We’ve been through this before and it never gets fun, let me tell ya.
A little over a week ago, we thought Florida’s west coast was going to get a tropical storm. Then, it was going to be a Cat 1 hurricane. Then, a Cat 2, etc. For about three days, we were told Dorian would head straight across the state, right over St. Pete. We did the usual. Filled up water containers (why-oh-why do people buy bottled water instead of water CONTAINERS they can fill before a storm?), filled up all of our gas containers, gassed up our vehicles, added lines to the boat, double-checked that our boat insurance was sufficient, got reservations at the local Hilton (which is Cat 5 certified), freaked out, prayed, wondered how high our blood pressure had climbed, and finally resigned ourselves to the fact that we just might lose our home (our boat).
Aaaaaaand, after we finished all of those preparations, the forecast changed entirely once again and Dorian was then going to move up the eastern coast of the state, and possibly not hit Florida at all. However, he was moving so slowly that we didn’t let our guard down. We just had to hunker down and wait while Dorian tossed a few windy spitballs our way in the process. No Tan Lines would be sitting in the hot sun and, suddenly, the wind would start racing and big, fat raindrops would start. Then, it would be sunny again. And, then another squall would come up. Wash, rinse, repeat.
While I do very much enjoy the rainy season, I am no longer keen on hurricanes. I’ve actually sat down and made a list of what we would do if we do lose the boat some day. I don’t want to live on dirt again but, if a big ones hits, there will be a shortage of local boats to buy so maybe, in the meantime, we’d buy another RV to live, work, and travel in while we considered our options. What I absolutely know is that I never, ever want to have another mortgage with astronomical insurance, homeowner’s association fees, ridiculous property taxes, and so much more. And, I never want to live in something that can’t be moved from one place to another.
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Angela Hoy lives on a mountain in North Georgia. She is the publisher of WritersWeekly.com, the President and CEO of BookLocker.com and AbuzzPress, and the author of 24 books.
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Angela is the creator of the Original 24-Hour Short Story Contest!
Learn more here: https://24hourshortstorycontest.com/
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So relieved to know you and family and “home” are all okay. I admire your attitude. Cheers to you.
I am so glad you are all alright. I have travelling across the country the last two weeks and have heard little bits about the hurricane, until today! I was informed that my future home is gone! : { I finally stopped and looked at the pictures and thought about everyone there and the idea of Mackenzie having to learn how to use duct tape at such a young age. : )