I Guess Those Roosters WERE Gettin' Busy

Red Passion Flower

Big day at the Moon house today!
I spent the morning doing stuff around here including this-

which I am pretty proud about. Yesterday the county came by and collected the huge branch that had fallen and I got out there this morning and picked up small branches and raked up smaller branches and then I swept the whole thing and it looks pretty fine. We have a few boards missing from the fence that problem is above my pay grade. 

When I was eating my lunch, Mr. Moon showed up with Jason and Maggie to cut up a deer that Mr. Moon shot about ten days ago. I saw them pull up and then Mr. Moon came hurrying up to the house and said, "Come look!"
"What???" I asked. "Is it babies?"
"Ten of them!" he shouted. 

I grabbed my phone and this is what I saw.

She did it! That very young little Jungle Fowl Dearie had hatched ten babies! Six of the yellow ones and four of the brown. They are so soft and so tiny. It was thrilling. 

Here's a little video for you. 

Can you see them popping in and out from under her wings? She's the Mother Ship! I am so, so proud of her. She sat on those eggs during a hurricane! They are the most darling little chicks in the world. The brown ones are like tiny puffs of mink. I assume that Liberace is the father of the yellow ones and Ringo the father of the brown ones. Of course I don't really know if they're all Dearie's babies. As we know, hens certainly do sit on other hens' eggs.
Forget who's your daddy? We don't even know who's your mama?

I didn't really know what to do though. I got them some water- as you can see- but as to whether or not I should pick them up and put them in the chick coop in the big coop was a question I could not answer. My heart wanted me to let them be and to let Dearie take care of them. And so for awhile, that's what I did. I offered them some rice.

They loved it. 

And soon Dearie had them all over the back yard with the rest of the flock, scratching for bugs for the babies. The rest of the chickens seemed mildly curious although Ringo truly did give them a once-over. 

They followed their mama around as chicks do, chipping and responding to her clucks, running about as if they'd been doing it for years instead of an hour. 

Maggie had been asleep in the car but when she woke up, her daddy and Boppy showed her the babies. She didn't quite know what to think. I picked one up (they have no fear yet) and let her touch it's soft little head. She liked that. And then she wanted to come into Mer's house to play. 

The first thing she had to do was to attend to her babies but then she jumped on the horse.

Before she left she tucked all of the dollies back up again underneath their blankets. 

I decided to go to Monticello to get some chick starter feed, which I did. When I came back, Dearie and the babes were still in the backyard and I scattered some feed out for them to eat. Chicks are eating machines and Dearie is hungry from her long days on the nest and they devoured it.

And still, I just did not know what to do. Let Dearie take them back under the pump house for the night where I'm sure they'd be fine, or transfer them to the coop?

Finally, when it started getting a little closer to sunset and I saw Jack lounging a few yards from them, I decided to put them in the baby coop. I picked them all up and put them in an ice chest and transferred them and then got Dearie who let me easily pick her up too, and put her in with her babies. They have food and water but in a way, that makes me so sad. Like putting babies in a nursery and bottle-feeding them. I mean, they have their mother but they don't have the food that their mother would naturally provide which is bugs and tiny shoots and leaves. And I know that Dearie would fiercely defend them should a predator come about but she is no match for a cat or a hawk or an owl. She's just a tiny little Jungle Fowl mama. 

Is it best to let nature take its course and let them run free or is it better to keep them enclosed and safe? 

Oh, who the hell knows? 

And Jack and Maurice might never give those chicks a second glance but there are feral cats who frequent the yard and one never knows when they'll show up. 

And frankly, I don't trust that Jack and Maurice could not be tempted. 

Well, anyway, perhaps I shall get more clarity on this issue and in the meantime, I have 25 pounds of starter feed. 

Jason called me after he'd picked up the boys and told them about the new chicks and Gibson was thrilled that HIS chicken, whom he had named, was a mother. He told his dad that he's a grandfather now. Gibson the Grandfather. 

Yeah, I can see that. 

And as Jason pointed out, each grandchild can name two chicks since there are ten. Not sure that Levon's up for that yet but who knows? I certainly hope that they develop some identifying characteristics as they get older, otherwise they're going to be like Viv/Vera whom I still cannot tell apart and never will be able to which is an odd feeling. 

So, that's the news from here today. Mr. Moon and I are quite thrilled to have new babies in the family. Maggie's coming back over tomorrow morning so that Lily can go on a field trip with Gibson's class to the fire station. Always a good time. Magnolia June will boss me around and play with her dolls and whatever else she wants to play with and we will eat some lunch. We'll probably go see the goats and pet the new chickens and do all sorts of fun things. 

