Countdown...

We are looking at a week or so out for a departure.  Going north.  Increasing latitude and elevation, hopefully decreasing temperature and humidity.  "Hopefully," because Mother Nature has not been her typical summer self.

In fact, there is an oddity brewing in the northeastern Gulf of Mexico: a tropical depression that is getting energy from the higher than normal water temps in that area (88º or so), and the predictions are for it becoming a Category 1 hurricane by Saturday, potentially making landfall around the Texas/Louisiana border.  That is a few days out and a good distance away from us - we're still paying close attention to it, because... Mother Nature.

If it does ramp up to a hurricane, the name will be Barry.

In the meantime, we are starting our preparing for departure ritual... picking up and putting away everything outside the house (all our deck stuff, hose), spraying for bugs and weeds (an extra dose).  Much of it will be "last day" work, like putting the hurricane shutters down and packing food.

The morning started peacefully.  I have a morning routine where, after feeding Rufus, I make myself a hot chocolate (not a coffee drinker) and have a Biscoff and a mini-donut while checking the morning news.  Joan gets up a little later, after Rufus has the chance to eat and come back to bed to snuggle with her.  (Can a cat be a "lucky dog"?)  ;-)

This morning, the bedroom door opened rather abruptly and Joan came out to the living room carrying Rufus - "He's throwing up!"  That doesn't go well with my mini-donut.  He left a puddle on the living room floor, but apparently did some projectile vomiting in the bedroom.  No, this is not typical for him.  But, Joan picked him up mid-yak (medical term) and... well, you can figure it out.

This made for unplanned laundry for the start of Joan's day.  Nothing more I could do, so I took off for my morning walk (more without the cane than with) and bike ride.

In case you're concerned, Rufus is fine...

Joan is fine.  I'm really fine - I got a scooter ride in, even managed to get the current scooter tag: "your scoot by a colorful bridge"...

Bright yellow and blue, so boats approaching the bridge (over the ICW) can see it.

Yesterday, Joan noticed water that isn't usually there by the neighbor's house.  I gave him a call, and he told me where to get a key to go in and check for anything leaking.  We didn't find anything inside, so it must be a line under the house.  I let him know.  He'll have to get someone out to crawl under and find the source of the leak.  This is a "weekend place" for them, and they don't spend much time here.  We do look out for each other in this neighborhood.

Life in the Tropical Tip.