I could have titled this post something clever like " Y(Ike)s!" or "Take a Hike Ike", but it is 6pm in Houston and Ike is bearing down on Galveston with 81 mile per hour winds. This from a storm that is not projected to actually make landfall until around midnight tonight. We are starting to get wind gusts in northwest Houston right now. Somehow a cute, clever title doesn't seem befitting of a storm of this power. We are prepared however. We have made a shelter space in our master bedroom closet, stocked up on food and water, and the Expedition has a full tank of gas. Now we just wait. I was talking to Jack and I said I think that is the scariest thing about hurricanes. There is SO much forewarning. We sit and watch the news and updates for hours. There is nothing to do at this point but let your imagination run wild. (Well, and have a beer, which I am currently doing.) I know we will be fine. We will have wind (sustained winds for our zip code are 79 mph) and we will have rain, and I am sure it will be a little (a lot?) scary. Then it will pass. We will emerge with our neighbors, survey the damage if any, and get to work moving on. But right now, this is really a surreal feeling. I don't know how to describe it other than it is an EVENT in your life. My neighbor "remembers Alicia." I will likely remember "Ike". Here are some images from pre-Ike:
Our corner Walgreens.
This is a screen shot from a local newscast. Our friends, the Scogins, live in Clearlake and are under a mandatory evacuation. They arrived safely in San Antonio last night.
This is the gas station in front of our Kroger grocery store. The cars were lined up in the streets waiting to get gas. I wanted to get a shot of the empty grocery store shelves inside Kroger, but when I went at noon today, they were turning away customers at the door saying they were closing up because there was nothing on the shelves.
OK, Jack did the "provision" shopping, so I take no responsibility for the lack of nutrients in our pantry. Did you know that Wal-Mart actually tracks inventory during hurricanes and the top two sellers are 1) beer and 2) poptarts? When I was at Kroger yesterday morning, I can tell you I saw lots of water and LOTS of cases of beer. Gotta love the South, where a hurricane is an excuse to party!
OK, I am out for now. I hope to get some pictures during the early stages of the storm and some pictures post-Ike as well, which I will post. We may be without power for a time, but I will post them as soon as I can. Thank you, thank you, thank you friends and family who have called and emailed us already! Know we are safe and we will be in touch again soon.
Our corner Walgreens.
This is a screen shot from a local newscast. Our friends, the Scogins, live in Clearlake and are under a mandatory evacuation. They arrived safely in San Antonio last night.
This is the gas station in front of our Kroger grocery store. The cars were lined up in the streets waiting to get gas. I wanted to get a shot of the empty grocery store shelves inside Kroger, but when I went at noon today, they were turning away customers at the door saying they were closing up because there was nothing on the shelves.
OK, Jack did the "provision" shopping, so I take no responsibility for the lack of nutrients in our pantry. Did you know that Wal-Mart actually tracks inventory during hurricanes and the top two sellers are 1) beer and 2) poptarts? When I was at Kroger yesterday morning, I can tell you I saw lots of water and LOTS of cases of beer. Gotta love the South, where a hurricane is an excuse to party!
2 comments:
Wow - sure sounds like you've done all you can Tracey and Jack. I am at work, watching Ike on several different live news feeds. Keep your chins up - as you said - it will pass then it will be over and you have to pick up and move on. Hopefully you won't have to pick up much more than beer cans!
Tracey, I had no idea you were doing this! I plan to check in frequently since we can't get together any more. Your quilts are gorgeous as expected. I'll send pics of mine once I get one together.
I keep thinking of everyone since Ike hit. I guess we were lucky that we left when we did. I hope the electricity isn't off much longer and the kids can get back to school. Please let us know how you are doing soon! Stay cool!
sharon
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