Just to keep things in perspective....:-)

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A photograph of the new men's loo at the Sofitel in Queenstown, NZ, sent by my friend, Kit Wilson of Katikati, NZ. What do you think, guys? Opinions of the decor wanted.

More Wilma Damage

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This is a photo of one small part of the extensive damage in a small airport in the area, taken by a friend who wants to remain unnamed. It's an example of the scattered damage all over South Florida. Intact buildings can be right next to one with no damage. A church about two miles from us that has survived every hurricane over the years was completely smashed. The pews under the fallen debree were all that were left. Many still without power. No, things aren't back to normal yet.

My tech friend comes sometime this weekend to checkout/replace the power module in my puter. Those problems are in the post below.

Pris

On the Rocks

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This shot was taken along the Intracoastal Waterway near our home. For those of you who aren't aware of the Waterway, Mile One begins at Norfolk, Virginia and continues on down, around through the Keys and then up the west coat of Florida in parts. I remember entering the Waterway on my long ago boat trip from the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay. It was already fall and the winds/waves were high. What a thrill to see that first marker!

Do I want to go or do I want to stay??

We lost power again this morning. It's back now, but, should I disappear, that's why. Cross your fingers and toes!

Now, a few storm shots. Click on photos to enlarge....

This shot was taken through the one back uncovered window. When rain was driven through the edges of the pane, we started to reconsider the wisdom of leaving that one open. We were lucky. My husband had thought about not shuttering a side one and that's the one the tree top from next door hit! This photo can't even begin to pick up the power of those winds.

The cat and kittens had moved into the garage before the storm, but became terrified, so here she is, moved inside the house right after the winds started howling. The kittens are growing daily, btw, and are back living in the garage again. No way to potty train an unweaned kitten and they're moving around like wildfire now.

We were fortunate this year to actually have cool weather. Last year, it was first ten days, then four of lying or sitting in sweat day after day, panting for breath. Sleep? Almost impossible. This was my improvised outfit for the coolest day. Hey, those socks with the sandals. Pretty cool, eh?? :-)
This was the sky the morning after the storm passed, taken from our back patio.



Pris

A Different Tomorrow

You imagine it will be like a kid's
pop-up book--tomorrow morning, or the next,
or, perhaps, the day after that.

New Orleans will unfold like a butterfly
in Joseph coat colors. Whalloped houses,
toppled trees, snapped poles will jerk upright
from the Gulf, on down through Florida and out
across the blue, chastened waters to Mexico.

The dead will rise chanting on broad-shouldered
horses, break bread for the hungry, throw
kisses to those left behind weeping, only to fade
as the sun does, come evening.

Perhaps, the morning after this happening, this
undoing, this back slap at Revelations, a photo
of a young man in Vietman kaiki will implode
from its mud grave. Thought swallowed by the storms,
it will wash clean, reclaim its place on that carved mantle
it now seems to have never abandoned.



~help keep my knees from knocking when the winds
howl, the house shivers, and tree tops fly~

I'm back...kind of..

Power down our street was just restore, but we're still having flickers and several people I know got it only to lose it again. Things are still very unstable. I'm exhausted literally, but have read all the caring comments and want to thank all of you for your notes and well wishes. The eye went right over us, so the power outages are still extensive. Grocery chains are open on generator power and have canned good. Most street lights around us aren't working yet. Lines at gas stations that have power to pump can run blocks long.

I'm getting more flickers and will post this and hope I'm still on later today.

Keros and Didi...if you happen to check in, I'm thinking of both of you. Keros, you got a lot more damage than we did. We had a tree top bounce off the house, but it didn't hurt anything. We lost most of our tree limbs last year, so not much had grown back to break off in our yard, but everywhere else, a lot down.

will post this and hope for the best!!

Pris

Hotline from Wales...Tuesday update.

I've had news from Pris via our friend's email. Things seem to be very slow in progressing. As far as I can gather Pris doesn't get her power from FPL. They are the main ones and are getting power restored. I wish I could bring you more positive news. I really do. Hopefully there should be better news soon. Berenice.

Update from Pris...via Berenice, Wales.

Friday:
I've just phoned Pris. She is still without power. It's looking like friday of next week or possibly longer. The problem is the damage to the power station serving her area. That is going to take some time to repair. I've told Pris of all your kind replies and she says to tell you that she really appreciates what you have written.

