ISAAC

Now most men are usually quite memorable I found in my experience; especially when they make a raucous in a known situation.
Tonight’s above entitled title refers to a man’s name for a tropical storm with a potential to turn into a hurricane, but to what strength is not yet known to the meteorologists, but it does have the probability of becoming infamous, for it is the latest in our string of tropical storms named, this one is number nine, that they alternate back and forth bestowing handles on them from female to male and back again…

For years storms were only named for women, thankfully the realization that men can take the blame for these anomalies of nature too was back in 1979!
Or perhaps it was changed just to make it fairer, hmm?
And so it was proclaimed years before, any truly destructive storm name would be retired and used no longer, and sadly there have been many.

Now, to be hopeful that Isaac will pass by us with a whimper instead of a roar is unknown by even the professionals even at this time in this technological extreme era. So far it does appear that he will be heading right at us once again, yes, we have all been there and done that.
And we are here to say we have survived, and our personal experience has been documented right here yearly.

This Friday is the twentieth anniversary of Hurricane Andrew that we were living five and half hours north of at that time, August 24, 1992 a category five hurricane.
But the news coverage was so heartbreaking, not unlike looking at the destruction of Katrina that most of you all remember since that was in 2005… it broke our hearts and due to those heartfelt emotions Hubby and I knew that our sons at sixteen and twenty were smart and capable and trustworthy enough to hold down the fort at our homestead for us to go to Florida’s Homestead city,(PS we had a bag cell phone at that time that we called them nightly too) that is for about a week to help… and so we did. We took many pictures of all that happened while we were there as well as our work there. We did have the good fortune to be able to do triage with the veterinarians with all the found and injured animals. And we had been given two tons of dog food from the Greyhound Pet Association. The fellow was a fork lift operator for Hawaiian Tropic Suntan lotion in Ormond Beach where we lived at that time the man who gave us the dog food. I had worked with them since I had been in promotion at that time, and Hawaiian Tropic also gave us sunscreen for the people of the area since it was still hot and they were exposed to the elements, several pallets we were given and delivered of both the dog food and the sunscreen the night we arrived. The original idea was to help the Red Cross, but many were there to help them distribute food, and we found ourselves waiting on line to scoop food that others were already doing.
And so that is how, when we delivered the dog food ended up working with the veterinarians who were different daily, and we were the only constant. It was not dissimilar to a MASH unit in the army, or the TV show, where the worst injuries were decided to be taken care of first.
We got the hang of it pretty darn quick; having had pets forever and being parents it was instinctive…I suppose.
I was interviewed then by the Washington Post and the Orlando TV news stations while we helped feed kittens formula, who were motherless or pups in the same situation…We reunited owners with missing pets, and found foster care for the pets of the people who lost their own homes, all in all it was an incredible experience!
And hugs and the words thank you were the best rewards and when I think back on all of that it still gives me chills and thrills to be able to do something so worthwhile…
Friday, I am going to try and post the pictures from the album I made all those years ago, but please remember it had also gone through our own Hurricane Charley, a cat 4, and so the pictures do have water stains on them…but I do believe the pictures can say more than I about what really happened…

Frightening as it seems to be as I write this tonight I can hear in the other room, where Hubby is watching the news while I do this, our local TV meteorologist on NBC Fort Myers station, Robert Van Winkle, telling us that we may have a category 1 hurricane directly hitting us by Monday, mistakes are good in this case and I hope that Isaac will go out into the Atlantic and hit no one no where and no body at all… If hoping were the answer to all these problems than all my wishes would be fulfilled, ha!

Tampa, one hundred miles north of us is concerned too, since the GOP, Republican Convention is scheduled for this Monday and so they are preparing for a possible cancellation of the whole shebang! Then I guess they will quit? Nah, I guess they will have to reschedule.

One could only hope… nah, bad Tobi!

The days before a major weather system’s attack on an area can cause an anticipation so thick you could cut it with a knife. With that said, the best way to handle this major stress is to calmly prepare as we all have been taught… Why Hubby and I were at the grocery today stocking up on water, we took inventory of what we had such as batteries, a good radio, coolers and foods that are healthful and can also be opened with a can opener, caned tuna, salmon, sardines, oysters, pastas and sauces that are heart smart. Oatmeal that can be heated on the barbecue burner and that reminds me, and don’t forget the propane. We have two bottles and a full tank of gas in your car. Know where all insurance policies are and put them in water proof envelopes or bags. And this is one of the most important, besides all medications and pet inoculation info and their meds too if applicable, take those inside outside PICS of all the before of your home, and so when you might have to take the after your insurance company will know what’s what!
Listen to the news to know when you have to board up, which is usually a day or two before or longer if you are older and it is difficult for you to do… without any help, and if you might have to evacuate.

Anything I may have forgotten you can go to: http://floridadisaster.com/

Don’t be shy, now is the time to get ready, not panic, just with a cool calm head, prepare.

On that Ma Tobi caring for all of you chillin please allow me to be the first to wish you all a very happy good night and ask you kindly to count all your blessings and share those overages and we will too!

And next time please be here or be square, ya hear?