I feel sorry for Darla but she doesn't seem concerned at all. Chickens are pretty Zen about these things. 

Once again, I am grateful to my friend Kathleen who brought me my first chicks and a bag of starter feed. Sometimes people know what you need even if you don't and I needed chickens. I do not believe in an afterlife but if I did, I would like to think of Kathleen looking down and giggling at the new babies, those little puffballs of softness and love. 

Life certainly does go on. And this is how it goes in Lloyd today. 

Love...Ms. Moon 

One Week Post Storm

Still wasn't feeling too well this morning but I knew I was going into town to grocery shop with Lily in the early afternoon and Jessie was going to take the boys to Baby Time at the library so I met them there.

What could possibly be more healing than Baby Time at the library?
And it was fun, as it always is. Mostly I just love seeing the little kids and the babies clapping hands and stomping feet and being lifted into the air by their mamas or their grandmamas or ignoring it all to wander or crawl about. Levon pushed a chair about six feet, walking behind it as if it were a push-toy. He did like the hand clapping portions of the event though, and clapped and clapped his own pudgy little hands and smiled as wide as the sun.
August sang with gusto, as he does, and I love the fact that he's not yet inhibited by social constraints about singing. Owen seemed to have been born with those. I remember how, when he was quite young and we'd start singing, he would go into paroxysms of embarrassment and beg us to stop. But not August.
Jessie and I had planned to go to a nursery for seeds but after the library it was either do that or go to lunch and you know what we chose.
We went to a little place that I've never been before which is actually in a complex of medical offices which is probably why I've never been before. I avoid driving by the hospital if possible and do not voluntarily visit any location having to do with the medical world.
I know. I'm crazy. Whatever.
But, it was a nice little place and Jessie and I got salads and August got a peanut butter and jelly sandwich which he devoured like a monster.

We sat outside and I enjoyed myself even as I was surrounded by labs and drug stores and all sorts of places where they do creepy things and determine your fate by analyzing the most secret parts of your body, etc. 

Ugh. 

Then I drove to Publix where shopping is a pleasure to meet Lily. Publix is not only where shopping is a pleasure, it is also where the policy on men's beards has been changed meaning, they can now have them. I swear to god, it looks like the month before Pioneer Days in Montana there now- every guy in the place is growing facial hair. 

Jason included. He dropped off Maggie on his way to work (Lily had just gotten off her shift) and I made them pose for pictures. 

As you can see, Jason looks very good with a beard. And as you can also see, the ladies in his life approve. Is Magnolia not the most adorable child in the world? 

I"m sorry. I have to post another picture. 

She's so loving. When she saw me in the store she ran to me and I picked her up and hugged her to me and she hugged me back so hard. We ran into her best friend, Wiley Cash, and I watched as she walked up to him and said, "Hug, Wiley," and they wrapped their arms around each other, two little bitty kids who already know how to love. 

And as the day has gone on, I have felt better and better and I am glad for that. 

Supposed to start getting cooler. In fact, today may be the last day of the year we get temperatures in the nineties. 

I wouldn't bet money on that, but it may be possible. We're supposed to get what Rob Nucatola calls a "cold front" which means the high temperatures will be in the seventies. 

Don't laugh. It may sound absurd but we'll be so thrilled if that happens. 

One week ago we were in the last hours of Hurricane Michael. Relief efforts are increasing daily. There are so many little towns that got flattened where aid is not fast in coming. I drove home on the interstate today and power trucks are still caravanning their way to help restore power. And here I am, living my normal life. Hell- the county came by today and took that huge branch off our fence and hauled it away. Oh, yeah, I do have a massive four-hundred year old oak tree lying in my back yard but that's not lessening my quality of life. 

I have got to figure out where and how to help. There are so many people collecting stuff to take over there and I just don't know who to give to. I'll figure it out because my thoughts and prayers ain't helping one bit. 

Life is so strange and random and unexplainable and incredibly difficult and joyful and mysterious.

I guess the deal is to quit trying to figure it all out and just do something. 

Right this moment I'm feeling guilty and grateful which is pretty much my default setting anyway. 

Much love...Ms. Moon

I Think I'm Going To Cook That Emergency Pot Pie Tonight

This morning I did what had to be done and lifted Darla off the nest and set her down in the yard and  tossed those stinky eggs into the woods.
She fussed for a second and then immediately began to eat the corn scratch on the ground in front of her and then ran to the water as if she hadn't eaten or drunk in weeks. Which of course she mostly hasn't. When I cleaned out that nest box later I found food that I'd put in there for her, untouched, and the waterer I'd set in the corner of the box didn't appear to have had much sipped out of it either.
I have no idea why her eggs didn't hatch. I know that at least one was fertile, as I said yesterday. Was it too hot in that nest? According to what I've read on the internet, I should have examined the eggs to see what was in them but I just could not bring myself to do that.
It was what it was and now Darla can be a chicken again instead of an incubator. She can eat and drink and run around and I'm sure she'll moult, losing her feathers as her sister Dottie has been doing. Dottie looks worse than Darla does, to tell the truth, and the yard and hen house are littered with white feathers but they'll grow back and she will be fine and pretty again soon.

