Helene Thursday

Here we are, WMBB Channel 13 on in the next room notifying us where the tornadoes are, and there are a lot of them, but so far none this far west of the projected storm track.

To my overwhelming relief, at 4:49 this morning, Tass texted me from Tallahassee saying "we are packing up and heading your way." We are eight here now, six humans and two cats. The cats were terrified when they arrived, but are in my study/office/den where they can feel safe. They might enjoy 7H porch, but cats aren't always careful about heights.  

It's raining continuously, though not hard, driving rain, and no wind. Hurricane Helene has sights set for landfall this evening, east of Apalachicola, toward Carrabelle or Panacea. There's mandatory evacuation over that way, one hopes people use good judgment. It's not safe to stay for a projected high surge if you are in low country, or to stay at all if very high winds are expected, depending on your structure and location. 

Just notified of Tornado Watch, hope nothing comes of it. Sometimes we do see waterspouts forming in the Gulf beyond Shell Island. Once, a year or two ago, one of them did come on in and passed across the marina on the other side of Harbour Village, did some damage to structures in St Andrews, and on toward Lynn Haven as I recall. 

We are safe. The air conditioning quit working, I phoned A Superior and they are sending a service technician. He told me on the phone that if the problem turns out to be with the compressor, which is on the roof, it'll have to wait, because they're not doing rooftop work during the tropical storm conditions. Maybe it'll be just something with the inside unit. He's driving over from Freeport to make the service call, and if he comes and gets it back up and running I have a decent gratuity for him even though I'm sure he'd rather be home with his family.

But these days a home with no window screens and where you can't open up and turn on the attic fan is not like the old days. 

Lunch, my lunch - - everyone sort of fixed their own lunch - - my lunch was a third mug of hot & black with a sandwich of lox and cream cheese on toasted very thin whole wheat bread. I did smear on too much cream cheese, but it was good.

We are safe, watching Hurricane Helene creep slowly northward toward the Florida Big Bend for a reckoning this evening. There's been lots and lots of notice and warnings to get out of the way, so a good chance there'll be no human casualties, even if, as the forecast has it, the destruction is catastrophic. 

Peace and blessings,

RSF&PTL

T89&c