Goodbye Irma, all is well

I am relieved to report that all of our Floridian relatives, cFam and Fin, have ridden Irma out with minimal damage. There was some worry here this weekend although I had my own personal hunch that things would be okay. Hurricanes (that I know of) tend to weaken upon landfall and as big as Irma was, Florida is a large peninsula. I know, I drove all over it last April!

Our cFam relatives are in the Bradenton area, which was expected to get hit pretty hard, so they lucked out with the weakening storm. Fin niece Pengo and her BF and two tortoiseshell catsas (she was calling them “purricanes”) are farther inland in Gainesville, although she posted a lovely pic of their flooded parking lot complete with some rafters, which I couldn’t help but smile at because I’d’ve probably been wanting to launch a kayak, well, except gators 🐊. I think everyone is without power. I would suggest generators for all but generators require gasoline and if you cannot get to a gas station, you cannot refill your generator. Also, they are not inexpensive. Sure loved having one when we lost power for a couple days last March, when it was NOT all that warm out. But we could easily get to the gas station (not to mention stores and restaurants, etc., were open).

I don’t know how our loverly old-school Sea Club resort fared out on Long Boat Key. I saw a random video of waterspouts in the gulf somebody posted from Long Boat Key. What little I saw of the actual *key* in that video indicated that it was still there, so I am optimistic. (Actually, it *looked* like the videographer was on a *boat*.) It is sad to me that Florida seems so over-developed in an unsustainable way. I loved our low-profile little rental. I did not love all of the high rise buildings along the beach to either side of it. I love Florida in small doses. I can’t imagine moving down there permanently or even for the winter. (Delete long, rambling, unintelligible thoughts about Florida and snowbirdism, and retiring to a place far from home and family. Don’t get it. Never have. Not sure I ever will.)

Meanwhile it is gorgeous here on The Planet Ann Arbor and here is a pic Lizard Breath took from the back of the back yard yesterday. Green, kind of messy, and overgrown gardens. Love this place anyway.

Good night and love to Florida and Georgia family and friends who are on the other side of Irma or getting there.

2 Responses to “Goodbye Irma, all is well”

  1. Elizabeth Says:

    Im glad Florida family is safe. Crazy news item I never have gotten the follow up on is whether or not the Tampa Bay, FL ever refilled or not after hurricane Irma allowed the bay to receed on Sunday Sept. 10, 2017. Any word from the owners of The Sea Club Resort? I Think thats the name of the resort you stayed in during this Spring.

  2. Margaret Says:

    Glad that the storm weakened; it seems like it was bad enough! I would hate not having power or gas.