Well, I finally sat through a full-fledged hurricane, and I’m glad it’s finally over. During our time here in Florida, we were traveling when the previous two hit, Ian in 2022, and Idalia in 2023, while Helene, a month ago, lacked the intensity of yesterday’s Milton, primarily because it made landfall closer to home and we were on the “bad” side, as if there could ever be a good side. It was a very stressful evening, after the power went off at 8p, and all you could hear in the darkness was the howl of the wind. Ear plugs would have been a good idea, because sleep was hard to come by, especially without air conditioning. There were actually few concerns about our safety inside this concrete bunker, but the less-stable pool cage was on my mind all night. 

Just stepping outside was frightening, with pieces of screening flying through the air, trees uprooting, and shifting winds. I had to take the dogs outside, and a gust ripped the glasses off my face. I didn’t find them until this morning in a neighbor’s yard. I might have walked right by them again if it weren’t for Fosse’s nose. She was curious about what was in the grass in an area that I overlooked with the flashlight after it happened in last night’s darkness. It reminded me of the Michigan Blizzard of ’78, when a scarf wrapped around my neck was unraveled and sent flying across a corn field, while my car was stuck in snow on the side of an icy road. 

I had just bought these glasses and had them adjusted again last week, so I worried all night that I would have to replace them. Just another casualty of the hurricane, so I was surprised to find them undamaged. We also have two big screens that have been pulled out of their framework that will need some repair work, but otherwise we went unscathed, unlike many of our neighbors. I’m thanking my lucky stars!

Internet and phone service has been reestablished, unlike a million other Floridians that aren’t so lucky. I’m sure we’ll be getting a hefty HOA assessment like two years ago for uninsurable trees lost in the high winds. I see them scattered throughout the neighborhood, another reminder of good fortune concerning our yard. There was little structural damage to the resort facilities, and the flood waters never came. It could have been much worse, and Mother Nature is making up for it with a beautiful afternoon. We got the doors re-hung on the lanai, cleaned out the pool, and started reorganizing the garage and closets, after preparations for potentially damaging water.

The site of my once-upon-a-time-ago condo on Siesta Key, just to the north of us, was already underwater from Helene, so I’m sure this only added to the damages. Glad we didn’t settle there this time or own that property anymore. It’s gotten so expensive and crowded. There was a time in life when living on the beach was a goal, at least in retirement. We’re now close enough to enjoy any given day there, but far enough away to avoid the surge. I’m grateful to have once again avoided disaster, but the cost of living in this state continues to escalate. Who knows what our future will bring?