Irma Monday Very Happy Papa

Odd effects of Irma: calm, dry and cool on 7H porch looking south across a low tide StAndrewsBay, while a howling wind out the Beck door looking north. Both doors cannot be open at the same time because a gale sweeps through the condo knocking things around. 

We did drive home from Apalachicola in zero traffic, and Malinda, Kristen, Ray and Lillie came over to clear 7H porch for us, Ray moving heavy things, we are most grateful.

As we arrived in Port St Joe driving home to Panama City from Apalachicola after church yesterday, we noticed the tide was way out, way down in StJosephBay, apparently an effect of Hurricane Irma drawing seawater into its dome and surge, low tide that supposedly will come rushing back at some point perhaps seeming like the affect of water sucked out to sea after an undersea earthquake before rushing back in as a tsunami. I’d never heard of this effect in regard to hurricanes, but now am getting to witness it firsthand. The wisdom is to be wise, not foolishly out walking in the dry bay bottom and get caught as the sea suddenly rushes back in. 

Right after the second service at Trinity, Apalachicola, we left thinking to get an early start that might take hours, but there was so little traffic on US98 between Apalachicola and PC that our drive turned out quicker than usual and we stopped for lunch at Alice’s on Bayview. 

Only a doting parent could feel it worth the hurricane to have Kristen and Pacey her Maine Coon Cat come to stay with us for the “duration.” 

A very happy Papa who for once makes exception to his standing rule never to use the grossly overused four-letter word that is the province of the linguistically short of change as in Very sad, Very, very bad.

Category 1 Hurricane Irma with Bay County on its relatively unaffected left side at the moment, now raining and promise of "lashing rain" to come.

Happy Papa

PS. 9:30 AM and storm force wind continues so to buffet our front, Beck Avenue door that it's almost impossible to push back closed, and would be impossible if the Bay side doors were open. Bay water so withdrawn and blown by wind from north and west that part of the length of Courtney Point is exposed what appears to be maybe a quarter mile out. This is still a strong storm.

New top pic from 7H. Courtney Point, StAndrewsBay showing withdrawal of seawater due to effect of Hurricane Irma. Courtney Point is 1.2 miles across the Bay from 7H on BuenaVista Point.

DThos+