Fay coming this way

Here's an image of Fay as of late Tuesday evening.

Keeping my fingers crossed. But just the same, I stocked up on water and batteries this afternoon. I figure North Florida has been spared one too many times. We're under an official hurricane watch & the public schools have announced closures for the next two days. I'll find out tomorrow if the community college will take the same action. Meanwhile, I have a few windows open in the back of the house. I love listening to the wind shake the leaves and then the silence afterward. My main concern - if Fay becomes a hurricane and if if if - is whether I will have enough available light for reading.

WHAT'S INVOLVED IN PREPARATION:
Readying for a storm in Florida usually follows a set pattern of activity.

• Go to Homo Depot and buy bottled water and a bunch of batteries. While there, resist the urge to purchase a new flashlight, pretty mag light or lantern.
• Go to Winn Dixie and try to buy food that requires no heat, no preparation, and no refrigeration and isn't saturated with salt, sugar, fat or empty calories. I bought a flat of eggs (more than I needed but all that was on the shelf), bread, California navel oranges, fruit cups, and Simply Asia Sesame Chicken Noodles, figuring I could always build a fire and heat water.
  
• Go to Walgreen's and look for a clip-on reading light. No luck.
• Go to Lowe's and buy an ice chest and, on the spur of the moment, another Shop Vac.
• Go home and clear all loose items from the front porch, toss in the trash all the stuff that's not been used for awhile. Clear the patio of similar loose stuff, bring in a few potted plants.
• Go back to Winn Dixie and buy catfood and vegies for the bunny.
• Withdraw cash from an ATM.
• Fill up the car with gas.
• Consider buying a new umbrella, thermos for coffee, a poncho and camping equipment, then add up money already spent and come back home.
• Find the battery-operated radio, replace batteries, tune it to the weather station, and put it where it can be found in the darkness.
• Lure the frantic parakeet into her cage, lock the cage door and put the blankie over her cage.
• Pull the frightened bunny out of its "safe place" and put him in his cage. Lock the cage door.
  
• Relax on the sofa with the TV on and cat-in-lap. Listen to the local weatherman, jot down the numbers for power outage and city emergency services. Plug in the cell phone.
  
• Sit on the front porch with a book of poems by Robinson Jeffers. Don't read a thing. Listen to the Eastern Screech Owl, the wind and silence.
• Wait.