The Gustav Experience...So Far.... Every hurricane comes with it a lot of work. From deciding whether to abandon your home for safer ground to figuring out what to do if you don't. During the time you listen to the radio, or TV reports and go online to get the latest information. It is a mind and physical process that can be nerve-racking. But whether you go or stay, preparations have to be made. Believe it or not, most people, including myself, have a staggering about of things outside our homes that have to be secured. And if you have neglected to clean the spring Live Oak leaves off your roof or trimmed low-lying branches, you have what amounts to a ton of work. Then, you have to figure out what to do with your family, who to contact, and answer the phone to all your relatives and friends who call to know how you are doing and what you are going to do. It makes for a hectic and exhausting day. But if you are among those that don't stay and must evacuate, the situation is much harder. Back in 1969, my folks evacuated during Hurricane Camille to a shelter at Keesler A.F.B. that turned out to be a good decision as that hurricane was a tough one. But living, even for a night, at a shelter is not a great place to be. Crying babies, nerve-racked adults, and the big unknowns consume what "novelty" shelter life provides. So, I don't do shelters. But of all the things associated with a pending hurricane hitting your town, nothing is more unsettling than the "Big Wait." The wait is for the storm to actually arrive. It is with some irony that many hurricanes arrive following what is often remarkably good weather. Sunny skies, warm breezy temperatures and the type of day that makes you glad to be alive. But the "Big Wait" is what you end up with. For this latest hurricane, the "Big Wait" seems so much bigger this time around. After several days of endless warnings, cautions, yard cleanup and more, it is after 1 a.m. and I am waiting. So is my son Daniel and all the rest of us here on the Mississippi Coast. There is no real rain or even significant winds so far. We know they will come, because the weather people and the computer tracks tell us so. But we are still waiting. After several days of getting ready for a hurricane, waiting for one is similar to the waiting we experience with our favorite dentist. We know we have to be there, but we don't want to be. It is also nearly impossible to get some sleep. Okay, maybe dozing is a form of sleep, but the anticipation and worry needle your mind to keep regular sleep much too fitful. For those of us that lived through Hurricane Katrina three years ago, we know the warnings and preparations are a must, and even then, you cannot imagine the devastation. It is still hard to get our minds around what many of us are still going through and many of us Katrina survivors shudder at the thought of "another hurricane." But that is the price of our choice to live where nature gets to show off. Our days are mostly great, but there are times when we also ask the question, why do we live here? Still, the "Big Wait" is the happening thing right now. And I know the hurricane is coming. We hope, for all of us, that it will be less than the experts say...more to come.
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