Darlene's Digest

The storm passed over us in the pre-dawn hours. We hunkered down (Dodi the dachshund too) in an interior room with all of our "Go!" supplies and flashlights but we were extremely fortunate. We're still getting gusts and I fear our trees are weakened from all the water and wind, but if nothing falls on the house we should get through this without trauma. I cannot say enough about the crew at @FloridaStorms who have been broadcasting non-stop since this all began. They're based at WUFT.org, the multi-media operation at my alma mater, the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications. I'm a former radio news director and station owner and I know how difficult and how vital radio is at a time like this. The mainstream media is who I trust in an emergency. This is also the time when you are glad you have a strong and capable state and local government. And NOAA. And FEMA. And all the blessed first responders. One of my favorite quotes is attributed...

“What should I do to prepare for the storm, Doctor?” He still watched her, and his eyes changed. He didn't smile at her—she could not imagine that happening. Instead, his look was, if not approving, at least less censorious. “A very good question, Miss Farnham.” He straightened up from his labors, wiped his hands on a cloth and then covered the bowl with it. “The Magpie is a sound ship, and the captain and crew are experienced. But if I were you, I would pack a valise. It should be a bag you yourself can carry. In it, only put those things that are absolutely necessary, or those things you would preserve at all costs.” “One bag?” Daphne stared at him. “But…but it is impossible. I could not pack everything necessary to me into one bag!” He cocked one of those accusatory eyebrows at her. “Impossible? That is too bad. Let me tell you what will happen if the worst occurs and we have to abandon the ship: you will grab the first thing at hand and cling to it. It might be a bo...

Image by sandrino via Flickr Tropical Storm Fay I've done my hurricane prep, like a good li'l Floridian, so at this point I'm just keeping an eye on the storm. Landfall could be around Cedar Key, north of Tampa Bay, which would put the storm 60 miles west of me. That means we could still get high winds, heavy rain and the possibility of tornadoes. I'm feeling pretty calm though, 'cause I just had my roof and skylight repaired, so barring a tree crashing into it (which happened during the hurricanes in '04), we should be in good shape. And I have my blue tarp, just in case. The water, batteries, spare meds, gas grill, camp stove, land-line telephone, etc. are on hand. I have bread, canned goods and peanut butter. The upright freezer is packed with ice bags, so if we lose power everything should stay frozen for at least 48 hours. I have empty bleach bottles I can fill with tap water for washing. The one thing I didn't have last time which I swore I wouldn...