Lookin' out my back door...

[Bud]

Been praying for rain almost two weeks for some friends. I look out my backdoor and see and Category 4 Hurricane bearing down on us after landfall. At least it is coming across some land before it gets here. First of the season for us, but in a most unusual way. Batten the hatches.

[OGblackcloud]

Stay safe

[Rick]

Lord knows I tried to wish it this way, instead. And hope it does no more than make the grass grow by the time it crosses you.

[5 stand]

Bud, I had no idea where you were located you take care Buddy!!!

[Deltaman]

Praying it wears itself down a bit over land before it reaches you Bud, you get plenty of the needed rainfall associated with it, and no destructive winds. Hang tight, Good Luck, and keep us posted!

[Rick]

Been thinking of you and Elizabeth this afternoon, and trust it's all over but the cleanup at this point. Hopefully no more than picking up sticks.

[SpinnerMan]

Hope all was minor.

This is the street we live on a few blocks from the ground floor condo we rent for the winter Hopefully there's not too much water damage.

[Deltaman]

Hope not, flat miserable for most after a big storm like that, and the flooding takes it to another level of misery

[SpinnerMan]

Where we stay there was essentially zero storm damage. We were just on the wrong side of the storm and it swung too close so there was a pretty good storm surge on the barrier islands.

That's the cost of having a nice view from your office.

nicekayak.jpg

Her and her friend spent about 10 minutes trying to figure out how to get the water out of the kayak while I'm sitting at my desk 10' away trying to work They were clearly not engineers

Not the normal work distractions.

[Bud]

Thanks, everyone. We were way lucky. Spent hours today getting everything in piles. Moving it all will be tomorrow afternoon.
I remember someone trying to work a duck that was hesitant many years ago. He finally sent the duck away with a shot or two and yelled at the duck, "and don't come back." Remember that? I told the hurricane the same thing.

That is how I feel with hurricanes. We have had large oak trees laying over and in our house before with us in it. Had a small tornado going right over where I kept my favorite dog. I ran to the pin, stood in front of my dog, and was ready to grab at him should we go airborne. It lifted up to treetop level, went directly over us with trees turning in circular motion, then went on its way snapping telephone poles and destroying rooftops and such. 100 feet away, it had snapped the top 15 to 20 feet of pine trees off, throwing them to reside on top of and in other pine trees...upside down. Wife said I was crazy. Figured she already knew that about me.

Thanks again.

[5 stand]

I do enjoy your stories Bud...

No major damage, that sure is good...

[Bud]

A man went by the name of Gecko was in our ride to The Meto during the Timber Hunt 2000 for WF.com. I had told a few stories, being excited, when he told me I was a story teller. When I was young, that was a nice way to say you were not telling the truth. I was quiet with the brain at warp speed, when he explained I liked to talk by telling stories. Never had been told that before. He said the world needed more story tellers. I agreed, and asked him to tell us a story. Thanks.

[Rick]

How you doing for power?

[Deltaman]

Glad to hear that you and yours made it through the storm Bud, and I'm sure your dog appreciated your gesture to go with him, no matter the consequences
As Rick inquired, we are all hoping that you have power, or access to a generator until power can be restored. Never fun dealing with a hurricane, and spawned tornado up close and personal, but as you know, it can always be worse

[Bud]

We were out only a few hours. A friend just north of us was still out yesterday, and all her neighbors had electricity. She is into her third gas tank of three. Told her how we supplied four neighbors with extension cords under the then dirt roads. Maybe she'll ask a neighbor for a hookup, I hope.

They all tried to pay me. Figuring a way through a tight situation always challenges me, so that was my pay. Last one here was Matthew, and we had to move a few things around. Oak trees were snapped and uprooted everywhere. Front door hurricane with a purpose, it was; almost like a training mission and test of character.

Will have another hour or two to finish cleanup tomorrow, with my old back being very sore right now. Had to stop at nightfall. The wife bailed on me to get some much-needed sleep and rest.

We lost our freezer in the garage days before the hurricane, and most all in it. Over half of it was cleaned fish, headed shrimp, mullet for bait, small headed shrimp for bait, and such we fed fish and crabs with. Didn't see any pelicans.

The other half was half-frozen venison, a little piggie, and mallards. Lot of work butchering and packaging those deer, let alone getting them out of the woods and cleaning. Some hombres working three houses over wanted it all, so I gave them two large seal-packed mahi filets. Probably gonna have to buy shrimp this season when we buy a smaller freezer. Love boiled shrimp, corn on the cob, and sausage: sometimes with other surprises. It's a fast meal and scrumpdeli-licious.