It's been a bit of a weird day. I took another walk and yes, I took more pictures of those decorations.

It would seem that skeletons have branched out from merely human remains. There are now dogs and cats and even, as you may be able to see below, dinosaurs.

Honestly- I want one of those in my front yard. You know me, though. I'd probably keep it up all year long.

Here's another picture of the dragon because it's such a beautiful dragon. I do love the brave pirates wielding their swords to defend their boat from his dragonly advances. 

Obviously, I'm a bit obsessed with these decorations. 

Hank sent us a link to the government satellite imagery of Dog Island after the storm. It would appear that we still have a house. 

The bay looks horrible but after a storm like that everything gets kicked up and stirred in. We have no idea if the tide rose up over what was left of the dunes and breached the house. We'll just have to see. It would totally break my heart if the original orange and brown and beige shag carpet had to be ripped out.
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha! 

This afternoon I've worked on a Monkey Man for Levon whose birthday is coming up. I feel a little puny and so sitting on the couch and watching crap TV while stitching up legs and arms out of a sock was a perfect thing to do. Mr. Moon has taken a car down to Orlando for the auto auction there and is picking up another vehicle that he is going to deliver to a customer tomorrow. I hate it when he does that drive down and back all in one afternoon/evening but he always assures me that he knows when it's time to pull over and take a little nap. 

He's an excellent power napper. 

But of course I'll be worried until he gets in bed sometime tonight. 

And really, that's all I have to say this evening. I've let the world go on around me and without me. 

It would appear that it is still spinning around the sun. 

Imagine that. 

Love...Ms. Moon

Update

Tired

I took my first walk in two weeks this morning and I didn't go too far or too fast but I did go. One of the houses I pass is more farm/estate than simple house and they had gone crazy with the Halloween decorations. I don't know if you can see what's going on in that picture there's a boat and three pirate skeletons and a dragon.

You can't really tell, but they've got skeleton activity going all the way up to the house and that driveway is at least an eighth of a mile long.

Here's a little tableau with some more skeletons and giant spiders, etc. 

They have more things set up too, and maybe I'll take some pictures of those tomorrow. 

I guess these folks must love to decorate for Halloween because they have at least a few thousand dollars in decorations set up that I can see and I guess that there's not much crime in that particular part of Jefferson County because anyone could go and steal a few skeletons. 

I was impressed. 

It's hot again. Up in the nineties today. I have the AC on and I'm feeling terrible for Lily and Jason and the kids because they don't have power YET! I invited them to come and stay with us but Lily said that she had everything set up for tonight but maybe tomorrow...

I dreamed last night that they'd gotten their power back on and it was so real and I was so happy for them that I checked my messages this morning to make sure that I had actually dreamed it and unfortunately, that was the case. 

I also dreamed that there were a bunch of little black and white chicks in Darla's nest but that hasn't happened either. I did find this today.

When a chick in the egg runs out of oxygen, they use what is called an egg tooth to punch a hole at the flat part of the end of the egg and that's what happened here. I picked up the egg and held it to my ear and heard nothing. I tapped it, and again, nothing. And I've been checking for any progress all day long and...nothing. And I have to tell you that the nest is starting to smell not good. 

Not good at all. 

This makes me so sad. I have no idea why these eggs wouldn't hatch. At least one of them was definitely fertilized. But if nothing has changed tomorrow, those eggs are going away and Darla's just going to have to try again sometime. I still have hopes for Dearie who shows up every few days to eat and drink and run around for a few minutes. 

I went to town today, or at least as far as Costco and Publix which are on the east side of Tallahassee, which means they are closer to me in Lloyd and which means I don't have to actually go all the way into town and get into traffic and stuff. It was a strange feeling, being back in a public place, surrounded by people. I guess it's been a week since I'd made that journey. I had some out-of-body anxiety feelings but I made it through. The only thing anyone talks about is how we made out through the storm. "Do you have power?" "Yes, I have power but a tree hit my truck."

Etc. 

Every conversation ends with, "But we're lucky," and we are but it's almost a primitive propitiation ritual to the gods. 

You know that there's another month and a half of hurricane season, right? 

