Terrapin Station

Talk about your really dangerous ANTICLIMAX

Now that Hurricane Rita has veered east and has so far done her damage mostly in Louisiana (again) -- poor Lake Charles -- poor, poor New Orleans -- people will say, "Well!  Why did we bother to evacuate!  This storm got weaker at the end, and it didn't even do much in Houston, nor in Galveston."  Nor in Denton, where a huge college fair and an airshow to benefit Katrina victims were cancelled due to impending bad weather.  On Wednesday, NOAA predictions had the storm's path headed directly for us, with a Category One hurricane stalling over this area by tonight.  We have Houston refugees here at UNT.  And it's barely rained. 

Now that "nothing happened," I'm afraid that people will get slack and lazy again.  What if we have another hurricane next week?  Will all of Houston be so quick to jump back on the highway?  Bet not.

Thanks to all who prayed for my family.  I talked to my sister today; the rehab facility director decided that she would NOT put her residents on a bus (thank you!) and instead boarded up and kept everyone there.  My sister's home didn't even lose power; my cousins and aunt & uncle have tree limbs down. 

I know the people of Lake Charles and the families of those killed in the bus explosion need our support, prayers, and help.   

Car Wreck in Slow Motion

Thanks to Reverend Mother for the image.  That's exactly what it's like, waiting for this storm to hit. 

My Houston sister e-mailed this morning.  Her mother is in a local rehab facility since breaking her hip a few weeks ago; the center planned to stay open and indicated that they had plenty of supplies, generators, etc.  So my sister & brother and their families were staying in Houston (not that they could have gotten out if they'd tried...)

BUT, late last night, the rehab center called to say that their corporate offices had decided to evacuate all their residents to Fort Worth on buses.  Barbara said she couldn't feature sending her mom (who also has Alzheimer's) away on a bus, so she was headed to the center this morning to bring Beverly to her house.  Please keep them in your prayers; this will likely be a difficult situation. 

We woke up to the news this morning of the bus fire killing 24 elderly evacuees south of Dallas. 

It's looking like the hurricane will go farther east than Houston, for which thank God...can you imagine the effect on all those thousands of people stuck in traffic if the storm came right over them?  (But we may still get to see this). 

My grocery store is out of water (250 miles north of the coast).

When will we wake up from THIS nightmare?

Y'all Come On Up Here!

It is unbelievable that we are facing another hurricane, but here it comes. 

This is a super fast message to say:

If you are currently in the Houston / Galveston area, GET UP HERE!!!  I am not kidding!  I want to see you at my house, whether I have met you or not.  Get on I-45 and head north.  At some point, stop and call my cell phone (940-206-6138), and I will give you directions.  Quotidian Grace, this means YOU! and your family.

We have a spare room with twin beds, a motor home that sleeps 6, and plenty of floor and couch space.

My Houston sister has just e-mailed back to a similar offer to say that she has promised her mother (who is in a rehab facility) that she will not leave the city.  So, would you please keep my Houston-area family (Beverly, Barbara, Dean, Don, Marian, Katie, Kelly, Oliver, Emily, John, Jane & Mark) in your prayers, along with all the many thousands of other people who, it looks like, will be affected.