GulfSails: Still Have Power

Raining now. WWL Radio - The Big 870 is still off the air. Trust me, that's a big deal. It's really odd that we'd still have TV, but not the foremost AM news station in the Gulf South during a Cat 5 hurricane. They're located downtown, east from me. That picture above is from earlier in the evening.

I don't remember half of what I've written today, so maybe I should give y'all an indication as to why I feel somewhat assured that I will not be going up into the attic with an axe and my flare gun in five-ten hours. (and no, I would not put other lives in jeopardy to come rescue me during the weather. I will not seek assistance nor do I expect any if needed until possibly many days from now.) Back on topic... This house is a half mile from the river, and rivers tend to build ridges. Don't ask me why, ask my friend Bud - she's a coastal geologist or an orthopedist or something.

Anyway, this house is situated on one of only four true ridges throughout the metro area and is close to the river. You can go four blocks south from here and find stretches of homes that have flooded since before they stopped counting May floods. FYI: Every five years or so, we have a May 8th flood. This house has never had a drop of water in it. Now granted we've never had a catastrophic world-ending hurricane hit either, but you know.

Funny. I actually had the opportunity to eat Red Cross doughnuts once. I can't remember what hurricane it was, but the power was out and the storm had passed. I had close to a foot of water in front of my house and was sitting on the porch having a cup of coffee - that's one of the great benefits of having a natural gas stove - when the Red Cross drove by. They saw me and offered me doughnuts. I sat there eating them, sipping my coffee and laughing to myself, "I'm eating Red Cross doughnuts."

In two weeks, I may be a connisseur of Red Cross doughnuts. Or do you think we'll get Red Cross beignets?

I was rummaging through my pockets a minute ago - here's the hurricane pocket inventory: Many different sizes of screws, 2 lighters, a drill bit, half a pack of cigarettes, a digital camera, two single car keys, cell phone, some lint, one dollar, two dimes and a collapsable beer koozie.

It is officially raining non-stop now. Nothing too heavy. I'm going to have to go out and check the culverts in a bit. They periodically get stopped up with leaves and debris.

Here's some pictures -- through all the minor hurricanes and TStorms I've been through, photos at night of rain and trees blowing in the wind aren't so exciting... so here's one of our generator on the porch before being moved out back.