When I got home I unloaded the groceries and put them away and then sighed deeply and put my overalls on and went out to pick up a few more branches and limbs. Our front sidewalk is still covered and that giant branch that fell on the power line and bounced off it is still leaning on the fence. I can't do anything about that but I felt I had to show at least a little good effort to appease the neighbors although I doubt they're judging me but who knows? And really, I don't care. I didn't have but about forty-five minutes of work in this 90 degree heat in me so I came in and took another shower. That makes two for the day. 

Young Mr. Clinton stopped by for a little chat and it was nice to see him. He's such a cheerful soul. "Where's the big guy?" he asked me.
"Still at work," I said. 

I've got pinto beans cooking. We've been eating way too high on the hog recently and I need to slide a little farther down the food pyramid, as it were. Plus, I love pinto beans. 

And I guess that's all I have to talk about. I'm tired and looking forward to laying my body down tonight. This is no different than every other night but I think I'm going to be more grateful than usual when that happens. If that's even possible. I think it is. 

Love...Ms. Moon

Another Sunday At The Church Of The Batshit Crazy

Well, nothing yet. I've been checking all day and I don't think I've ever been this eager to get chicks from a hen sitting on a nest. I don't even know why but I think it's partly because Darla has just been so incredibly devoted and faithful, never once moving off that nest that I know of. I want that incredible focus and dedication to be rewarded and yes, I am anthropomorphizing like crazy here. I really doubt that she has any idea why she's sitting on those eggs. And I don't think that she's looking forward to being a mother, either. She's just sitting on eggs because that is what her nature and her instinct have told her to do and it's strong within her. I have a feeling that if babies did hatch, she'd be as devoted a mama as she is a brooder but I don't know that for sure.
But I surely do hate the thought of having to take those eggs away from her which I will have to do in a few days if there are no babies. I think she'd literally sit there until she died if I didn't and of course, rotten eggs are rotten eggs.
Well. I'll give her a few more days.

Besides checking on Darla, I've done squat today. I've been lazy, lazy, lazy.
And I don't care. My phone told me that I walked over four miles yesterday and that was without leaving the yard except to go to the post office and dump and I drove to those two places. Probably something wrong with that app but I know I was pretty busy yesterday.

Lily and Hank still don't have power. Poor Lily and Jason with those kids. No water, either, since they're on a well. Jason tried to hook up the generator to the pump but no one in Tallahassee had the part he needed to do that. Wonder why.
Not really.

We're experiencing a weird electrical situation which started last night when the power in random areas of the house went out. Mr. Moon and Vergil did all of the breaker flipping and everything you do and nothing seemed to be wrong but still- no power in parts of the house. And then, after awhile, the power came back on and then, after awhile it went back out.
Okay.
The men couldn't figure it out and eventually it came back on and stayed on all night but went back out this afternoon and then...came back on. I remembered that when you call the power company to report an outage, they ask if it's full or partial so we called them and they said that they'd send someone by to check it out. And that it's probably not dangerous.
Okay.
Whatever.
I have no idea WHEN they'll be sending anyone out since all of the linemen are probably working eighteen hour days to restore power to people who don't have it.
Tiny problem. I have a feeling that when a huge branch in our front yard fell and hit a line but did not pull it down, it probably jerked something in the process which is now wonky. Of course, what I know about electricity is that I got a D in physics so there you go.
WAIT! HOLD THE PHONE! DUKE POWER GUY IS HERE!
I can't believe this. I wish I could send him over to Lily's and Hank's houses.

He's crimping and wrapping and doing all that fancy stuff. I do love a man in a bucket truck. 

And he just finished up. 

Wow. 

Rather unbelievable. 

And it was the connection which was wonky. 

I used to have a friend who talked about the changers of the oil and the tillers of the soil and I've never forgotten that. We sometimes tend to think of the people who maybe wear shirts with their names embroidered on them as less than. But these are the people who ensure that we can flush our toilets with the desired results and who know what to do when the Check Engine Light comes on and who fix our furnaces, our air conditioners, who yes, grow our food and maybe cook it and serve it, too. Who build and repair the roads and keep the railroad tracks cleared and safe, who hook up the internet that we can use to go online and bitch about repairmen. Who deal with our trash and with our dirt and with our mess and who create order where there was none before. 

And the ones who have the bucket trucks and the hardhats and the tools and know how to use them. 

They, like teachers and nurses are the ones we should most respect and pay accordingly but of course, we do not. 

No. We're obsessed with people like Kanye West and his Kardashian wife who have probably done less than one good hen for the benefit of humanity. 

Well, that's as political as I am going to get tonight. 

