Vageries Of The Weather

It's always a bit hard to determine with any exactitude, but I suspect the many thousands who elected to "stand their ground" on Galveston Island would agree that Hurricane Ike has well and truly come ashore right about now.

Not that they'll have much attention to spare for such niceties of description. The storm surge and rising tide will have seen to it that they will have been doing very well indeed to still have their heads mostly above water by this point in the proceedings. See here for why and scroll down for more.

Here in Tyler (visualise basically a straight line drawn between Dallas, TX and Shreveport, LA on a map and Tyler is almost exactly halfway in-between the two along I-20), the wind is only occasionally gusting with upper winds moving bands of cloud across the moonlit night sky at a clearly visible pace. No rain as of yet. As can be seen from this NOAA storm track map, it seems the eye of the by-then probably very strong Tropical Storm Ike will pass just barely to the west of Tyler about 2PM today. Winds 65 gusting 75 with a possible six to eight inches of rain is nothing to make light of, but the speed of travel Ike is expected to develop as it progresses inland has the storm essentially clearing this portion of E. Texas by midnight or so Saturday night.

I expect electrical power will go out at some point during the morning and can only hope TXU (my electrical service provider) will be able to have it restored reasonably quickly. Their past performance here within the city limits has been quite good in this regard so chances seem good at this point. Not to worry, I have the latest offerings from Steve Stirling and Neal Stephenson to wend away the entirely-too-windy-and-rainy daylight hours with and an ample supply of battery powered reading light(s) as well.

Given the dietary restrictions my diabetes imposes upon me I've spent the last couple hours baking a week's worth of chicken and slicing it up for sandwiches. Not that I'm in even the remotest proximity to it you understand, but starvation isn't going to be a concern whatever Ike still has to offer. 3 dozen bottles of diet iced tea and several quarts of Crystal Light should keep the inside of me as well hydrated as the outside looks to get. So, I'm adequately well fed, well watered and (need I even say it?) more than adequately well armed. Presuming the entire building doesn't head for Oz (the kitties will not like that), the weekend promises to be pleasantly adventurous (you know, it's actually you involved, but the really deep shit part is still comfortably off in the distance - maybe you can see it if you squint real hard).

I hope the ladies of Roseholme Cottage will think kindly of me when Ike gives them a gentle (if still sloppily wet) kiss the following afternoon. :)