Finding Direction: The Wind Vane Chronicles

Many, many prayers were answered with this hurricane.  At its worst, coming across Cuba and into the gulf of Mexico, it had a tightly defined eye and seasoned hurricane weathermen forecast that at a Category 5, it would be bigger, stronger and bring much higher storm surges than Katrina did three years ago.  But then, unexpectedly (by human thinking) the storm began to fall apart some and sheer off on the west side.  It sped way up (which was great) and zoomed across the gulf while downgrading to a Category 1 when hitting land.

Now, the day after, not too much damage or destruction remains in the states of Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas.

Picayune fared very well yesterday.  Picayune schools are back in session today.  We have power back at the house today, already.  According to Tom this morning, it didn’t appear to have been off very long.

However, there are still some remaining problems for us and it doesn’t look like (right now at nearly noon) I can safely go home from Jackson until in the morning.  There are bands of severe storms with possible tornadoes coming north toward Jackson and between Jackson and Hattiesburg, which is the way I have to go home.  They look broad enough that it may take the rest of the day for them to clear out.  

Even if the weather should clear up by mid-afternoon, I would not try to leave because the traffic southward will most likely be really heavy, making my trip home a long one like Sunday.  I cannot see very well to drive by early dusk and definitely not at night, so I could not risk it.

Another problem is that Tom got very sick Sunday night with congestion, fever and chills and spent most of the day yesterday in bed on his cot in his office.  He’s feeling a bit better this morning, thankfully, so hope he will be much better by tomorrow.  I don’t want to catch it from him, for sure.

I also found out yesterday from Mark and Lynn (my son and daughter-in-law in Picayune) that 5 year old Zoe was very sick with 101 degree fever.  So . . . they are all really glad I left Picayune, because as it turned out, wherever I would have stayed, there was sickness. 

Layne (along with his two cute cats, Tess and Oscar) has been a very gracious host.  I have the entire one side of his house to my own, including full access to his computer in here in the office.  I slept in yesterday morning and today, which I couldn’t have done if I’d been at the newspaper or with Mark and Lynn, so that’s been nice.

Layne got up early this morning and went to work (he’s the executive director for the Mississippi Press Association and a very dear friend), so it’s just me and the cats all day, lazing around and watching the wind and rain.  I’ll probably even get to read blogs this afternoon for the first time in several days!  So, you fellow bloggers look for me to be commenting around this afternoon.

I’ll keep you posted on what we’re doing and how things are going.  If nothing changes this afternoon, I hope my next post will be sometime tomorrow after I get home.  I can’t wait!

Thank you all so much for your continuing prayers, comments and support.  It’s been very uplifting to us and a great blessing.

Cheers & Blessings to you all today!

Dee