I just got a text from Rachel- she and Hank have power. 

Hurray for them! 

And oh, poor Lily. 

She just texted, "This is a game of last man standing that I wasn't trying to win."

Mr. Moon and the power guy are now in the Glen Den talking about I-do-not-know-what. 

Hunting? Fishing? Electricity? Old houses? 

Whatever it is, they sound like kindred spirits. 

Okay. He just left. They were talking about deer hunting. 

Mystery solved. No surprise.

This is reality in real life. Or at least one form of it. 

You know. I'm sure you know. 

Love...Ms. Moon

Grandchildren And Other Blessings

Gibson posing with one of the many dragons he painted and cut out while he was here.

Last night's sleepover went well. Thank god for frozen pizza, martinis and chicken wings. I did not even cut up a carrot for dinner. I didn't even pretend to be healthy.
The children did not seem to care. Nor did Mr. Moon.

Maggie's snack of peanuts. 

There were fruit Popsicles to balance things out. As you can see, Gibson is all about balance. 

Owen was so sweet and helpful. He's growing up too fast. And Gibson is getting funnier and funnier. He's telling jokes now and they're actually good jokes. Here's an example:

"Did you know that the eyebrow brush and the lipstick had a fight?

Don't worry. They maked-up."

Get it? Make up? 

He's also making deliberate puns which I've never been able to do once in my life. He slays me, that kid. 

And Magnolia. Well. She's my cuddly little peach of a girl. She woke up at about five-thirty this morning and nothing would do except for her to get in bed with us and cuddle me. This means I have to hold her to me with my arm around her. That was fine but when I absolutely had to change positions she was not happy. "Mer! Cuddle me!" 

I convinced her that I was right there, even if my back was to her and we both fell asleep again. 

Here she was this morning on the tractor.

Is she not a sunflower?

I made us all a huge breakfast and Jason joined us and after they all left, Mr. Moon and I tidied up and I did a lot of laundry and cleaned the hen house and no, no sign of chicks yet. I realized (after Jessie told me) that I had gotten my dates wrong for the estimated time of hatching. Tomorrow is 21 days. Darla's still sitting tight on that nest. 

Jessie and the boys are here while Vergil is sitting in a deer stand, trying to get his venison for the year. He is serious about this. He hunts to get good meat and that is that. And he butchers and processes it and then freezes it. August is thrilled to be visiting again. Levon seems to be happy about it too. I needed to take the trash but waited until they got here because August loves going with me so much. We always stop at the post office which is also an adventure. Then he got to ride on Boppy's four-wheeler with him. 

This was thrilling, a bit worrying, and an intellectual exercise in trying to figure it out for August. He is a young man of great thought. But mostly, he loved it.

And then, because he's so cute, I have taken pictures of Levon.

Eating green beans and potatoes.

I offered a smaller fork but his mama said that he was doing pretty good with that one. 

He goes for the gusto. He stands on hips. 

And so the day has gone. I got a lot done and feel the better for it. I've got things put back together for the most part and things are orderly, or as orderly as they get around here. 

May and Jessie have power now. Hank and Lily do not. Supposedly, hopefully, there will be restoration by tomorrow afternoon. The area is still reeling. No one dares to complain about any sort of discomfort because we have all seen what others to the west of us have suffered, are suffering. Losing electricity is nothing compared to losing everything. 

And so it goes and we are here and we are grateful. 

Much love...Ms. Moon

When Reality Begins To Set In

Got up this morning and went outside to find that it was cool. Cooler than in the house. Delightfully cool. Cool like fall should feel. And clear? Oh my. No clouds in sight.
It's as if nature was saying I can be cruel but oh, I can be kind. 

Mr. Moon had shuttled four cars from outside to an indoor parking situation before the storm and he wanted me to help him shuttle them back and I sighed and gave up my plan of wearing my beautiful nightgown and a little sweater for a few hours, drifting about like a colorful butterfly and enjoying sipping the nectars of coffee and delicious air. And so I made my first venture out since before the storm and although there were trees which were down and tree litter and branches piled beside the roads, nothing looked too bad. The stop lights were working for the most part and there were even a few gas stations open although the local public radio station was broadcasting about the dearth of gas available. Some people were out, some businesses open. Supposedly a good many people are still without electricity and will be for some time. None of my children have theirs back on yet and Mr. Moon has taken our generator over to Lily's so that they can keep their food cold, at least, and he is bringing back three children to spend the night.

After the car shuttling we all met up at El Patron which was most decidedly open and Hank had invited a grand group of people so there were possibly twenty of us enjoying the porch in the cooler weather.

