OT:Rita

Sounds lovely!

My FIL had talked about going back to Germany with us and one of the places he wanted to take us to Lake Constance. His family used to go there when he was a child (1920s maybe) for vacation every year.

Cheryl

(who's only water view is the puddle at the bottom of the lawn)

It was. They had a "sun room" that went around the living room in an L shape and had floor to ceiling windows all around, if I could have gotten away with it I would have spent most of my time just sitting there ;-)

If you ever get the chance to go you really have to visit the lake. It's beautiful. Konstanz is one of the few larger cities in germany that didn't get bombed during the war and therefore most of the inner city is still intact with the old buildings.

I have a water bucket on the balcony, I guess that counts aswell ;-)

cu nicole

What's water? This is California, where it all evaporates in minutes.

The only puddles we've gotten in the past few weeks are those generated by our lawn sprinkler.

I have a feeling that will change this weekend though.

-- Jere (in northwest Louisiana)

If you are in that part of the world, I suggest a visit to Meersburg. They grow grapes on the south facing slopes overlooking the lake and turn them into wine. Then they have the sense not to export this wine, but keep it for themselves or lucky visitors.

-- Jim Cripwell. A volante tribe of bards on earth are found,/ who, while the flattering zephyrs round them play,/ on "coignes of vantage" build their nests of clay;/ how quickly from that aery hold unbound,/ dust for oblivion!/ To the solid ground/ of nature trusts the mind that builds for aye. Wordsworth.

Yeah well, Meersburg is just maybe 10 minutes away from Konstanz by car ferry, you can see it from the shore ;-)

cu nicole

We've been talking about going there some time in the next year or two. Have to get there before the oldest gets too much older. DS is planning on taking German as a freshman in HS next year. DH speaks it from birth; his grandmother never learned much English. (at least didn't let on if she could.) DD and I can say hello, please, thank you.

Remind me to relate some of my adventures in attempting to order in German some time. Or communicate with some of his relatives that were still alive at the time....

It could! LOL!

Hey, there are reasons to live here. The vernal pool in my lower lawn just isn't one of them. (squish)

Cheryl

The newest probable strike path takes Rita directly over where I live. Oh joy.

We're far enough north in Louisiana so that she will likely only be a "really bad" storm when she gets here, but my dh is a bit troubled about the two very large oak trees in our back yard.

I've got a tank of gas, cell phones, and food, but fleeing with four dogs (three dachsies and a golden retriever) seems unlikely at best, plus dh works for a regional blood center.

Here's hoping Rita calms down a lot in the next couple of days.

-- Jere

Yeah. When I was in Melbourne Australia as an exchange student one dad in a host family was german, he didn't speak english so well and he had been there for nearly 30 or 40 years! his mother was even worse though I can understand that, emigrating when you're older is always more difficult, especially since I think her generation didn't really learn much english in school if at all.

It'll have to, there's no other water in sight, except if I run a bath or something ;-)

cu nicole

I also can ask "What's water?" about central Maryland at the moment. Not that it all evaporates in minutes, but that we've not had any significant rainfall in ages...weeks and weeks now. I don't think it's "officially" a drought yet - no restrictions yet on watering lawns, etc. But getting close!

Sue

Tracking our Lollee via her online journal, which she had the smarts to link to her friend's journal. She is still making very slow progress on her journal inland. Traffic tie-ups so bad you could probably walk it faster.

Want Some ?? I would be delighted to send you some from here in Florida, where it hasn't stopped raining for three days.

Lucille

The latest report shows the storm track moved a bit to the east from earlier predictions. It also shows that this may still be hurricane strength after going 100 miles inland. There has been some weakening due to eyewall replacement and the storm moving over a cold eddy. It will be over a warmer eddy again soon but some shear is expected so those two factors may offset each other. Odds are about even between Cat 3 and Cat 4 in 36 hours and leaning more toward Cat 4 in the span from 24-26 hours from now.

Want to come visit New England? No hurricanes here!

Cheryl

I'd love to, but I doubt they'd let all the doggies fly with us, and I'm not leaving without 'em.

Thanks for the offer though.

If anyone needs shelter and can get as far as Shreveport, email me -- I've got three empty bedrooms.

-- Jere

Hang in there. We`re anxiously watching all the news reports - those poor people all stuck on the Interstate and running out of gas.

Pat P

In private e-mail, Lollee reports she did get significantly inland, and is going no further because of the traffic. She's far enough from the coast to ease my mind -- it'll still be a bad storm when it gets that far, but will have lost some power travelling over land for several hours.

And they're expecting Rita to turn and hit Louisiana moreso than Texas, in which case, Lollee will be fine.

Just what Louisiana doesn't need.