The Cone of Uncertainty

Here we are again, watching Tropical Storm Hanna traipsing across the Atlantic, and the forecasters have a new scary term, "The Cone of Uncertainty," which spreads across my house, of course, in their forecast. That's what I hate about this season: uncertainty. Imagine those people who leave New Orleans on the bus with one suitcase. What's in it? What do we treasure most that would fit in one suitcase? I hope they are spared this time, but it's not looking good. I think it's time hurricanes had less benign names. They should be called "Terminator" or "Psycho." My grandmother used to pace and wring her hands when a storm was coming. I may try that. It might help.

Smoky Mountain Memory

We recently went to Tennessee, a place that tugs at my heartstrings, and I'm reliving it with these scenes from the Smokies.


This waterfall was tucked away on a shady dirt road.

The Seas Were Angry That Day, My Friend

...to quote George on "Seinfeld." We started experiencing the Not-a-Hurricane Fay on Tuesday, and we are finally, on Friday, down to the last bands of rain. There has been tremendous flooding in our town, but my house is high and dry. We're so fortunate! Snakes, gators and fish are in places they shouldn't be, but the waters are receding and things may soon be back to normal. The surf looks very brown and dirty. I walked on the beach this morning with my camera and got lots of closeups of birds. They were just standing around, exhausted, and didn't care if I walked right up to them. They had the attitude of "I haven't got another flap left in me."

Waiting for Hurricane Fay

Well, here we go again. This is our wakeup call, just 60 mph winds predicted (so far) and lots of flooding and tornado warnings. It's been four years since we were slammed by hurricanes Jeanne and Frances in rapid succession, and I've let myself get very complacent instead of getting into the frantic preparation mode of past years. I think it's partly because every time I look for something, it's in the Hurricane Box. Now they have come up with a new lame idea for safeguarding important papers: mail them to a friend or relative. If it's small enough to fit in a flat rate box, it's small enough to carry away in your car as you evacuate!

Good things about hurricanes: You get to know your neighbors better.
Bad things about hurricanes: Everything else.

I remember a hurricane hitting my grandmother's house when I was very young, and everyone was so serious, I knew it was a very bad thing. My grandmother said that when she was in a hurricane in her first house, way out in an orange grove, the wind lifted the linoleum off the floor. Florida houses were set on large blocks up off the ground back then, to keep them cool. They were called Cracker Houses, and the one I grew up in is still standing. It's over 100 years old.

Wish we'd thought to go to Blockbuster...

Somber Mural

I painted this mural a couple weeks ago. It was hidden until today at River Run Christian Church in Eau Gallie, FL. At the end of a series of sermons about the Seven Deadly Sins, they turned around the boards to reveal the mural on the back, then I went up and painted the blood.

Between the music and what I was doing, I got very emotional. Some people told me they couldn't sing because they were choked up. It was a very gratifying thing to do and I'm honored that they asked me to do it.