Tuesday, July 22, 2008
After working all day to get the house ready for Hurricane Dolly, I'm tired. And worried. My first hurricane. Worried about flooding more than anything. Worried about those who live closer to the gulf, and those who live near the levees. Worried about the folks transported from the immigration detention centers. Worried that papeles are still important during disastrous times. Upset that the fed. gov. started working on the border wall this week instead of doing more to help us survive. Worried that the shelters being set up in town do not allow pets. Worried about projectiles flying through windows. Worried about those with infants. Worried about the elderly. Worried about those with few family members nearby. Happy to see neighbors joking today, at the sandbag station. A sense of comraderie as we filled our sandbags. Someone said, "Hello, Dolly!" and joked that the exercise in the heat was working off the big hamburger he ate. The RG Valley was alive today with activity. I can see now why people stock up on cerveza and party along with the storm. Now it is quiet. It's still quiet here. The rain is coming and the wind--soon. Before it got dark, the sky was pink, a pink I've never seen or noticed before. A slight flush, fever before the storm. It was hot today. I brought in all my lawn furniture and a few creepy crawlies came in too. I thought, should I save the fly that wants to come in with me or wave it outside? The bird (sparrow?) nest under the porch was just rebuilt this week after knocked down by wind. It will be the first to go. I heard a few green parakeets squawk by before sundown. I am impressed with everyone working together today. At the same time, I did not like how a woman opened her car door at the HEB that slammed into my car and didn't even say sorry. Just kind of looked my way for a second. And then proceeded to walk into HEB, fixing her hair. It wasn't even windy yet. Not one bit of wind. I'm in the outer bands, I believe. I send a prayer to the universe for all who are closer to more flooding and more struggle and hope all make it through this. I grew up in Cali, and don't fear earthquakes. But I fear hurricanes (and tornadoes... thought about The Wizard of Oz today... yes, the early evening sky felt like that eery and strangely fascinating technicolor); the unknown. Peace.
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5 comments:
my daughter Winter worries about the rolly polly and snails outside. She asked what people do with dogs and what happens to animals on farms. She packed on her own, her scooby do dog, teddy bear, purse and wipies. (I'm not going anywhere, but she thinks we have to. She is five!)
take care. the worst thing is the fear and the not knowing. once the storm comes, it's all over. you just wait and hope when it's over you feel relief and not alarm. cervezas are definitely in order. not that i've been through so many hurricanes, but i guess enough to have a few words to share. here's hoping you and your loved ones end up relieved.
Thanks so much to both of you for your comments. I appreciate them very much.
Still up listening for what I think is wind or rain, but it's still quiet here as of right now.
P.S. Noemi: Winter is definitely a poet. :)
Emmy,
I've never been through a hurricane but I've been through a few big floods. This quiet time is strange, isn't it? A kind of relief, before and after, when people do come together. My thoughts are with you. Take good care of everyone who ends up in the house.
Gina
Someone I met, or should I say, my alter ego, on second life told me not to thank goodness, but to thank god. It's funny, you know. It's hard to believe in god when I see that people are less christian in a time of crisis. Yesterday, while filling up sand bags for Jyg's place, the vultures were out. Some of them claimed not to be together in order to get more bags of sand. My area rarely floods, if at all. I didn't get sand bags because I thought there are more deserving people.
And yesterday, while filling up a three-gallon jug with water, I left a spare quarter behind on the windmill. If there is a god, I hope he gave it to the right person.
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