftop of a 34 story hotel building, there’s really nothing much so special about this rich people’s rendezvous.

Although, in contrast, we tried dining in a not fancy German Restaurant in the neighboring places, it was like three blocks away from the Hilton Hotel. I am telling you their prices aren’t that much any cheaper either. A small glass of unsweetened tea is $3.95 plus a buck per refill. The less expensive main dish in their menu is $20.00. Hey, even Denny’s Restaurant which is just a block away from Hilton Hotel, charges more than double their regular price in the States. Of course we all know the fact that everything is overpriced when you stay in the center of the tourist spot.

Now take into consideration that the current exchange rate around the vicinity is only 15% which means the money market chain/stall will gladly exchange your 1.00 US dollar to a 1.15 Canadian dollar. Now, here’s the tip. If you have the means to charge your bills to your credit card, I would think you get better exchange rate that way than having to get your US dollar exchanged to Canadian dollar to pay cash for every little thing you buy/eat in the gift shop/restaurant.

Oh well, like I was telling DH, I am so grateful for him for the treat on our wedding anniversary and my birthday for letting me relish the place where typically well-to-do people stay and dine during their leisure time. The 2 Night Explorer Package for 2 - King bed Jacuzzi Suite Premium Falls view at Hilton costs us $712.00.  You know if I had the chance to decide on which hotel to choose, I’d rather stay in a discounted economical hotel but DH thinks we deserve a much better place to stay especially after we both work hard to be able to afford the luxury of having to sleep in a tip top clean, refreshing and comfortable bed and seeing how the other half lives.

On driving

DH loves to drive rather than hop on the plane whenever we go on trip anywhere in the United States. I actually like his idea because that way I get to sight see and admire the vastness of the US land and breathtaking scenic view along the highway. We drove through hills and mountains going through different towns that are way behind the civilization--“country” as they call it in colloquial term and also drove through cities as modern as any around. The vastness of this country impresses me even more than seeing it for the first time when DH first drove us north couple of years back.

We drove from Jacksonville, Florida to Ontario, Canada which took us about 3 days to get to Ontario. We usually start driving between 9-10 AM and begin to look for hotel to stay overnight before 7-8:00PM. The route we took was I-95 thru Georgia — South Carolina — I-26/I-77 thru North Carolina — Virginia — West Virginia — Ohio — I-90 thru Pennsylvania to Buffalo, New York — then I-190 thru Ontario QEM to Highway 420 to Niagara Falls Ontario, Canada. That’s a total of 1,138 miles one way.

Then on the way back, we took a different route this time. From Ontario, Canada Highway 420 we drove thru I-190 to Buffalo, New York — I-90 down to I-79 to Pittsburg, Pennsylvania — West Virginia — I-77 to Virginia — I-81 to I-75 to Chattanooga, Tennessee — thru Atlanta, Georgia—I-75 to I-10 to Jacksonville, Florida. That’s a total of 1,366 miles on the way back.

With all these driving DH did (2,504 miles back and forth), he still managed to sing (out of tune nga lang hehehe), smile and make “chanching” with me from time to time ;-) He only got grumpy once when we were driving with an empty stomach thru mountains and hills and it was past 9PM already but we couldn't find an exit with hotels and fast food restaurant.  Poor Baby! 

Gas prices vary from State to State ranging from $2.79 to $3.45 per gallon.  We pumped 135.87 gallons total which cost us $395.85.  That means we pay $2.91 per gallon.

The best thing about traveling around the US is every ooh probably about 60-80 miles away, there is always a REST AREA for travelers to stretch, use the bathroom, freshen and get something to drink or munch from the vending machine. You also find gas stations, restaurants and discounted economical hotel in every exit area ranges from $39 to $89 plus tax per night.

Speaking of which, knowing me as “cheap”, I talked DH into staying in the cheapest hotel during our first stop in South Carolina. Based on the hotel discount booklet we picked-up from every State Visitor’s Center, the Executive Inn at Rock Hill, South Carolina has a standard room for two persons for $39.00 per night with free continental breakfast! That sounds fancy and a good deal, Darling!, I blurted out.  Well, the room turned out to be like a dump! There were few small bugs crawling all over the bathroom and even in bed. The bugs didn’t bite or anything…they're probably just dirt bugs. The bed sheet and white towels look like they hadn’t been bleached for years. The bed was very uncomfortable. Their coffee tasted like few weeks old! It’s gross!!   No wonder there were only 2 or 3 cars parked in their hotel parking lot. From that time on, DH wouldn’t allow me to get a cheap hotel again! Never again!!! So we settled to pay a little bit more between $69-$79 for quality service.  After all, you get what you paid for!

