A Lovely Rainy Day

It is June.  June 6 to be exact, Jennifer Oakley Rosenboom's birthday.  It is a lovely gray rainy day here.  Andrea, a tropical storm with winds @ 60 mph sustained is sloshing across the Gulf heading towards Florida.  North Florida, the pan handle, Big Bend area.  It is predicted to make shore this evening somewhere within 50 miles or so from us.  It apparently shouldn't be a problem according to the weather channel.  They haven't sent anyone here.  You know you are in trouble when you look out your door and see someone from the weather channel.  No one here.  They don't even have us marked with a "severe thunderstorm" threat.  We are in a tropical storm watch, but they are not predicting "severe thunderstorms".  I have been through a dozen or so hurricanes (really, I was counting them up the other day) and most of them weren't anything more then a sever thunderstorm.  So now that they are predicting the storm to come ashore on a NNE path to a rural area between coastal Taylor, coastal Jefferson and Wakulla county.  Not to worry though, all of the areas predicted to be where the storm "hits" is rural, so no concern.  As one of the people in that "rural" area, I understand we are not looking at damage like St. Petersburg, but Hello!!!!  We can hear you.  Quit referring to us as no concern.  Any damage, will be occurring to our roads and property, so it is a concern to us

Am I concerned?  No, after Hurricane Charley on August 13, 2004 hit my home @ 168 mph, that was a concern.  A tropical storm, lopsided with most of the rain to the east of us, is something to be aware of, but not much concern.  Bug and I have walked around the yard, closing umbrellas, putting pots on he ground, putting toys up in the barn, and just generally taking notice of the yard and keeping the weather in perspective, but be intelligently prepared.  Bug filled up the truck and filled up containers just in case power should go out from a tree going down.  We will still have gas for our generator.  Our last trip to the Commissary we had picked up batteries to be prepared for hurricane season. 

At this moment we are watching motorcycle racing on the Isle of Man and flipping back and forth to the weather channel.  We are enjoying the slower pace, the cooler temps, the clear air washed clean from the last few days of rain.  My gardens are happy, happy, happy.  The flowers bent over from the rain as it dances on their heads.  It is glorious.  For up to date information on Andrea, because it may not be much of a threat for us, but she is going to just rain across Florida and then head up the Atlantic.  Watching the weather channel, y'all need to watch out been cause they are more concerned for you then us.  You can watch up to time radar on Ms Moon's blog. She has a live radar.  Cool

Saw Dr. May last week and all is going very well.  My liver and blood numbers are looking good, so we just keep doing what we are doing.  My next Pet scan is next month.  I am feeling good and strong.  Loving all the time I spend in my gardens.  I have survived the loss of my beloved nurse Bobbi.  She is happy, happy, happy in St. Louis with her honey and son.  I miss Dr. M, and his beautiful smile.  But he stays in touch.  Betty Ann is still there and I am enjoying my relationship with Dr. May. 

Saturday Bug and I will  head down to Palmetto for my nephew, Nathaniel's Eagle Scout Court of Honor.  Bug is an Eagle Scout, so he will be my guide through the ceremony.  I am making Zen cookies and Coconut cake.  We will stay there for a couple of days before heading back home.  Next week the garden maker is coming.  I am so excited.  My brain can't shut it off.  Day or night, my mind races with ideas.  What kind of fountain?  What should the paths be made of.  By putting up privacy walls, what type of micro climates will I be making.  Will I cut the air flow and just cause garden problems, let alone comfort issues.  How big should the little cooking area be.  And most importantly, the chicken coop.   I know he will have lots of great ideas and will have answers for all of these questions.  I am 57.  My friends are turning 58, so will I in October.  I have Stage 4 lung cancer and I am getting ready to build my secret garden.   I feel like a little kid waiting for Santa.  This is the most exciting gardening I have ever done.  Summer is coming, so is Andrea.  The garden maker is coming.   Oh such sweet joy and happiness.  I have been burning up the inter-net looking at fountains, pavers, decks, and walls.  I have my chicken garden book, my feng shui garden book and I am looking out on the gray drizzling day and it looks like the scene when Dorothy opens the house door and it is green and bright and dazzling with the color of Oz.  That is what I see.  Life is wonderful here!!