Ivan bloggers: “The Bull” is photo-blogging from his neighborhood.

Safe - and thanks to the hurricane bloggers: (Picture: Gulf Shores via al.com’s Storm Central blog.) Have been talking with Mobile family (phones working fine was the first good sign) since early this morning. On both sides of the bay, my family members are safe and have escaped direct damage. Lots of trees down is all they can see as light appears. (Weatherbug Blog has some early pictures of what I’m talking about.) It will take some digging out. The news from a few miles east of them is just now coming out…and it sounds like there will be lots of work in the construction industry along a strip of the most beautiful beaches in America affectionately known as the Redneck Riviera. The al.com blog, Storm Central, is doing an awesome job of keeping folks informed of road closings as Ivan makes its way north in my direction. (As I recall, among the seven readers of this weblog, one has a professionial relationship with weatherbug and another with al.com, so please pass along my personal kudos and thanks…)

Update: As feared, the news coming from east of the Mobile area (Gulf Shores, Orange Beach) is not good related to property damage.

bumper music: Over the Rainbow (Judy Garland)