Flossie!

Well in about 12 hours or so, tropical storm Flossie will be passing over the Flat Tire Command Center (FTCC).
The storm has been weakening as it nears the islands, but right now it looks like the Big Island will be taking a full hit.
It's been a while since we had a full blown storm here, tropical or otherwise.
Hurricane Iwa hit in 1982, and we had Hurricane Iniki in 1992, so following that timeline we're a year late for a big one.
I remember both storms and they were doozies.
Both hit Hawaii in the channel between O'ahu and Kauai, sort delivering a left hook as it passed southeast of the island chain.
Flossie looks like it'll pass right smack dab over us, giving each island some tropical storm love.
The view outside of the FTCC this morning:

Actually our hurricane season doesn't start until like November so this is more like a summer storm.
Unfortunately I'm not very prepared.
Or am I?
Most of my camping stuff is all packed away in boxes of unknown location.
On the other hand I do have my bicycle stuff.
Like a couple of headlights that if set on low last a pretty long time.
If needed, I got three tail lights that can bathe me in a red glow.
I have a candle around here somewhere that I've had for like forever; I'll be looking for it as soon as I'm done doing this.
Ever since I moved, I've been cooking on this:

I've got lots of gas and a bunch of canned soups.
I think storms/hurricanes are an adventure.
We need them every once in a while to remind us of who we are and where we are and that we at the mercy of powers beyond our control.
Most of us tend to take things for granted don't you know.
Besides, the rain washes away the dust and plants get watered and after every thing looks all nice and green.
What with all the debris on the roads and all.
Anyways, I'll be riding this out and the only thing I'm worrying about losing is my internet connection.
You know, the eVilness, CL, Amazon and all that.
Hope it's dry where you are.
Not wishing you were here:

Mother Nature Bearing Down

Winter is here and so is the rain.
Hawaiian snow if you will.
Started last night, I could see lightning off to the north, and it's been falling ever since.
Heavy at first, now just a steady fat dropped drizzle.
The winds died down, I estimate the gusts here at around thirty to forty miles per hour.
Yep, it was whipping around pretty good.
Actually it was whipping around pretty good on the other side of the mountain too:



Folks were guessing it hit around sixty at school where the trees took some hits:





What those trees needed was some rain!
I mean here we are, getting our first real wet weather of the season, and these trees, they're like all happy cause they've been like waiting through all the heat and dryness of summer to finally get some real rains and then this.
Maybe if we'd gotten the rain first, then the wind, the trees might have stood a better chance.
Mother Nature in all her irony.
When it rains, it usually means that some kids stay home, I guess walking to school in the rain just ain't happening for them.
This means I left early today, I had some things to do and to be honest, I can't wait for winter break to start.
The rain has also got me thinking about some fenders for the Lanikai Express.
More on that later.
So anyways, I'm walking in the rain on the way to my car when I see something in the gutter.
It's a bird, just sitting there, all shivering and wet, getting wetter by the moment.
I kept walking, I mean I was getting out of there, on my way home.
I just couldn't do it.
I had to turn around.
So I grabbed some paper napkins from my bag, picked up the bird and walked it over to some shelter by our auditorium.
I had my camera but I didn't take any pictures.
I mean it would've been like taking pictures of your girl first thing in the morning.
This was Mother Nature at her worst.
Survival of the fittest.
By moving that bird, I probably delayed the inevitable.
I could have taken it to one of the science classes or something.
I could have done a lot of things, except leave it there to it's fate.
By picking it up, I'm wondering now if I started some kind of chaos reaction that will affect the universe.
It sure is causing some chaos within me.
Next time, maybe it's better to just let nature take its course.
I mean when Mother Nature bears down, she comes down hard.
On all creatures great and small.
I just wish that I didn't have to be there to see it happen.
Lemme tell you, when I got home, I was really happy to see my dog.