I didn't get a good picture of Magnolia but I am sure tonight will provide me with plenty of opportunity. 

I went by Publix after lunch and got grandchildren food. Pizzas, mainly. I should probably feel guilty but do not. I think that all of us have reached a point where the stress of the past few weeks has finally come home to roost, the adrenalin has drained, the reality of things has set in and although we are all quite aware of how incredibly lucky we are, it has been a strain and for those without power, still a bit of a pain. 

I ran into an old friend in Publix and asked her how they'd done in the storm and how they were now.
"Fine," she said, "And miserable."

At least everyone in Tallahassee and the surrounding areas have stories to tell now. The trees down, the cars almost hit, whether or not they have a generator and if so, where they've gotten propane or gas to run it. And we all end with expressing thanks for how it could have been so much worse and we've all seen footage and pictures of the coast just a few miles away and shuddered at the destruction and the power and the loss of property and even of life. 

We eat our lunches, we buy our bananas and our ice and our produce and our bread and our cheese and our beer. We wait for schools and businesses to open. We find places to charge our phones and get coffee. We count our blessings, we wish with all of our hearts we could just go back to normal with electricity and internet. We see people we know and we tell our stories and we listen to theirs and we hug each other and we say, "I love you."

I love you. 

Ms. Moon

Aftermath

Woke up this morning and poured a cup of strong coffee that Mr. Moon had made and said, "Well, let's go look around," and so we did.
First thing we saw was a big huge branch down over by the garage but it didn't hit the garage so that was a sort of miracle. Then we let the chickens out because that was on the way to the big tree and the roosters had been crowing for us to come and free them since the sun came up.
And then we saw what we saw and it's impossible to tell from the pictures and quite frankly, even while looking at it, exactly what you're seeing. The tree is so enormous that you can't really grasp the scale of it all. But the picture above is the part of the tree lying on the play set. It literally stretches from almost-to-the-railroad track to my camellia bed and yes, I know that you don't know my yard but it's a good distance.

I am not entirely sure that the part of the tree which is closest to the tracks isn't very damaged as well. It seems to be leaning over the tracks a lot more than it was. I need to get out and walk the tracks to see what I can see from that side. I imagine that the railroad company will deal with the tree as they did when another ancient oak on their property lost a part of itself a few years ago. And thank goodness because they have the cranes and the knowhow and the giant chainsaws and so forth that the job will require. I am thinking they may just take the whole tree at this point and I am sorrowful for that. I remember the first year we lived here and we were experiencing terrible drought and after months of no rain I actually took the hose out to that tree and watered it which was about as helpful as peeing on it. I knew at the time it was a ridiculous and pointless gesture but I just had to do something. Anything. It was too precious to lose. 

And now we probably have. 

But even in saying that I feel so guilty. People have lost lives and beloved homes and towns have lost buildings and counties have lost roads. All we lost was a tree which was destined to die soon anyway. And it wasn't even really on my property but the railroad no more owned that tree than I own the birds that come to my feeder. I didn't own it either, but I loved it and respected it and quite possibly worshipped it and appreciated it every day I've lived here. 

And hey- this is momentous- our power just came on. Like that. Like magic. We've been going along fine without it and honestly, the hot water heater hasn't even had time to lose all of its hot water so we have not suffered. For awhile yesterday, Mr. Moon had figured out how to get the TV working with generator power both to it and the router but then we lost our phone line and that was the end of TV and internet but it was fun while it lasted. And now we have our phone line back AND the electricity and I honestly can't even really believe it. 

But I didn't come here to talk about any of this, really. Well, I did of course but something happened today that restored my faith in humanity and the universe or...something.

After we'd walked around the yard and saw not only the huge tree down and the big branches down but the thousands and thousands of smaller branches and twigs that carpeted the yard I just wanted go get back in bed and pull the covers over my head because not only had I lost one of the few things I actually worship, but those smaller branches are usually my job to deal with and I was looking at days of work. 

If not weeks. 

I couldn't even fathom where to start. 

Here's what the sidewalk in front of the house looked like just to give you an idea of how littered the ground was. 

Like that, although there's a damn big branch in that pile. 

So. I was sort of wandering around the yard trying to find a place with cell reception to see if my kids had tried to text me when a very cheerful man wearing a Super Man shirt drove into the yard on a bike. We'd seen him down the road a few houses, helping Ms. Carol clean up and part of me thought, well, here's the answer to your prayers, and part of me thought, Mr. Moon will never hire him because we can do it ourselves. 

Anyway, he introduced himself and I introduced myself and he said he was looking for work and did we need some help? He'd do ANYTHING! 

I went and got Mr. Moon and he talked to the guy and said, "Come on. Let's go."

