Hurricane Noel

Having wreaked a lot of pain and havoc further south, Hurricane Noel has come to visit us, albeit just the trails of his passing.

Last night, the sky was a dull yellow: horizontal strips backlit by a million low-wattage old-fashioned lightbulbs. The streaks of cloud from the edges of the storm at sunset.

The wind rose during the night. At eight, I drove to Home Depot (for more paint brushes and replacement caulk for the countertop, the one I bought the other day was set solid), and to the supermarket (peanut butter, milk and cat food--she was complaining). By the time I left HD, it was pouring with rain. By the time I left the supermarket, the rain was horizontal and the streets covered in wet leaves. The trees will be stripped by the end of the day.

I took Fury out for a quick, wet walk. She was excited to leave. She was even more excited to come back home. Now she is curled up tight in a dog-ball on her bed.

The storm is expected to start worsening at 10 a.m. (in ten minutes), hit a peak around 5 p.m., and then lessen after midnight. We have a high surf warning and a high wind warning. The worst hit is expected to be the far east of the island--Montauk--but it's going to be felt back in the city and in New Jersey too.

So now I plan on staying indoors, painting some more furniture and trim, and maybe curling up with a book too. Until the lights go out....