We had heard about Hurricane Irene coming up the coast and we wanted to be prepared.
On the morning that the brunt of the storm was to be over us, these three guys put on their hurrricane uniforms.
I washed out this big water cooler and filled it and many old juice bottles with water. I probably had 12-15 gallons of water saved in containers. My biggest fear is to have the power go out and then be unable to use our well. I felt a responsibility to my whole family to be ready. That is why I also went to Walmart and bought six of everything they had in the store so we would have plenty of food to feed not only ourselves but also the neighbors if the worst happened!
Tall, blessed candles were set up in case we lost power.
We neatened up the yard and secured the lawn chairs so they wouldn't become missiles in gale-force winds. Then we spent the entire dark and gently windy, lightly raining day waiting for something big to happen.The whole day felt like we were waiting for the other shoe to drop. It never did. It was somewhat disappointing, like when they forecast 12 inches of snow and you get only a dusting.
The next morning, the weather could not have been more beautiful!!!!
The air was as fresh as it could be and it was sunny and cooler!
Perfect for laundry, I hung 27 of Jeff's white t-shirts out to dry. Like any good bachelor, he has a month's worth of clothing to tide him over in between laundry days.
We took advantage of the spectacular freshness of the atmosphere to watch fireworks out front.
Everyone came over throughout the day, so we were able to visit with nine of the ten children in this family with their spouses and friends.
The main lesson that I learned from preparing for this hurricane was that you never know. The poor folks in Vermont had a terrible time and There But for the Grace of God go we. You cannot prepare for everything nor in the exact way that it will be needed. Make reasonable preparations as able, and Trust in God.
By the way, I hated to have to throw out all the water I had stored away. A friend mentioned that it could be used to fill up the washing machine and that is what I did!!!
