Hurricane Rita.

Rita. The before. After heightened sensitivity to Katrina, all eyes in Texas are on Rita.

When Terri and I chose our place to settle, we carefully considered all the various geological and acts of god which could strike an area. Didn't like earthquakes when we lived in San Diego. Not one bit. Austin seems relatively safe. Yet here we are, apparently in the bullseye of a major hurricane. We can only hope that the distance from the gulf will drop those winds and damage.

It's a nice sunny hot day today - literally the calm before the storm? Days away still. We will have water, batteries, first aid kit, food, flashlights, etc.

I admit to being worried. I worry well. Will this new house be sound? Is there construction debris from the house up the street that could blow this far? We are halfway down a hill. I seriously doubt the hill could move - the soil is like rock (most of it IS rock). But what will downhill flowing water do?

They've just moved my Friday oral surgery to earlier in the day. I think that's wise. If indeed Rita comes this way, it'll hit - they predict - later in the day Friday. I will be on serious pain meds. How surreal will that make it?

When we lived in Houston we had some 'gully washers' which were the most rain I have ever seen. You couldn't see across the street - it was as if someone had draped a white sheet. That was the rain. We also had a hurricane while I was there, but it was a category 1 I think... a lot of rain, some wind, not nearly as much damage as I expected. Not as much as in the gully washer I described.

Across the street they've dumped umpteen truck loads of landscaping dirt and have been spreading it around. I think mud is in their future.

As soon as power is restored and/or I come out of my Friday Fog, I will post the after.