Nonetheless, the trip we concluded was worth every penny we spent because we really had a blast in Niagara Falls. We were so glad we chose to go to Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada rather than Niagara Falls, New York because in Ontario, we got to see the whole sight of both American Falls and Canadian Horseshoe Falls right in front of us which unfortunately you won’t get to see any of these falls from the New York site.

Over all, Niagara Falls is a magnificent and breathtaking spot for getaway and recreation. I highly recommend this place as one of the MUST SEE tourist spot in the world.

Man, with everything we ate on vacation, I gained back the 4 lbs I lost for the last 2 months of diet and exercise plus I gained a pound more. Now I am 121 lbs!!! Dammit!!!!

I'll talk more about Niagara Falls in Ontario, Canada and also Ruby Falls in Chattanooga, Tennessee as soon as I get the chance to work and organize the gazillions of photos we took during the trip.

By the way, before I forget.  Let me thank with all my heart, my thoughtful and sweet online friends who took time to greet me on my birthday and wish us the best on our wedding anniversary.

Mel, from Portland, Oregon, and Lanie from Michigan, thank you so much for your greetings and best wishes.

Roselle from New York City, thank you so much Dhay for this beautiful masterpiece of yours.  You are such a sweetie :-) 

Ate Gay aka Ligaya from Poland, thank you too for your birthday greetings.  Your kids are so sweet :-)

Special thanks to Mom Sheila and Pop Stu, our Godparent during our wedding who never ceased to pray and wish us the best on every wedding anniversary.  I personally love and admire this couple for staying in love and married for so long... how long has it been Mom Sheila? Is it 50 years yet?  We've got to set a date to meet up again!

Of course I thank my family and friends in the other part of the globe who never forget to greet me on my birthday: Cecil, Hydie, Helen Mae, Jay Jay, Edith Gatdula-Fuller and my old best friend, Angie Tan-Undar :-)  You see, the rest of my family and relatives in the Philippines only remember to email me when they need money. Reality hurts doesn't it?

September 2, 2005 7:54 PM Friday, Jacksonville, Florida

 

Men and their bike

I still can't get over the fact that I am married to a man with a big fetish to his bike.  It’s just that sometimes I couldn’t seem to rationalize how much DH’s time, effort and money are spent to primp his new mistress. Wish I am the mistress ;-) but neither would I want to trade in my spot in his life as a wife. I want to be the wife and the mistress altogether J   Anyway, who am I to carp his fixation to his bike?  The last time he showed me the post of another biker from a Harley motorcycle forum he frequents, I realized he is not alone in this craze world of men and their bike. 

 Here’s the post:

From:  KCKruzr     Aug-19 5:11 pm   

I'm sitting here at work waiting for the ol' whistle to blow so I can go home (ok, we don't have a whistle, but I can imagine one) and there are these two women near my desk talking about shoes. One is saying how she bought a new necklace and had to get earrings to match, a purse to match the earrings, and then new shoes to match the purse. And she was saying how she was trying to tell her boyfriend how it wouldn't look right if she didn't get the shoes to match. Her boyfriend was telling her everything looked fine without the shoes. And I was sitting here thinking to myself that I wouldn't even notice any of the new items, or if they matched or not. Isn't that typical of us guys? We don't care what matches what on us or on women, unless it’s like a polka-dot shirt with plaid pants or something like that. We just don't care. But then I realized we are exactly the same way when it comes to our motorcycles, and we have just as much trouble explaining that to women as they have explaining their purses and shoes to us. If we put on new bars we have to get new chrome controls to match. Then we need new braided cables to match those, and new grips, mirrors, pegs or floorboards, etc... So while we think they primp and prune too much on themselves, we primp and prune our bikes just as much. We look it over, think about what needs improved, we improve it, then step back and look it over again, finding something else that could use just a little more chrome. But we could care less about our own appearance. Well, except for those "metro-sexual" types. LOL

 OK, enough philosophizing for now... Hey, it’s almost time to go home!!!

