The Hurricane That Wasn't

The best thing one can do when it's raining is to let it rain. ~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

We all battened down the hatches two days ago. Everyone was acutely mindful of Ivan's rampage through our state and the greater devastation along the Gulf Coast. I have friends in trailers who were heading for stronger walls, and everyone was moving things that might become airborne in 40 - 50 mph winds.

Since everyone was in such a furor of preparation, I suppose it's a natural that the hurricane would swing around us. It only brushed its damp fingers across us, gave us a sigh, and tore through Florida instead.

This time, we were only without power about 12 hrs. There was no flooding that I'm aware of nearby, and I didn't see many if any trees down. Last time, they uprooted everywhere once the ground became too sodden to hold the giant oaks down. I only lost a few limbs from my fragile pecan trees. The giant dead one that I am waiting to fall, of course, managed not to shed even so much as a limb.

All in all, it would have been a very nice rainy evening in save for the fact that I had to drive 90 min. in the heavy rain for the beginning of a conference for school. There were several times that I thought the winds were going to scoot me and my little car right off the road. It wasn't the worst I've ever driven in, but it was pretty darn close. I kept thinking, "All the sane people are in right now. What the heck is wrong with you?"

Regardless of the stress of the drive, I'm glad we got off so lightly. I know Dennis won't be the last big one of the year, but I'm grateful that it didn't hit us with as much fury as all the predictions said it would.