As I mentioned in my last post, I drove through the outer edge of Tropical Storm Eta on my return trip. I felt fortunate to sneak home before the tempest arrived.

One of the reasons I haven’t been too concerned during this hurricane season is that the Tampa area hasn’t had a direct hit in about 100 years (though, of course, I know that’s not an indicator of future trends).

The next morning, after reading the warnings, I decided to err on the side of caution and install the hurricane fabric that the previous owners had left behind. As I explained to my neighbor, it was my first rodeo so I wasn’t sure what to expect.

Unfortunately, the panels were not labeled, parts were missing, and the anchors were incorrectly installed. I discovered all of that while standing on a ladder in the rain. Good times!

Regardless, I did the best I could and it afforded me a bit of peace of mind as I listened to the wind howling around the house later that night.

Thankfully, all my preparations were for naught as the storm blew north of me. The next morning dawned warm and sunny, and in my new neighborhood things looked pretty darn normal.

My old neighborhood, however, did not fare as well. My afternoon walk to the beach was almost a swim. Low-lying areas were still flooded, and so many houses were trying to dry out. Friends of mine suffered some water damage, including a refrigerator that blew out since they had neglected to unplug it. Thankfully, they were all safe!

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I have to admit though, the excess water did provide a scenic backdrop.

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On a side note, someone missed me. Well, not me, but apparently my car…thanks for the mess, Morrissey! That’s the name I gave the big, sweet neighborhood tom cat. He doesn’t care what I call him, he doesn’t answer anyway.