                                                 Steve
                                                 2004 Road Glide

DH reasons out that I am just as bad as him when it comes to my spending on tech toys and other stuff  especially that I just charm him into getting me this new 8 Mega Pixels, Olympus E-300 Evolt  SLR Digital Camera and this Motorola630 cell phone.  You know stuff that we can live without in which we don't necessarily need but hey who doesn't want it? I like high-tech stuff :-)

 

Click  to Zoom

Ever hear the expression, "You can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar"? Ooh, I am telling you, that's where I am really good at.  That's my expertise! Even my boss and colleagues are sometimes surprised at how I get away with just about anything at work with a little charm and manipulation ;-)

But wait.... uh-uh, I smell big trouble with my mother-in-law once she’ll find out about these new toys I just got lately.  She's just like any typical mother you know. She thinks we spend money like a drunk sailor which is not true of course.  I know she is going to start harping on us again to quit buying toys and put that money away into savings instead.  Who else would dare to do this right in our face but Mom.  Save! Save!! Save!!! is the mystic word she always tells us.  Yeah I hear you, Mom.  I still adore and love you dearly ;-) {Hug}   But mother, this is going to be an anniversary and at the same time a birthday gift for me to use to our upcoming trip to Niagara Falls.  I know, I may sound greedy as I already have an Olympus C3040 and C4040 digital camera but you see, this is like upgrading your PC every three to four years right?  I just want  something better, at least an upgrade of what I already have so I can capture a better snap shoot of the Fallsview from a distant or from the hotel room.  I actually did some research and compared these two 8 Mega Pixels, SLR’s (Olympus E-300 Evolt VS Canon Digital Rebel XT), and according to the CNet reviews, the Canon Rebel XT outsmarts the Olympus E-300 Evolt with the few neat features but after so many sleepless nights I still can’t bring myself up to get the Canon Rebel XT so I finally picked the Olympus. Can't you tell I am an Olympus fanatic?  I know this is also going to be a perfect camera for taking picture of the scenery while we are on a motorcycle ride too. Well, since the box only comes with Zuiko 14-45mm f3.5-5.6 lens, I broke down to get another Telephoto zoom lens /55-200mm f4-5.6, an extra battery, 2GB Micro Drive CF storage memory card to go with it.  I promised DH that this is going to be the last big ticket item in my wish list this year and probably until next year and I promised you too Mom ;-) Scout on me!

  
 

Ooh, we already had a hotel reservation on hand as well.

King bed Jacuzzi Suite Premium Falls View

This beautifully appointed Falls view guestroom on the 28th floor features one king size bed, separate sitting area with pullout queen sofa, overlooking both the Canadian Horseshoe and American Falls. Oversized bath with glass enclosed shower and a two person Jacuzzi with French Doors opening onto the suite.

This package includes:
·  Two nights accommodations
·  Falls view buffet breakfast for 2 both mornings
·  Falls view dinner for 2 ($75 dinner voucher)
·  TWO PASSES FOR THE FOLLOWING ATTRACTIONS:
    ·  Maid of the Mist boat ride
    ·  Journey Behind the Falls
    ·  Butterfly Conservatory
    ·  White Water Boardwalk
·  Two passes for the Imax Theatre
·  Complimentary Falls/Attractions shuttle
·  All day passes for the People Mover Bus
     and Incline Railway
·  20% off coupon for Souvenir City Headquarters
    and Artistic Glassblowing Studio

 

Well, now we are all set and the last thing we need to do is pack and we are off to celebrate our 6th wedding anniversary in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada.   Check back for more photos later :-)

September 1, 2005 6:15 AM Thursday, Jacksonville, Florida

 

Donations Are Needed

Jacksonville Folks,

Do you want to donate or help the victims of Hurricane Katrina? At least if we donate through the link below we know it's legitimate.

Here is the letter from our very own City Mayor:

Dear Fellow City Employee:

Many of you have asked how you can help the victims of Hurricane Katrina. FEMA and the Red Cross have recommended cash donations as the best way to help. Cash allows volunteer agencies to issue vouchers to victims to meet their specific needs. Additionally, the cost and logistical challenge of transporting, sorting and distributing donated goods is prohibitive, particularly with so many roads destroyed or underwater.

We have arranged with the Northeast Florida Chapter of the American Red Cross for city employees to donate directly to the relief effort by credit card, phone or check with a special city code -- COJ. Employees' contributions to the local chapter will be tracked and compiled for a cumulative total, which we will share with you.

To donate, call (904) 358-8091, or visit www.nefloridaredcross.org to donate online. You can also mail checks to: Northeast Florida American Red Cross, 751 Riverside Ave., Jacksonville, FL, 32204. Include the code COJ to have your contribution added to our city's total. All assistance provided by the Red Cross is free and made possible by the generosity of the American people. Contributions will provide a range of services including cleanup, housing repair, crisis counseling, shelter and food.

If you are interested in volunteering, or supporting other disaster relief organizations, visit the Web site for National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (NVOAD) at: http://www.nvoad.org/.

Thank you for your generosity and compassion.

John Peyton
 

Or those who are not from Jacksonville, you can call to donate at 1-800 HELP NOW or better yet go to the Red Cross official website.

Our prayers and thoughts go to those who were devastated by this catastrophic blow of natural calamities. Read and see more photos here.