HURRICANE MILTON UPDATE
As I write this post, I am in hurricane Milton recovery mode. Apparently, that was the worst storm/hurricane to come through this area (Sarasota/Tampa) in as many as 100 years. And only two years ago, we experienced hurricane Ian, which, to my family, was powerful enough for our first hurricane in Florida.
Like Ian, Milton hit between 9PM Wednesday and left kicking and screaming by 3AM Thursday. Gusts were probably between 90-100 mph at one point. In one word, it was: ROUGH.
Now that we are in the post-storm period, it's been a little painful. It is best for me to describe it this way: we have no power, no hot water, no A/C, and crappy internet connection. We have a generator roaring all day, though it is off between 9 PM - 5 AM. It powers the fridge and freezer, runs water, and charges phones, a few lights, and a couple of ceiling fans. Gratefully, we have propane for the grill.
Until yesterday, gasoline was hard to find. My son was able to fill up at midnight on Saturday, after waiting two hours, and my husband filled up our gas cans for the generator at 5 am on Sunday morning.
It's a little boring, especially for my elderly father, who cannot watch his internet TV or listen to his internet radio. We are expecting the power to come on any day now, but for sure by Thursday, three days from now.
We have much to be grateful, and we are. Though it rained fifteen hours straight, we did not flood anymore than a typical Florida downpour. Before the hurricane arrived, we started to leak from the hallway ceiling. I panicked, but my husband put a bucket under the leak for the night. (It's already been fixed by the roofer, by the way.)
By 5 AM, the morning after the storm, my husband and I took flashlights to survey the damage. The worst were the giant tree limbs that broke off and crashed onto our entrance gate, damaging it. Before the sun was up, my husband had it in pieces using his chainsaw. Another gate was slightly damaged from being blown open. The chicken fence and netting was down. But chickens were safe and sound, though terrified. And finally, my garden was demolished.
Some homes and neighborhoods are flooded, and almost everyone who has a tree in his yard has a fallen tree that just barely missed his home. Amazingly, trees fell away from homes, in between homes, or aside the home. Many trees fell into power lines, and we saw a tree that had fallen onto a passing vehicle two days after the storm.
You should see the work that these linemen and arborists are doing. They come from all over the U.S. and Canada, and they are restoring power like lightning. They are cutting up those fallen trees and removing them just as quickly. My community is almost back to normal.
Just in time for another storm? I pray not!!!
UPDATE (as of 8 AM PST): Power was restored in the middle of the night. YAY!
NOW, onto today's Top Ten Tuesday:
Books I was required to read in school (as I remember). Interestingly, I remember more from elementary school, which was a Catholic private institution, in Brooklyn, where we studied classical education.
Junior high and high school I remember almost nothing, and I am tempted to say, I was not required to read anything in high school, except what I chose to read for a biography. So sad. Both schools were public schools in California.
Finally, for college, I know I read more, but these are the ones that stand out most. (I was supposed to read The House of Seven Gables, too, but I just used the Cliff Notes for my report. So that does not count.)
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL:
The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe - this was my favorite in 3rd grade.
Old Man and the Sea - I loved going through the analysis in 4th grade.
The Scarlet Letter - I cannot believe I read this one in 5th grade!
The Pearl - this one left an impression on me. I may have read it in 4th or 5th grade.
Of Mice and Men - I am shocked that we read this one in school because it contains curse words and blasphemy! I may have read this in 6th grade.
JUNIOR HIGH:
Where the Red Fern Grows - I remember the teacher was crying while she read this to us in class. I liked this one enough that I read ahead to finish it before everyone else.
HIGH SCHOOL:
The Diary of Anne Frank - read this in 9th grade, and it is still a favorite to read.
COLLEGE:
Kaffir Boy - read this book for English, and it shocked me. It is about apartheid, which I knew nothing about.
The Fountainhead - read this for architecture, and it was my first intro to Ayn Rand. I immediately related to her ideals.
Walden - Also for architecture. I wanted to live like Thoreau for awhile, but today, roughing it like this, nah. I'm over it.
Emerson - Another book for architecture. I remember liking Emerson's work very much, but I have to revisit it because I do not remember any of it.
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance - I had to read this for philosophy, but today I remember nothing from it.
