Storm Watch

As you can imagine we have been involved in a storm watch over the past few days. Thanks for all your concern on our behalf. Ike is apparently turning in a more northerly direction and is predicted to make land fall on Saturday morning in between Corpus Christi and Houston. We will continue to watch, but at this time we appear to be in the clear. While we are thankful for not being directly in the path, we continue to pray that Ike will huff himself out over the Gulf. I have tried everything from the sickly sweet, to the brutal truth and some things in between. At each point of departure, I seem to find some followers, some ho-hummers, and some who disagree. I enjoy the mix. I am not really a photographer, wildlife expert, flower guru, or keeper of the family chronicle. I may at times cover one or more of these subjects to fulfill the requirements of a meme, but balderdash is still my forte. I never said I wouldn't post political between now and November, I just said it would be nice if we could end the banter. Apparently the Democrats can't, so I'll be forced to answer in kind.

I never did give them hell. I just told the truth, and they thought it was hell. - Harry S Truman

When a thing is funny, search it carefully for a hidden truth. - George Bernard Shaw

It's a Comin' Up of a Blowout!

"Batten down the hatches. Reef the sails. Turn her into the wind. It's a comin' up of a blowout."

"Aye, aye Captain."

We are watching the reports here to see what tropical storm, "Dolly" is going to do today. It looks like it might make land fall near us at about noon tomorrow.

Storms are very much a part of life. Most of the areas where I've lived during my lifetime, were at times, prone to feel the effects of severe weather. No one likes to go through the preparations ahead of, or the clean-up afterwards, but this too is a necessary function. I remember as a small child visiting my great grandmother, Loutisha, in her big white wood framed house with the dog run down the middle. She spent many hours on her front porch in a rocking chair looking at the happenings of life around her. Her house was adorned with spiked metal rods running through glass balls. These attached at the ridgeline of her roof and had a twisted metal cable running off one side to the ground. She obviously witnessed the effects of lightning strikes through the years and wanted to insure her house was safe. As dark thunder clouds would approach she would squint and look through her wire framed glasses and usually say, "We'd better move inside. It's a comin' up of a blowout." I went to the grocery yesterday on my regular run and found that it was bursting at the seams with folks getting ready for the approaching storm. Many people were loading their buggies with bottled water. My neighbor was loading his buggy with wine. I may be forced to go to his house if I run out of water. Skies are blue this morning and the wind is calm. This afternoon, I'll move the items outside that could become missles if the wind is strong enough. I normally don't watch the news or weather, but I probably will today and tomorrow. I love to see those weather people standing outside in the storm dodging newspaper racks and other missles. Newsies, you've got to love them. They'll do anything to get a little air time. It's usually the cub reporters who are asked to do what no other sane human being would do in order to get the ratings up. Hope you have a wonderful week. I'll be here as long as we can maintain a connection. Pappy

I've wrestled with reality for 35 years, Doctor, and I'm happy to state I finally won out over it. - Mary Chase

New Poem

God’s Symphony

The land is parched and dry
beneath the summer sun
and one might question,
why its been so long since rain
has spattered softly in the dust
until the droplets blend
in numbers large enough to
soak the crust and run in rivulets
steaming in the heat with
pitter-patter beat
backed up by lights
behind gray clouds
and roar of distant tympani?

First pianissimo, then forte
as the lightning cymbals crash
and drum roll thunder shakes
the core.

The howling wind joins in
for harmony and takes the
movement down to pianissimo
once more
then fades to blue.

Dennis Price

I hope you weather life's storms safely and enjoy peace and refreshment in their passing. Have a wonderful Sunday.