Hurricane Prep, Cats, and Faeries

After much procrastination (not to brag, but that’s one of my specialities) I decided to drive into Tallahassee to stock up on supplies. I knew we’d need bottled water, but beyond that I didn’t have a clue. I’m not a terrific grocery shopper under normal conditions, but with a possible hurricane headed our way I needed to focus. 


I only had to shop for Studly Doright and me, so there was no need to go overboard. I figured a loaf of bread, a fresh jar of peanut butter, mixed nuts, Cheez Whiz, tuna fish and chicken salad snacks, crackers, power bars and fruit snacks would tide us through a couple of days without power. Of course I couldn’t leave the store without buying Studly’s favorite Vienna sausages. Shudder!

My problem now is convincing myself not to eat any of our supplies until there’s an actual need. I can leave the little sausages alone, but those Apple Straws look interesting. They were an impulse buy to substitute for my favorite Little Debbie oatmeal cream cakes that had already sold out. Damnit! Everybody wanted that chewy, creamy goodness. Here’s hoping a dearth of Little Debbie oatmeal cream cakes isn’t a matter of life and death.

After putting away the groceries I noticed a note propped up against the cookie jar on the kitchen table. Hmm. Maybe Studly stopped by Doright Manor during his lunch time. But when I looked closely I realized that wasn’t Studly’s handwriting:


The cats seldom leave notes for us, and when they do they mostly pertain to the quality of their treats or the state of their cat litter. Scout once wrote me a thank you note for cleaning the carpet of her upchucked hairballs, but that was an exception. This apparently was another exception. Not far from this bit of writing was the indicated note:


First off, I could see the cats need a lesson in changing the “y” to “i” when creating past tenses and plurals, but I was overcome by their thoughtfulness. 

I delivered the note to the faeries, now it remains to be seen if they trust us enough to accept our invitation. Of course if they do I’ll need to figure out how to feed them. Maybe Studly will share his Vienna sausages. 

Update on the storm: As I typed this post, Tropical Depression 9 was reclassified as Tropical Storm Hermine. I just heard on the Weather Channel that the Tallahassee area could experience the worst storm in decades. Oh joy. Maybe I need to go in search of those Little Debbie cakes.


Peacr, people!

Strange Bedfellows

photographic art by Julie Powell

Strange Bedfellows
Words by Leslie Noyes

I can’t get wet,
You don’t like the dry,
You lumber about,
I love to fly.

I dine on worms,
You feast on grass,
You’re quite large,
I’m just a little lass.

I’ve heard you bellow,
You’ve listened to me sing
I admire your ears,
You envy my wings.

You can’t build a nest,
I can’t capsize a boat,
You fear nothing,
I never learned to float.

We aren’t much alike
In our habits and ways,
Yet we manage to co-exist
For all of our days

Despite our differences
We share this earth
I’m your best friend,
And you’re my perch.

Visit https://juliepowell2014.wordpress.com/ for more wonderful photography.


Tropical Depression 9

We’ve got trouble coming.


According to tracking predictions on my Storm app, Tropical Depression Nine is going to make a pass very near Doright Manor in Florida this week. The disturbance is heading into the Gulf of Mexico now where it’s picking up steam and could potentially be upgraded to a hurricane. 

Studly Doright and I experienced a couple of hurricanes when we lived in Melbourne, Florida, in ’03 and ’04. I’m not in the mood to repeat those experiences. Sitting in a boarded up home  (aka “hunkering down”) for 24 hours straight while ferocious winds blew unidentifiable objects into our home was not optimal for my sanity. This blog should be proof of that. And we did it twice.

Had I never had to hunker down to survive two hurricanes I’d probably be writing a how-to blog for docile homemakers or an advice column for lovesick teenagers.

I asked Studly if the cats and I could evacuate to a safer place this time. He just pulled his hat down on his head and croaked, “We’re gonna need a bigger boat.” 

Maybe those days of hunkering down took a toll on him, too.

Oh, and because the storm is currently called “Tropical Depression Nine,” I thought this video featuring The Searchers was a fitting cap to the post. Enjoy!

http://youtu.be/7rXhXLsNJL8


Peace, people.

Faerie Update 

I had not been to check on the faeries in our backyard since returning from Clearwater Beach. This morning I went out bearing a gift of chocolate, but before I got too close to their home, a flash of blue caught my eye. 

Afraid to move any closer, I took this photo and then zoomed in. Can you see them? Two faeries, one on the porch and another beside the fallen ladder. Perhaps they’re working to put it back in place. 

I’ll give them time to make repairs before going out again.

Peace, people!

Before We Were Kings

Photographic Art by Julie Powell

“Before We Were Kings”

by Leslie Noyes

Before we were kings, we slept half the day rising at noon for our breakfast.

Before we wore robes, we frolicked like fools behaving as if it would all last

We snuggled and snuffled, snorted and sang, trumpeting our joy to the masses

And no one chastised us lest we succumb to a crippling, pachyderm sadness.

Oh! It was roll, roll, tumble and flow until the grand day of our crowning

Now we sit tall, on thrones one and all solemnly judging and scowling.

For more wonderful photography, visit https://juliepowell2014.wordpress.com/

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