Wednesday, September 12, 2018

I can’t imagine…



My BFF and her husband and two cats upped sticks going on three years ago, and moved to a string of South Carolina that is a bridge or two out in the ocean. They simply were sick and tired of winter. And yes, they did do some research into hurricanes, and there hadn’t been a “big one” for a long time.

Laura and I visited Carol and Frank last summer. Lovely home, beautiful island. A crocodile sauntered along the footpath around the lake.  It was a lovely day, and I sat on the deck and wrote a post. 

We did all the touristy things; a carriage ride around Charleston, a visit to America’s only tea plantation, a stop to see the four hundred year old Angel Oak in South Carolina. An old Gullah woman was weaving sea grass baskets, and we have two of them to hold Laura’s burgeoning shell collection.

We all know The Storm of a Lifetime is bearing down on the Carolina's. I called Carol on Tuesday, because I worry like that.  I asked where they were headed.  This will be their third evacuation in two years, and the previous two were back to Ohio. I’m happy for an extra visit. She texted she would let me know. No time to talk.

Carol and Frank have retired to South Carolina, but they are travelling people. Friends and family to visit from coast to coast. They left a Michigan vacation early to get home in time to batten down and evacuate. Fortunately, their two cats vacation cheerfully in the back third of their Chrysler. 

But, off the top of my head, they still had a freezer of food in their garage, plus another car, plus all that outdoor furniture and whatever else natives know to take care of ahead of a storm. And, they aren’t natives.

I cannot visualize Frank screwing sheets of plywood over doors and windows.

To all our friends on the east coast, stay safe.


34 comments:

  1. How scary! I hope they are out of there by now. Hurricanes are so unpredictable.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Oh dear we heard about it over here hope all are safe and their homes come through ok.
    Merle............

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hope they escape far enough away, Joanne.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Scary stuff. I hope your friends come through everything okay. I'd take a winter blizzard over a hurricane any day of the week, myself.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Most hurricanes are frightening and this one sounds especially so. I hope your friends are gone from there and in safer territory. My good friend’s daughter is a hospital nurse in Charleston and is staying. The low country is going to be hit hard and these brave people are staying behind to care for the sick and injured.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I always thought I would want to retire near the ocean. The mountains are looking better and better!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Thoughts and prayers for Frank and Carol and alla the others in the path of the hurricane.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Florence is scary enough, but what should really frighten folks is that this is going to become commonplace . . .

    Safe travels to your friends and all those evacuating.

    ReplyDelete
  9. I sure hope they've heeded the government's pleas to evacuate. We have shelters set up all over the state and plenty of national guard soldiers and emergency workers standing by ready to help. The main thing is to be off the roads once storm surge and flooding start!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Good that your friends are evacuating. Things can always be replaced, but not people, so glad that they are wise to not be in the area when the storm hits.

    betty

    ReplyDelete
  11. I saw that storm on TV news last night, but they only said "East Coast" so I didn't know exactly where. I'm glad your friends are evacuating. there was an American spokesperson saying, "don't wait until the last minute, don't wait and see, GO NOW"

    ReplyDelete
  12. I wish all will stay safe where ever they are.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Worrying times, sadly we cannot fight the forces of nature. Hope everyone stays safe and it’s over soon.

    ReplyDelete
  14. I wouldn't want to be right on the coast.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Hari Om
    Have good blogpals in N Carolina on red alert. All prayers from this side for safety... YAM xx

    ReplyDelete
  16. We have been hearing about the hurricane on our news over here, they have been speaking to people who plan to sit it out - which sounds risky. I hope everyone gets through it.

    ReplyDelete
  17. It has weakened a little bit...lets hope it continues to do so.

    ReplyDelete
  18. They're fortunate to be travellers and to be able to escape quite easily. Right now, winter seems like a decent alternative. :)

    ReplyDelete
  19. You never know with these hurricanes. It could revert to a tropical storm at any time. I'm hoping for the best for all the people in the path of this monster.

    ReplyDelete
  20. well, I see this morning it's been downgraded to a 2, still a big dangerous storm.

    ReplyDelete
  21. We've lived down here in Georgia for 15 years and until 3 years ago hurricanes were not a problem. We lived in inland Georgia in the 80s and never had a hurricane. Global warming.

    ReplyDelete
  22. I guess one has to accept these things when they want to live in Paradise. I do hope the Carolinians are spared catastrophic damage.

    ReplyDelete
  23. We have cousins (who we only see at funerals sadly) on Hatteras. I worry about their safety.

    ReplyDelete
  24. I've been through 4 storms since I moved to central Florida - never even saw one when I lived on either coast. What most folks don't understand is that getting through the storm is just the beginning; the clean-up in some ways is harder because it just goes on and on and grinds you down. Then there's what they do to you. I really enjoyed a good thunderstorm until Charlie. Now they make me nervous. And I hate that; I feel like I was robbed.

    ReplyDelete
  25. I'm afraid of giant storms as we don't have them, but I hear that folk are scared of experiencing an earthquake. Knock wood, ours haven't yet been too catastrophic.

    ReplyDelete
  26. We keep seeing about the hurricane's progress on our News. I believe it is not quite as strong as it was. We will be thinking of our friends over there.

    ReplyDelete
  27. One of my two cousins lives in Charlotte. She says her house is surrounded by scaffolding. I so hope it survives.
    Yup, I bought the book and am half way through.

    ReplyDelete
  28. It looks to be a bad one. I hope people get out safely. It is easy to say things can be replaced. It is harder to replace them. But you have to be alive to even try.

    ReplyDelete
  29. It's awfully scary. I sure do know how it feels. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for all the people on the East coast.

    ReplyDelete
  30. Hope your friends are safe. Dtr of family friends in Carolinas and am hoping they're far enough inland to be safe.

    Came across your blog elsewhere -- Ohio caught my eye. Then discovered your quilts and thought of my Mom (original northeast Ohio heritage) and those she had made which I have now. Also, when legally blind she hooked unique rugs (not the kind you could put in your washing machine) with original patterns based somewhat on old quilt patterns, she said, though she could no longer do flowers. Was able to do geometric patterns. She started them for fun but ultimately furniture stores (first in Coshocton, O.) and later antique/gift shops in Scottsdale, AZ, Hawaii and California sold them. She's been gone many years.

    ReplyDelete
  31. Quite a few of my blogmates and FB friends live in the hurricane area and have either evacuated or are preparing to. I fear that climate change might mean "big ones" get a lot more frequent. I hope your friends (and cats) stay safe.

    ReplyDelete
  32. stay safe indeed. We'll get a flick of the storm's tail in a fortnight...but nothing to compare with what they're getting

    ReplyDelete
  33. I do think weather is getting worse. My Japanese friends have had one thing after another this year.

    ReplyDelete