September Jumble

It's a cloudy day here, at the moment, but we're expecting another record high to be set before a cold front moves down from Wyoming.  We should be back to "normal" temperatures in the low- to mid-80s beginning tomorrow.  The kits are running in and out, including Miss Mocha.  They still hiss at one another, but now there are no claws out on Lovey.  Jim, the maintenance man is mowing the lawn out back, and the kids go out when the sound of the mower is faint, and come rushing back in as it approaches the patio. It's kind of like watching a wave pattern at the beach....

There are still about 90,000 homes without power in Maryland and 180,000 homes in Virginia without power, thanks to Irene. Now the question is , what is Katia going to do, and what about that tropical depression in the Caribbean?  The one in the Caribbean could put out the fires in Oklahoma and Texas, if it comes ashore in that area.  ....  There are wildfires burning in the Lakota Sioux Reservation in Wyoming and Montana.  Outfits from 5 states are battling those fires.

On Saturday at Saratoga, Havre de Grace will race against 7 colts in the 1 and 1/8 mile Woodward Stakes. She has defeated all the fillies in her 3-year-old group, and her owners decided it was time to take on the boys. Sidney's Candy will take on 8 other colts in the 7 furlong Forego Stakes on the same day. 

I'm getting ready to pay my rent, meet the new apartment manager, and pick up some bug traps from the office.  People are complaining about roaches again.  I've lived here for 6 years and have never seen a roach - though there are plenty of spiders, ants, and gypsy moths. -  I was bitten twice by spiders early this morning; the areas around the bites turned bright red, burned like fire, and swelled up tremendously.  I also became nauseated.  I took a lot of Benadryl, canceled walking the Rs, and slept in.  (Having been stung more than 53 times by yellow jackets on the head, face and neck when I was 3, I've had it drilled into me that any type of insect bite or sting above my shoulders is dangerous!)  -  Ah, well....  I have to remember to go and Boo her meds at 2 this afternoon!

Odds and Ends of August

Today is the last day to adopt a Free Feline from the Humane Society of Boulder Valley.  And, with my attention on Irene, I forgot to remind people that the Gainesville, Florida Cat Adopt-a-Thon occurred this past weekend.  I hope that a lot of families and folks adopted the 600+ cats that were available.  ....  We reached another record-setting high temperature today - that's 49 so far this summer, and we'll probably set another record tomorrow, as well.  ....  The wildfire fire near Possum Kingdom Lake in Texas is still out of control, and covers more than 4,000 acres.  The fire just outside of Oklahoma City is spreading like mad, due to the heat and winds, and the fact that there are lots of cedar trees in the area - they burn hot, fast, and with a tremendous upwards flame burst.  .... At least Hurricane Irene put a damper on the Great Dismal Swamp fire - it is now 90% contained.   ....  In today's Eastern Shore News, it's reported that there was about $100,000 worth of damage done by Irene on Chincoteague; most caused by falling trees (one mobile home was squashed by a tree).  ....  The red kids' parents have cancelled their visit to New York this weekend, because the family there has no power.  ....  Hurricane Irene swept away the beaches and beach parking areas on Assateague Island - both the Virginia and Maryland ends of the island are working around the clock, trying to get sand into place for the expected Labor Day weekend crowds.  On the Virginia end, Irene breached the beach into Swan's Cove, and literally removed the entire beach usually under the watch of life guards.  There are usually 931 parking spaces available on the southern end of Assateague, and authorities are hoping to get 200 to 300 prepared for the weekend.  Currently, the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge is open only to the turn-in for the visitor center; and to get to the life-guard area of the beach, a person must walk or ride a bike 2 miles along trails to get access to the beach, which is now north of Swan's Cove. - This according to a press release from the CNWR today.  .....  Last night, Lovey spent all night with anywhere between 2 and 4 feet touching me at all times.  Nedi jumped into the bed multiple times during the night, and gave me head-butts so I would scratch his ears and his chin.  Mocha spent a lot of time beside me on the sofa yesterday evening and today.  It's nice to be back home with my kits.  And since the Silvermans' are staying home this weekend, I get another night at home; I'll spend the weekend with Maggie May Barrera.

All Chincoteague Ponies are A-OK

Denise Bowden, the spokesperson for the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company, announced late this morning that the entire herd count was perfect.  With Hurricane Irene due to hit Chincoteague and Assateague, the Pony Committee members opened gates to higher ground (most notably to the White Hills) and stockpiled hay in several high areas.  Once folks were allowed back on the islands, the Pony Committee went to Assateague and counted noses.  All ponies were safe and sound.

Chincoteague Must Be Evacuated by Noon Saturday

While I was watching the Weather Channel before noon, they were showing an interview with the Governor of Virginia - and I laughed aloud when he said that the County of Accomack had instituted mandatory evacuations of low-lying areas, but the Town of Chincoteague  was under a mandatory evacuation of all non-residents, and evacuation for residents was voluntary.  (We Chincoteaguers are hard-headed cusses.) I checked the town's website, and all it said was that non-residents had to be gone from the island by 6 p.m.  Now the website says that all residents are under mandatory evacuation orders, and must be off the island by noon tomorrow.  Only "emergency personnel" will be allowed to stay.  -  The last time there was a mandatory evacuation, friends and families of the emergency personnel stayed on the island, as well.  -  The new town offices and complex has been built in Deep Hole, where the ground is low, soft, and surrounded by marshes.  I feel pretty sure the folks who stay will do so in the top story of the Fire Station on Main Street...  That's where they usually congregate during storms.
The forecasters say that there will be a four to eight-foot storm surge on top of over a foot of rain, plus the fact that it's also time for the higher-than-usual neap tides.  Kathy thinks that 8 feet of water would reach the window on the staircase at Grandpa's old house, but I think the window is at about 10 feet above the ground.  (I used to spend summer afternoons at that window, sitting on the stairs and reading Zane Gray books.)  It doesn't really matter, but we were trying to put that amount of water at a place we know well.  Tomorrow I'm going to write about mondegreens, and leave Irene alone.