Preparing for Ike. Pugsy to the Rescue.

Bobcat didn't want to go on her screen porch this morning. That's a first. It is still a sunny day, not raining or windy. But the pressure is dropping on my barometer.

I have been busy all morning moving anything that could be picked up by a high wind.

Poor old "Pugsy", (the vintage, molded fiberglass, 1968 Venture 19' Class A) is loaded down with all our lawn chairs, tables, umbrellas, ladders, water hoses, little work tables and everything else. It has two big wide doors, one wide enough for a wheelchair, so they came in handy.

The hanging plants from the guest house and my porch have been moved into the grooming room.

I loaded the old fence boards that we took off the fence onto my Little Black Wagon, and wheeled them to the burn pile, and burned them.

Moved the truck into the empty carport that Shay likes to use as a sitting area, and backed the TranStar (Class B+) up in the RVport far enough that we can get to the 4KW Onan generator, and the gas cap, in case we need to put more gas in it.

Then I moved the back patio furniture into the space where the front of the TranStar was. That RVport north back wall has a very wide door, and there is always a breeze going through there when it is open. Just in case we need somewhere cool and dry to sit, when the power goes out.

Ray borrowed my great big dog carrier, as he plans on keeping "Blackie", the outside cat, inside during the storm. His other cat, an inside only cat, "Zeeda", would kill her if they were loose. The other cat, "Orange Glow", a stray that lives here, is going to be in their enclosed back porch where the washer and dryer are.

Bobcat is upset as I have "X"ed tape over the bathroom windows on the north side. Ike is supposed to have Northeast winds. I did the grooming room too, I nearly put tape on the west side windows, but fortunately stopped my self in time...they have solar film on them, which will do the same thing, and the tape would ruin the solar film.

I am charging up anything that can be charged. Laptop, cellphone, Chevy van, HiLo, TranStar, and swapping some cordless phones out with corded ones. We are pretty sure that we will lose power over downed trees. I have a 500 watt inverter, so we can use all these charged batteries if we need to.

My property is the highest around here, but the road to it will flood. So we have tried to have everything we need here. During the flood of Oct. 1994, a lady and her son drove through the high water, the water floated her pick up truck and dumped it into a flooded creek, and she drowned. Don't underestimate flood waters.

More later in the day.

6.00pm
The wind is kicking up, the trees are swaying. Ray came over and we took the battery chargers off the van and HiLo, lowered the Hilo, put all the cords away. It sprinkled for a few minutes, but no more. I tied up my little Red Maple tree to the bird feeder with a soft cloth.
I had already put the large top-heavy pots of very large aloe in the dog room, they are sold and due to be shipped on Monday. Then I took the trays of smaller aloe in trays, off the baker's shelves and put them on the porch floor. Ray has all his windows, and patio door "X" taped up, and we have stored drinking water in anything we can find. The pump for the big well for this subdivision will go out with the power. It took them a day to get the generators going during Rita. We always have cat litter plastic jugs full of water stored here. But they are just "not for drinking". A little bucket with a gallon of water poured from a height will flush a toilet.
I wish Ike wasn't going to get here in the night, that is always more scary.
More later in the day, I hope.