Daily Visiting NOAA

Disturbing, how it begins, something to be watched, fueled by heat and tropical moisture, organizing itself coming out of Cuba and paving a path before it into a number (three) and then a name (Colin). Status achieved, cones are issued and planes are issued and we move our deck chairs while eyeing that broken branch on the foxtail palm dangling too close to the entry window.  The first storms, strident and thick with rain, come through like tourists, a disorganized cluster, lost and confused, a full day before Colin will spy the coast from his crow’s nest.  I remember that winter morning, finding myself iced in my car after driving to campus, in the days before cell phones, stripping out of my cumbersome coat and crawling through the window because my horn would not waken mom to rescue me, the day’s classes a loss.  The shoveled mountains higher than the roof of my car on either side of the driveway, dad rising at three to risk heart attack.  That blizzard when we ended up in the ditch along I-94 while trucks barreled within inches, terrified in the back seat. That year in Chicago when the frost gathered on the inside walls because the minus 25 was too much for the apartment heater.

I’ll take my chances

Disturbing names and branches

No northerner,  I

© Jilly’s 2016

Ah!  Hurricane Season is upon us, & that means daily visits to
National Oceanic & Atmospheric Association (NOAA) for updates.
With Tropical Storm Colin in the Gulf of Mexico, I am gathering
updates every few hours.

We are writing Haibuns about things we do daily over at dVerse 
starting at 3:00 EST. Come join us!