Life in the Cone Zone
Well, it's here again - Hurricane season. That season that messes up the enjoyment of the summer months, rains on our parades, and washes weeds up on the beach among other things. With all the storms marching across the Atlantic I though it appropriate to post just in honor of "The Season".
Summer would be such a nice time without the storms. We could look forward with assurance to sunny days, long afternoons at the beach, picnics, boating, etc. Some made songs about it - "Tryin' to reason with hurricane season". Others just dread it. Some avoid it completely by staying in their "up north" houses until November. It seems like every other weekend we have another storm to watch. First they evacuate the tourists, then they tell the live aboards and trailer dwellers to run to the nearest safe shelter. Sometimes they even tell the residents to evacuate. Most of us don't as the news stations are fond of saying - "Those people in the Keys are hard core - they don't leave when they are told to." Fay was more than a slight breeze, Gustav wrecked a lot more than a weekend for the folks on the Gulf Coast north of us, Hanna doesn't know what to do apparently, Ike is one I don't like, and then there is Josephine. Looks like Ike wants a vacation in the Keys. Maybe we should put out the no vacancy signs. Josephine reminds me of the Josephine the Plumber commercials for some reason- what were they advertising? Cleanser or drain cleaner? At any rate with all the practice of the 2004 and 2005 seasons, we can now rest assured that we can get our house ready for any storm in one day's time. That includes tying off the boat, closing the shutters, picking up everything in the yard that we don't want to fly away, and stocking up on anything we need from the store. Then after the storm and many hours (way too many hours) of watching the Weather Channel, we open the shutters, bring the boat back to the dock, put the lawn furniture back, clean up the branches in the yard, prop up the broken fences and in general get on with our lives. Then comes the next storm, time to head for the store, close the shutters, tie off the boat, pick up the yard furniture, etc all over again. Don't forget about the flooding possibility. When you live 4 feet above sea level or less that is always a possibility. When Wilma flooded the island it came after the storm from the Gulf side so we watched the water pour over US 1 and come towards us. Luckily we live on a canal and the water just poured into the canal like a waterfall. My friends on the Gulf side of the island weren't so lucky. Of course if anyone was planning to have visitors from out of town, good luck with that. Try scheduling a visit between hurricanes since they always want to go out on the boat, fish, swim, and have fun. Have you ever tried to explain to a dog or a cat that they can't go outside because there is a hurricane? They don't understand and they get very grouchy. Two dogs and a minimum of two cats stuck in the house together is not a fun time, especially when one of the dogs is a puppy and loaded with energy. Okay, I guess I've said all there is to say about it now, except good luck to all my friends who also live in the Cone Zone. Hope we all make it through this season unscathed.
Summer would be such a nice time without the storms. We could look forward with assurance to sunny days, long afternoons at the beach, picnics, boating, etc. Some made songs about it - "Tryin' to reason with hurricane season". Others just dread it. Some avoid it completely by staying in their "up north" houses until November. It seems like every other weekend we have another storm to watch. First they evacuate the tourists, then they tell the live aboards and trailer dwellers to run to the nearest safe shelter. Sometimes they even tell the residents to evacuate. Most of us don't as the news stations are fond of saying - "Those people in the Keys are hard core - they don't leave when they are told to." Fay was more than a slight breeze, Gustav wrecked a lot more than a weekend for the folks on the Gulf Coast north of us, Hanna doesn't know what to do apparently, Ike is one I don't like, and then there is Josephine. Looks like Ike wants a vacation in the Keys. Maybe we should put out the no vacancy signs. Josephine reminds me of the Josephine the Plumber commercials for some reason- what were they advertising? Cleanser or drain cleaner? At any rate with all the practice of the 2004 and 2005 seasons, we can now rest assured that we can get our house ready for any storm in one day's time. That includes tying off the boat, closing the shutters, picking up everything in the yard that we don't want to fly away, and stocking up on anything we need from the store. Then after the storm and many hours (way too many hours) of watching the Weather Channel, we open the shutters, bring the boat back to the dock, put the lawn furniture back, clean up the branches in the yard, prop up the broken fences and in general get on with our lives. Then comes the next storm, time to head for the store, close the shutters, tie off the boat, pick up the yard furniture, etc all over again. Don't forget about the flooding possibility. When you live 4 feet above sea level or less that is always a possibility. When Wilma flooded the island it came after the storm from the Gulf side so we watched the water pour over US 1 and come towards us. Luckily we live on a canal and the water just poured into the canal like a waterfall. My friends on the Gulf side of the island weren't so lucky. Of course if anyone was planning to have visitors from out of town, good luck with that. Try scheduling a visit between hurricanes since they always want to go out on the boat, fish, swim, and have fun. Have you ever tried to explain to a dog or a cat that they can't go outside because there is a hurricane? They don't understand and they get very grouchy. Two dogs and a minimum of two cats stuck in the house together is not a fun time, especially when one of the dogs is a puppy and loaded with energy. Okay, I guess I've said all there is to say about it now, except good luck to all my friends who also live in the Cone Zone. Hope we all make it through this season unscathed.