Mandatory

Portland, Texas

Thursday 10:00 a.m.

584 miles to Ike

The neighbors are out in force boarding up their windows.  We’ve put away all of the laundry and need to do a few dishes. 

San Patricio County has now issued a mandatory evacuation order for the eastern part of the county, including Portland.  Though the storm continues to track farther to the north, and we had begun to entertain thoughts of sheltering in place, we will now stick to the original plan of getting the heck out of the way.  

I’ve packed essential bathroom items and medicines into bags.  I’m using the (now empty) laundry baskets for batteries, radios, irreplaceable objects (like photo albums and my copy of Bright’s Anglo-Saxon Poetry that my undergraduate advisor gave me when I finished my Honor’s Thesis.  A sort of academic heirloom, it is very old and had been passed to my advisor from his advisory, etc.).

Our windows are covered, except for the back door, which will be covered as we leave.  

Our preparations are punctuated by pauses to chat with neighbors.  Now and again, we all stop and confer.  There is not a schedule to this, and we do not interrupt any serious work.  But during the lulls, the water breaks, there is talking.  I have to say that preparing for a hurricane is not how I wanted to spend my week, but this gathering, this taking a few moments to connect with the neighbors that normally zoom by with a wave on the way to and fro, this is a cherished bit of the hurricane preparations.  I like my neighbors, but our busy lives generally keep us from this sort of lingering interaction.  So I will hold on to those moments of connection as precious.  

Comments

[Astraea]

Have a safe weekend, loves, and hope your exit drive will go smoothly. Will be thinking of you and sending protective peaceful chi.

**hugs**

And thanks for the picture of the dinosaur plant. :)