Well Hello Dolly...
 

Can't post to my journal and might not be able to update later so...

TS Dolly approaches me from the south east. Upgraded from a tropical depression to a tropical storm early this morning. Current tracking has it dead centered on my current location. It's not a monster. It's not a hurricane. Maximum winds were being clocked at 45mph. I look at this like an exercise. An exercise in being prepared for what may well follow. They're predicting an above average number of named storms this season. This could be a good test for me. I've spent a day restocking my trauma bag. You'd be amazed at the number of auto accidents I come across down here. In less then a year here I've bought more gauze, tape, dressings and instant ice packs then I did the last 10 years in Oregon. Guess nothing goes out of date this way. I've stocked up on canned, high protein, foods, nuts, fresh water and dog food. I have all my holding tanks full of fresh (undrinkable) water and I've cleared the yard of all debris. I know from living on the Oregon coast it's not that the winds blowing- it's what the winds blowing*. This afternoon I'll headed down to fill up on gas for my truck and buy a few batteries. I have several rechargeable batteries I normally use. But if the powers out for several days while they deal with flooding extra batteries and my Coleman lantern will come in handy. I've also pre-cut plywood covers for all my windward windows. They slide between my security bars and they can be installed in less then 15mins.

Update at 8:30- Covered the pool just as the winds picked up. According to the weather reporting system I use Dolly is almost directly on top of Cozumel and still on track to hit me at 1pm tomorrow afternoon. Winds from this system are currently being reported less then 35mph. I would assume once the system makes landfall it will loose some punch. So basically this should be a non-event for me other then rain. But if I'm off or gone for a couple days it's because I lost power or net.

I've said it before- life's a lot of things down here, boring isn't one of them.

*credit to Ron White- but he's right.

Wow, thats crazy. Hope it all works out good for you and everyone in the area. Much different life than living in the prairies thats for sure.

The 5am update:

Over night Dolly's taken a more northerly turn unless it jogs near directly west at this point it "missed me by this much." Thanks Maxwell Smart where ever you are. But you folks in the south Texas coast area might want to keep an eye on this one. As it moves over the warm open water in the Gulf It'll have a real chance to build strength and become a Cat I hurricane.

It's raining, it's windy but I think it's dying Down now.

Thanks everyone for the PM's and messages.

Think this gave me a pretty good (somewhat) dry run through for getting hurricane ready.

I think by this afternoon I'll be uncovering the pool and soaking up rays.

Ahhh, thats more like it.

I'm enjoying the pool and sun again, yes it is more like it.

I keep track of these systems due to my location. Dolly's getting ready to hit northern Mexico and south Texas. It's now a hurricane. A class one so mainly a ton of rain, don't think the winds are going to be that much of an issue, but?

Last I checked there was a another system just off the African coast that has my attention.

when i lived in central Florida durring the 2004 hurricane season, we got hit by Charlie, Frances, Ivan, and Jeanne. (By we, i mean the county i live in, not the state as a whole)

we took the eye on most of them. lost power basically the whole summer. it was such a drag.

it a bummer getting whacked by a hurricane, but its also an awesome experience.

Not sure exactly where you're at, and even though she's a Cat 1, you sound might prepared.

The good news is that this experience will have prepared you for the next one.

Only three more months of hurricane season to go! :thumbsup:

Be safe.

I'm a couple hours from Cancun on the north side of the Yucatan.

Yeah, three months of the most historically active part of the season. Gez, maybe I am a "glass is half empty" kind of guy. Always thought of myself as a "half full" type.

I've still been following Dolly even though it past me days ago. I'm glad it missed most of the oil interests in the gulf. Don't need that market or dollar dropping anymore.