Seasons Greetings

Hurricane season starts Monday. I had truly hoped to be out of here before the local weather people announced that the sky would be falling. It happens almost every year, a low pressure area floats off the coast of Africa and the television stations start speculating as to when it will form into a category five hurricane. By the time the low pressure is halfway across the Atlantic it has been upgraded into a tropical depression and they are urging you to stock up on canned groceries and plywood. What seems like a good hearted appeal for the viewers to be safe, is actually somewhat specious when you realize that the news is heavily sponsored by supermarkets and Home Depot. Unsuspecting, you  head up to the Publix Market for a gallon of milk and some beer only to find the shelves stripped bare and a full scale riot at the checkout lines. All that is only with the threat of a hurricane. The real nightmare starts when one actually hits. Like I said, I do not want to live through another hurricane. It is terrifying. The howling winds that sound like the continuous roar of one those Jurassic Park monsters. The sound of your shed slamming into the storm shutters. The sound of your neighbor's shed, lawn furniture, and roof smashing into your storm shutters. Weeks without electricity, water, and telephone. I cannot do it again. Unfortunately I may have to, because three more homes have popped up for sale here on our street. All at a much lower price than what I had mine listed for. This is really screwing things up as far as my plan to get out of here before the Florida hurricane season so that I can get up to the Midwest in time for the summer tornado season.