Storm Ready (7.11.05)

Hurricane season is upon us...those on the coast know what that means. We all have The Weather Channel's dial position memorized and watch the tropical depressions out in the Carribbean, flipping coins on which way they'll go and if they'll make it to hurricane status.

Dennis just pounded Navarre Beach. "It could've been much worse..." - that's what all the natives and weather folks are saying, but it's still horribly depressing to see those beach houses ripped apart. Mother Nature does not kid around. It's especially sad to me because Navarre Beach is where we vacationed every summer of my early childhood. Before we built our beach house, we went to Navarre for a week in July with my Aunt, Uncle and cousin. I loved it. I have so many good memories from those trips - buying floats and sunscreen at the little beach novelty stores; shrimp boiling while the "grown-ups" were having drinks on the deck; building sand castles with my Grandaddy; running up and down the beach in my Wonder Woman bathing suit... (I know, I know...the nostalgia is uncanny) Anyway, it hits a little closer to home when you are familiar with the hurricane's point of casualty.

Last hurricane season was really devastating. Savannah has been so lucky (knock on wood) - we've been spared several times. Florida took the brunt of the storms last year, and so far this year as well. I hope and pray that the storms don't make the kind of impact that they did in 2004...so many are still restoring and recovering.

Emily (tropical depression at this point) is stirring up out in the ocean right now. I hope she behaves and dies down before landfall.

Ok, I was just reminded of the huge stack of invoices that I have to process - storms or no storms. Until tomorrow...