Rita T+/- 36 hours
09/22/2005 04:34 p.m.
The cars are filled up, I have 2 dc/ac converters, I found a case of bottled water at Sam's Club. The bottles are in the freezer, the ice maker has been emptied into coolers so that we can continue to make ice for the next 24 hours.

I have all of the plants sitting outside of the garage as Mark and the boys are clearing some space out there to store stuff.

I have about a dozen rolls of packing tape, 5 foam mattress pads, tonight's homework is to tape all the windows and put up the foam, at least that way if windows get blown out it won't be flying everywhere.

We have plenty of canned goods, jerky, crackers, gatorade, etc. to last for days. God, I hope I don't need it.

My brother and his family are riding it out as well, about 15 miles east of me. He lives near Lake Houston. They have a truck and an SUV as well as a motorcyle. If there is some high water they can still get around, but not major flooding

Mark has his truck, so we could get around some high water but not much.

It's hout and sunny today. Live shots from Galveston show perfect beach weather... it's the calm before the storm.

The squirrells are in hiding, I just saw a pair of doves walking along a limb in the smaller oak tree in the back yard, but otherwise no activity from the wildlife (except the field mouse in the garage; he's totally freaking out with everything getting moved around.)

I've looked around my neighborhood, some people are living, many are staying. Some people have branches from trees on the curbside, as well as garbage. My neighbors on either side of me have left; hopefully they'll make it out. One of them left potted plants out, I'll set those into a protected area later if they haven't come home.

Wind and tornadoes, that's the biggest unknown. Maybe I should go take pictures of the outside of my house and fence, etc., just in case.

I'll check back in later if I can, if we lose power, I'll journal the "old-fashioned" way by candlelight or flash light.

God grant us peace.
I am currently Thoughtfull