IRENE! ~ Update

Some furniture has been moved under the pool deck

Deck has been emptied and remaining items tied down.

Bigger plants have been brought inside



Other furniture has been stowed

Well I hope all my follow bloggers in South and North Carolina are weathering this storm and are dry and safe.   Sally at Salty Yarns in Ocean City, Maryland is holding down the fort at the Lankford and not leaving.  While everyone was at the over-crowded grocery store after work yesterday buying their TP,(really???)  I bought ice from the uncrowded  liquor store and made a bee-line home to pack up the deck and porch and stowing things as best we could.   Seems an unsuspecting bottle of wine joined the bag of ice by the time I was checking out.  For now, I am awaiting the storm's arrival.   I am about a mile from the river and no mandatory evacuation for me - yet.   Residents along the river were told to evacuate last night.      I have my hand crank radios and flashlights and cooking up some boneless chicken just in case we loose power and have all my larger pots filled with water.   I don't know if I am over reacting - being cautious - being realistic - being dramatic - or just  being prepared.  This is not something we ever have to deal with and much sympathy to those who do every season.   I am trying to be prepared without over-reacting.  Mr. W. thinks we should pack bags just in case we are told to evacuate.....but where to go....living in south Jersey EVERYTHING is low and already saturated from more than normal rainfall in August and I need to cross a bridge to get into DE or PA which I understand will close if the winds are over 40 mph.  With every update from the weather report, the storm has shifted a bit this way or that.   Everything is on hold is all I’ve got and for now, I am going to bake!

~~~~~Update ~~~~~
Calm this a.m. Right now, no rain but it is breezy. I should take a pix of my bird deterents over my veggie  garden spinning!  I put those $1 pinwheels around my pool fence to keep the dirty birds off my deck and fencing and they seemed to have worked.   They are spinning their little hearts out.  I am not seeing any trees or branches down but I know we have to wait for the rest of the wrap around winds and more rain which are expected until mid-late afternoon. Action News said earlier they expect the Delaware River to crest at Washington's Crossing at 21.7 feet at 8 a.m. on Monday. I don't know what that means for us since that is 50 miles upstream. As far as rain totals, we got much more 2 weekends ago. We usually get a 'lake' between me and the neighbor anytime there is significant rain and the backyard floods behind the pool - but so far nothing.   I know I didn't sleep too well - getting up to check things and check the status of the storm on the internet so today could be a nap day.  All and all, so far a non-event, knock on wood...........   Seems like people behaved sensibly and did what authorities suggested. 

Anxious to hear from our blogging friends in the Carolinas and Maryland (and anywhere in the storm's path)  hoping we learn they and their families are well.