And I want to tell you that those two men have my front yard and part of the back yard and one of the side yards looking better than they did before the storm. They worked like mad dogs. I brought them water and did a little bit of gathering of branches right behind the house and then I made some sandwiches and we all stopped and sat down at the table outside and ate our lunch and talked. 

He'd told me his last name was "Clinton" so I asked him if he was related to George Clinton, the musician. 

George is from around here and is famous and infamous and possibly the coolest man on earth. Our Mr. Clinton said he was, like sixth cousin or something and yes, he does live on Clinton Street. 

Lloyd is a strange and wonderful place in some ways. 

Younger Mr. Clinton is an artist too, but of the visual type and has just gone through a divorce and is trying to come back, financially. He has a seventeen-year old son which seemed impossible to me as he appeared to be about seventeen himself but he assured us he was actually 38. I had a seventeen year old child at the age of 38 too, come to think about it. 

After lunch the men got back to work and I actually swept and tidied the porches and when they'd done all the work that Mr. Moon decided they needed to get done, we all sat down again for a few minutes and talked some more. I felt like we could have sat around and talked all day. He was funny and interesting and smart and we all seemed to get along very well. 

"I like this guy!" young Mr. Clinton kept saying about Mr. Moon and when he left with some money in his pocket, we all hugged. 

And I felt as if that man were the most direct god-given answer to a prayer I didn't pray I'd ever received and he was indeed Super Man. 

And so is Mr. Moon who worked like a demon right beside him. 

He's turned off the generator now and taken up all of the extension cords which have been snaking through the house and unplugged all the things that were plugged into them and plugged them back where they belong. 

Oh! More good news!

Look who made an appearance! Ms. Dearie! She's alive and well. 

And tomorrow will be twenty-one days that Darla's been sitting on the nest which is about the amount of time it takes to hatch eggs. I don't know why but I just have a feeling we're going to get at least one little puff of peep. Golly, I hope so. 

So. That's what today has been like and it's supposed to get down in the upper fifties tonight. They're clearing roads and trying to get power restored in Tallahassee. I don't think any of my kids have their electricity back yet. At least it isn't too hot. And they can always come stay at Mama's if things get dire. 

I am lucky, lucky, lucky. 

And now I'm going to go make some supper. And guess what? We still have some bread and cookies. 

Again- thanks for all of the sweet and good wishes and comments. 

I love you all so much...Ms. Moon

The percolator is on the stove and I’ve already used it. Our power’s been out since about 3:30 but we’re fine, the children are all fine and I think the worst of this storm is over for us although knock wood and spit on the cat. 

We’re still getting some intense gusts that bend and away the trees and tatter the banana leaves. I have branches down everywhere from twigs to limbs that will require a chainsaw to deal with. 

The worst thing I can see from the porch is that my oldest, biggest oak, that sacred matriarch, has lost at least part of herself and smashed the play set in doing so. 

The play set can be rebuilt but that oak was here before the white men came and I am sorrowful that it is, at the very least, broken. 

I am not going outside to check it out until these gusts are good and gone but I can tell you that there is a hole in my sky where there was not one before. 

The sound of wood cracking and snapping and thudding to the ground is an ominous one and we’ve heard that a lot this afternoon. 

I’ve seen footage of what’s going on at the coast west of here and it’s devastating. Entire areas have been flattened and the waters are still rising. Apalachicola seems to have rivers instead of roads and buildings are flooded blocks from the actual river. I imagine our lot on the bay is underwater and I would not be surprised to discover that our house on Dog Island is damaged and/or flooded if it’s even still there. 

Ah well. As I said- we are okay and my babies are all okay. Mr. Moon has the generator hooked up for a few lights and the refrigerator. We will have a fan on us tonight. And tomorrow night it’s supposed to get down into the fifties which is blessing beyond blessing. 

So now the waiting is over, our questions as to what the storm would be like are answered. I’ll say it again- we are so lucky. Michael was a monster storm, bigger than anything that’s hit the mainland in fifty years. Or at least that’s what I’ve heard. 

The chicken’s house is standing fine. They have not left it even to visit the coop all day. 

I feel hung-over from stress and worry but that’s normal. 

Thank you all for your loving and caring comments. You have no idea how much I’ve appreciated them. 

Love...Ms. Moon 

Storm Day

Just love to wake up to newspaper headlines like this, right?
My god.
Well, it is a big storm. Ain't no two ways about it. We're not getting much of it yet and probably won't for several hours. My favorite weatherman says that the heaviest parts will probably be between lunch time and supper time. 
He's so calming.
Looks like the storm is going to land west of Apalachicola (which is already flooding) and yes, we're going to get some hellacious weather but the fear-mongering going on is ridiculous.
I hope.