Saturday:
Update via email from a friend. "She has luke warm water for bathing, a camp stove (gas) to heat food, and canned goods. But she is cut off from the world she knows best- her computer, and will be for several more days it looks like at the least. Her voice is pretty shaky, but she's holding up."

I miss Pris hugely and every snippet of information is of great comfort. This is one heck of a tough time for you Pris, I hope you get to read this soon...very soon. I feel honoured to be caretaker of your wonderful blog and to be passer on of news to your friends and readers. Thank you for the privilage. And thank you Joe for keeping me updated with the emails.

Okay...I'm going to put down the duster before I knock another ornament off the shelf and wait patiently for some more news :-) Berenice.

Hotline from Wales...news from Pris.

My name is Berenice, and Pris has asked me to post this on her behalf. I've just been talking to her on the telephone. At this time Pris has no power. The power is out all along the east coast, 100 miles north, down to Miami and around to the west coast. The power people are going round her area assessing the damage. The latest is that it could take from a few days up to a month to restore power, depending on the area and damage. In Pris' local area there aren't any poles down, so that is promising.

I'll be phoning Pris in a day or so, and also have email contact via a friend who will phone her. So I will post here every few days to keep you updated. I am very glad, more than I have words for, that our dear friend Pris made it through this hurricane.

Wilma rapidly approaching

Even though it's just now reaching the west coast of Florida, about four hours from us, tthe wind is gusting outside already. The storm has picked up speed and a few tornados have set down.

Here's the morning Washington Post Online.

I don't know if we'll lose power or not, but the odds are that we will. Yes, I'm nervous. No, I didn't sleep well...not at all since around 3 30. Last year did a number on me with two hits in my area. I hear the word 'hurricane' and my stomach tightens up.

The lights are flickering again. I'll post this and sign off.

Pris

The 'stray' makes more inroads...into house and heart

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That stray...the one we weren't going to become involved with? The one who brought her babies into our garage? The one who is now being fed beside her bed in there? Well, here she is inside, confidently drinking from the dog's bowl. Sigh...I think we've adopted a cat.

Wilma due tomorrow. Could be power outages so if I'm not online, I'll be back!

Pris

We are made of stardust...

My special anniversary issue of Smithsonian magazine came yesterday, featuring people over the years who made and are still making a difference. Margaret Burbidge, astronomer, was one of those people.

I quote: Burbidge and her colleagues had provided a map of the routes by which elements heavier that hydrogen and helium are forged within the fiery bellies of the stars. The calcium in our bones, the iron in our blood, and the oxygen we breathe all came from the ashes of ancient stars, which had either exploded as supernovae or died slowly, releasing their matter into the air.

This was verified both in theory and in laboratory experiments.

We are made of stardust. I find this to be a magical statement!

a newborn
cries in the night
twinkling star

Pris

Read more HERE

Small Potatoes

Sirrus Poe, Fiction Editor at Verse Libre and author/poet has a review of my chapbook, Abrasions, in today's Small Potatoes. Thank you, Sirrus. You captured the essence of what I set out to do in this collection very well. I hope each of you will take the time to read his review and to read more from Small Potatoes while there.

Sirrus Poe is also the generous webmaster of Poets Who Support Survivors, linked in my right-hand column, which has already raised a significant amount of money for victims of Katrina. If you click the link and read his offer to poets, you'll see why I use the word, generous.

By the way, for anyone who might be interested in owning my chapbook, it can be ordered from Rank Stranger Press. I should mention that you'll also find excellent books listed there by Jim Chandler, Ron Androla, Carter Monroe, D.B. Cox, Tim Peeler and more.

What Animals Know

Click to enlarge this wonderful photo of a wild gorilla using a stick to measure the depth of a portion of water before she crosses it. While Gorillas who've been captured have demonstrated amazing feats, including both a recognition of human language, as well as an ability to use particular tools or hand signals to communicate back to humans. we continue to see ourselves as the superior race. We continue in too many cases to not give enough credence to the intelligence of the animal kingdom because it cannot speak our language, cannot build rocket ships and bombs, cannot pollute the atmosphere to the point of global warming. Yes, this bothers me. To read more about these wild gorillas, go to this article in The Washington Post Online.

If you could communicate with any animal in the world right now, which one would it be and what question/s might you ask?