The Calm Before the Storm

We are awaiting IKE, the hurricane that's churning across the Gulf of Mexico, heading for Galveston. Yesterday was a day of preparation. Tim came over and helped Ben put up the plywood boards on our windows. We first cut those boards about six weeks after we moved into this house in 1983 as protection against Hurricane Alicia. We've had to put them up a few times in the intervening years, but this is the first really serious threat that we've faced since that storm.

Yesterday morning, the mayor of Houston announced mandatory evacuations for the three zip codes that make up the Clear Lake City area, which means US. Our understanding of the mandatory evactuation notice is that if we choose to stay, we will have no access to emergency services. We, along with many of our neighbors, are staying. I know it won't be pleasant, especially when the power goes out, but we would rather be here under our own roof than caught in evacuation traffic. We've been offered shelter farther inland, and if as the day progresses, we feel unsure about our decision, we will go. Robyn will be with us, and Tim and his friend Scott are holed up at Tim's townhouse with the dogs.

Whenever we get power back on, I'll try to get an update posted right away.