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.
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.
To all our friends on the east coast, stay safe.
How scary! I hope they are out of there by now. Hurricanes are so unpredictable.
ReplyDeleteOh dear we heard about it over here hope all are safe and their homes come through ok.
ReplyDeleteMerle............
Hope they escape far enough away, Joanne.
ReplyDeleteScary stuff. I hope your friends come through everything okay. I'd take a winter blizzard over a hurricane any day of the week, myself.
ReplyDeleteMost 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.
ReplyDeleteI always thought I would want to retire near the ocean. The mountains are looking better and better!
ReplyDeleteThoughts and prayers for Frank and Carol and alla the others in the path of the hurricane.
ReplyDeleteFlorence is scary enough, but what should really frighten folks is that this is going to become commonplace . . .
ReplyDeleteSafe travels to your friends and all those evacuating.
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!
ReplyDeleteGood 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.
ReplyDeletebetty
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"
ReplyDeleteStay safe indeed.
ReplyDeleteI wish all will stay safe where ever they are.
ReplyDeleteWorrying times, sadly we cannot fight the forces of nature. Hope everyone stays safe and it’s over soon.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't want to be right on the coast.
ReplyDeleteHari Om
ReplyDeleteHave good blogpals in N Carolina on red alert. All prayers from this side for safety... YAM xx
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.
ReplyDeleteIt has weakened a little bit...lets hope it continues to do so.
ReplyDeleteThey're fortunate to be travellers and to be able to escape quite easily. Right now, winter seems like a decent alternative. :)
ReplyDeleteYou 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.
ReplyDeletewell, I see this morning it's been downgraded to a 2, still a big dangerous storm.
ReplyDeleteWe'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.
ReplyDeleteI guess one has to accept these things when they want to live in Paradise. I do hope the Carolinians are spared catastrophic damage.
ReplyDeleteWe have cousins (who we only see at funerals sadly) on Hatteras. I worry about their safety.
ReplyDeleteI'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.
ReplyDeleteI'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.
ReplyDeleteWe 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.
ReplyDeleteOne of my two cousins lives in Charlotte. She says her house is surrounded by scaffolding. I so hope it survives.
ReplyDeleteYup, I bought the book and am half way through.
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.
ReplyDeleteIt's awfully scary. I sure do know how it feels. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for all the people on the East coast.
ReplyDeleteHope your friends are safe. Dtr of family friends in Carolinas and am hoping they're far enough inland to be safe.
ReplyDeleteCame 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.
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.
ReplyDeletestay safe indeed. We'll get a flick of the storm's tail in a fortnight...but nothing to compare with what they're getting
ReplyDeleteI do think weather is getting worse. My Japanese friends have had one thing after another this year.
ReplyDelete