The Experiment – A 365 Day Search For Happiness

It is drawing closer. The sky is growing darker, there is wind stirring the trees and the leaves are beginning to come down, gently, ever so gently. The storm is moving closer.

I look out my windows here in my studio and see birds coming so close, in the camellia bush, on the deck, and I am afraid for them. Where will they go? Yesterday a feral cat was on my deck. He never comes that close. And you can’t catch them. They were born in these woods, they disappear before your eyes, where will they go?

I just took the dogs out to the potty. I brought in big tote bags from the back of the car which is tucked safely in the garage. I am preparing now to move things to our shelter in the hallway in the center of the house. I will pack one tote bag with food, drinks, and so on and the other bag will be books, electronic devices and power cords, for as long as we have power. I have already moved the big long cushions, 4 to pile on top of one another to make a bed. All manner of things already here at hand I am preparing to hang from the doorknobs in the hall. The hallway will be our fortress. There is a small bathroom there with the tub filled with water and a bucket for flushing if need be. A closet with dogfood. All manner of everything will be there.

My dear neighbor, Keith, who lives directly across the street is a fireman. He was here this morning to check on me and take down a hanging light that I could not reach, everything else all the way around the room is already taken down. He said it looked like I was in good shape, that the hall is a good plan when the worst hits, that I should text him if I need him, he will be at the fire station which is pretty near, and he will be back on Saturday and will check on me. I have every conceivable thing that I can think of or that anyone has suggested taken care of. Now we wait.

At this point it’s the waiting that’s the hardest. The hurricane has been, over the last 24 hours, downgraded from a Category 4 to a Category 2. That is good news of course but the rain predictions are worse. UP to 40 inches of rain, the flooding will be bad. I am in an area that doesn’t usually flood in bad storms so I am hoping I will be okay.

The winds are picking up. Crows are cawing loudly. The pugs are sleeping and snoring here beside me. I moved Vincent the Beta fish into the next room where there are no windows. I keep looking around and wondering what to do next and how soon. When it gets bad I will turn off this computer and unplug it, move and cover it. Then we will move to the next room, to our big recliner, with the phone beside me staying plugged in so it stays fully charged until there is no more power.

Texts are coming in from every direction between all of our family members. A couple of dear friends have called this morning. I did another Live on Facebook this morning thanking people for all of the love, prayers and support. People have been so kind. If you have tried to contact me there and I don’t answer please know how much I appreciate you but I can’t answer many people now. I will post what I can when I can. That is all I can do now.

And so we are one day closer to the hurricane making landfall. It was supposed to happen this morning but conditions keep changing, now it will likely be tomorrow, or even as late as Saturday morning, but wind and rain will start before the hurricane hits. Early intimations of it are evident now.

I am afraid but fairly calm. I appreciate your prayers. Please keep them coming.