So. What have we been doing around here?
NOT WATCHING ANY WEATHER REPORTS BY ANYONE BUT ROB NUCATOLA! 
That's what.

Mr. Moon is cleaning up around his construction area which is good. Very good.
The dump is actually closed but they always leave a gate open which is ridiculous but that's how we roll in Jefferson County.

I've filled up the bathtub.
I'm about to run the dishwasher while we still have power.
I'm planning to read all my back-issues of the New Yorker and if things really get dicey and scary, I'll start rereading Lonesome Dove for the tenth time. Or maybe Keith Richards' Life. 

My kids all seem safe and secure.

The rain is picking up and occasionally we get a gust of wind but nothing serious.

As I said last night I'll be in touch as long as possible and then as soon as possible.

Don't worry about us. Seriously. It's the people on the coast west of here who are really going to be devastated and a great many of them have evacuated. I think of how every single person over there has to make that plan and then put it in action.
Or not.
I read about people who refuse to leave their barrier island homes and I just wonder what in the world they think they're proving?

Anyway, blah, blah, blah.

I'll check in later if possible.

Love...Ms. Moon

Updates

Well, despite the fact that there is indeed a Category 3 hurricane in the Gulf looking approximately like the picture above, this is what it looks like here right now.

I know, right? 

I just talked to May who said that she'd encountered people today who had just moved to the area who really think this is all a scam.

"Have them come back and talk to you in 48 hours," I said. 

Still, though, I get it. I myself have been feeling like the whole thing's just a big misunderstanding or maybe a myth or maybe they've just called the whole thing off. 

Tomato. Tomahto. Potato. Patahto.

I wish.

We'll probably start getting bands of wind and rain tonight. It's supposed to make landfall tomorrow afternoon but it'll definitely be affecting us before then. 

So I haven't really known what to do with myself all day long. Therefore, I baked. 

I baked that beautiful no-knead dough I mixed up yesterday and that was really interesting. The dough is so soft and silky and you heat up a big pot with a cover in a 450 degree oven and then you slide the dough into that and bake it with the cover on and then take the cover off to let it finish up and anything involving cast iron and bread dough is extremely gratifying to me. I can't wait to slice into it. 

I also made oatmeal cookies. Do not ask me why. I would like to say they're for my husband because he loves cookies but I'm sure I'll eat some too. 

I went out to the porch to deal with the plants and studied the situation. 

We're talking about three or four-foot tall plants in heavy clay pots of dirt. So I decided that if winds are strong enough to throw those suckers around, we're going to die anyway and I let them stay where they were. I did move the hanging ferns to the back of the porch. 

Yay me. 

Then I ironed. I started watching a Net Flix show called "Dancing Queen." Have you seen it? It's a sort of reality series about a drag queen who runs a dance school in Mesquite, Texas. 

It's watchable. 

You know what I think when I see beautiful drag queens? 

I think that I really should try a little harder with make-up and clothing. I mean, those guys are GORGEOUS and they are guys. Ah well, how many sixty-four year old drag queens do you see out there? There's only so much anyone can do with make-up and clothing at this age but really- I'm not doing any of it. 

After I'd ironed all of the shirts that Mr. Moon wears to work I made a spaghetti sauce. At least it has vegetables in it which will be the first vegetables I've eaten all day. And no, I haven't eaten a fruit, either. I've concentrated on the carb/fat/protein parts of the food groups. 

I have a very strong feeling that I'm not the only one in the Big Bend/Panhandle area who might have overdone the stress-eating today. 

I guess it's better than doing heroin but I don't know where to get any of that whereas flour and sugar and leftover pork chops are abundantly easy to procure.

So. That's what I've been doing while waiting for this storm. 

The air is as still as it can be right now but honestly, it's not that sinister stillness that one often feels before a hurricane. It just feels like normal. We got a few tiny rain showers but again- nothing out of the ordinary at all. 

Here's what Maurice has been doing today. 

Does she know that something's going on or is she just taking the opportunity to feel more secure as she naps? 

I have no idea. 

In fact, it is quite obvious that I have no idea about anything. 

I'll do my best to stay connected if our power goes out and unless something miraculous happens, it will. But I'm sure we'll all be fine. So don't worry if you don't see anything from me tomorrow night. I may post earlier in the day if it gets interesting and we still have electricity and internet. 

Ah, life itself is interesting. And at least we'll get some rain. 

Just think. If Darla's chicks hatch tomorrow they can say that they were born in a cross-fire hurricane. 

Love you all to pieces...Ms. Moon