The Storm Before the Calm

The storm isn't here yet but this sweatshirt is already available!

It's bright and sunny here in coastal Maine, with not a cloud in the sky, still the townsfolk are in a literal frenzy. I went to get gas this morning and the normally empty Irving station nearest my home looked like an outtake from last year's "World War Z." All of the eight pumps were in use, with lines of cars and trucks jockeying for position to be next. Naturally I joined them, my level of panic increasing just from seeing them all there. In fact I already had half a tank and have no plans to go anywhere today or even the next few days, but still--I wanted my tank full just in case. In case of what I am not sure, but you never know.

Next I went to the grocery store to get blueberries because we might be trapped inside for days and we're all out. Again the scene was chaos, sort of like bumper cars only with a purpose. Caught up in the excitement, I bought some herbed goat cheese just in case and a pound of edamame salad because you never know.

The storm behind all this furor is right now making its way up the eastern seaboard, aiming directly at my house. Yesterday it sounded bad but today it's worse: the forecasters have now upped the ante and are calling it CATASTROPHIC, adding that there will surely be hurricane-force winds and hundreds if not thousands of people without power along the coast, i.e. me and Mitch. One good thing about it all is that once it hits, neither my TV nor computer will work so I won't know how bad things really are and will instead be able to focus on Nature in all its glory. (Unless my roof caves in; then I'll know.)

As for now, it's hard not to tune in and hear the deliciously dire predictions about the STORM OF THE CENTURY, or at least one of the storms of one of the centuries. Because I'm betting that as soon as it arrives, things will quiet right down around here.