Waiting for Earl

For about a week now there's been a lot of talk and reports about Hurricane Earl. It's been tracked meticulously by weather and news stations constantly. As the week and the hurricane progressed so has the warnings. It is actually predicted that good ol' Earl has a fifty-fifty chance of hitting Nova Scotia as a category 1 tomorrow, but that might change. It seems to change on an hourly basis. I tend to look at weather reports with askance. In my opinion, they're wrong more than they are right. And my neighbour thinks they're making more out of this than there really is. He's 86 and he's seen more weather than these young hot-shots on the tube with their images and computers and cool colour mapping of Earl. But you never know. I learned my lesson about that being on the island less than a month with a blizzard I didn't really take seriously.

In the time I've been here, I've seen remnants of tropical storms and they can be very destructive but they will likely pale beside an hurricane, no matter what category it is. So I'm going to hope for the best and prepare for the worse. As I do so, a little niggling worry rattles around in my heart. I can clear the veranda of loose items - needed to be done anyhow. Don can make sure the generator is gassed up in in top working order. I can take in all my gardening tools and make sure the tomato teepees are sturdy and anchored well. I can take a good look around the chicken coop and make sure the windows are in tonight and that the lights are working. I'll do head count and re-do it just to be on the safe side, I'll make sure the Coop Cat is in. I can make sure there's lots of food and water - it's harvest season, we have oodles of food. But there are some things I cannot protect, there's only so much one can do. The corn and my beloved trees are on their own. I'm glad we topped the trees earlier this summer, that should help them stay resolute against winds that are predicted to top 120 k/h.

Hopefully it won't be as bad as they say but if it is at least I won't be looking for my wheelbarrow in the next county when it's done. Be safe, my neighbours, my trees, chickens and garden.