Undo

The boards are down now. 

1:00 pm.

Tropical Storm Ike

31.6N 95.4W

About 165 miles north of Galveston, east of Waco and headed for Tyler.

wind 60 mph with gusts to 100 mph

moving north at 16 mph

Ike missed us completely.  At midnight the sky here was partly cloudy, the breeze was light.  It was hot and the mosquitoes were horrible.  At four a.m. (the predicted peak of our winds), there was virtually no change from midnight.  Eight o’clock this morning was the same, though dramatically dryer.  After three days of worry and fuss and falderall, we experienced no weather effects from Hurricane Ike.  Nary a breeze.  

As soon as we ate breakfast this morning, we were out pulling the plywood off the windows, and mowing the grass ahead of the rain we’re predicted to get from a cold front (totally unrelated to Ike) tomorrow.  Neighbors were out in force doing much of the same.  Boards down.  Potted plants and lawn chairs back out of the garage.  Swings rehung or untied.  

When the boards went up and we dragged everything into the garage a few days ago, we were operating on a good dose of adrenalin and anxiety.  The work was hard, but went quickly.  Now that the storm has passed us by, and with a hangover from a three-day adrenalin overdose, the work seems so much slower and more tedious.  But I’ll take this work over the work of pumping away water, sweeping away debris, cutting away boards or trees, living without power.  I’ll take this Undo work over that Recover work any day.  

Millions of people in eastern Texas are without electricity and water service today.  Check out the Houston Chronicle for local coverage of the damage.  Click the slide show on the Chronicle’s left column (“See Hurricane Ike’s Devastation”  I can’t figure out how to link directly to it) for particularly dramatic photos of the JP Morgan Chase Building in downtown Houston.    

I hope this concludes continuing coverage on Hurricane Ike.  I’m ready to think about something else for a while.  Like cake.  What do you think?  Almond cream or double chocolate with strawberry sauce?  

Comments

[drythe]

Yay! Those of us who hail from the State of Altitude Sickness are much relieved. Thank you for keeping us posted.

Love,
D