Hurricane Matthew is\u2026 well, it is. In spite of all the hype, we have been spared most of the doom and gloom\u2026 Some light rain, some modest to occasionally vigorous wind, and much anxiety; but, we trudge on\u2026 Yeah, I know\u2026 drama draws viewers. On the other hand, the public can\u2019t make informed decisions without knowing the potential of the various occurrence scenarios and possible outcomes.<\/p>\n
Logically it is always smarter to make choices in advance of disasters, but by definition those are at best educated guesses\u2026 Error on the side of caution is also wise, so most of the time we end up with preparation and worry exceeding eventual reality\u2026 Not a bad outcome, however, considering the alternative!<\/p>\n
We naturally stocked up in advance on TP and munchies, and we even amassed some other sensible items, too, like bottled water, real food, and gasoline for the car. We even brought in a couple of coolers and filled them with ice. Furniture and everything loose were hauled inside from the front porch, and heavier items in the yard were laid over in hopes of reducing the number of potential missiles that might be launched by high winds through windows, etc.<\/p>\n
Now, we\u2019re just sitting around, with crossed fingers of course, hoping for the best, but also hoping we\u2019ve properly prepared for the worst\u2026 Is that even possible? We\u2019re on relatively \u2018high ground\u2019 here about fifty miles from either coast, so any evacuation that might become necessary for us would mean exiting the state! That\u2019s never been necessary before, and it appears it won\u2019t be this time either. Nice!<\/p>\n
So, the next challenge is to think about upcoming rides\u2026 I\u2019d wanted to ride up to Nohead City, NC, this weekend for the annual birthdays celebration with my cousin Nick. The route between here and there looks like will be far more heavily impacted by ol\u2019 Mat, though, so it may not be prudent to ride through there just now.<\/p>\n
I also have a ride planned for the following weekend in Robbinsville, NC (the annual Fall Color Ride). I\u2019d thought I\u2019d swing by Nick\u2019s place on the east coast, then ride over to the mountains on the west side of that state a few days later\u2026 post celebration.<\/p>\n
Now it\u2019s starting to look like a reversal of the order may be a better call\u2026 One obvious major drawback with that choice is that it would result in my having to hang around here for nearly another whole week! I\u2019ve got a raging case of cabin fever now, and that prospect simply holds no appeal at all\u2026<\/p>\n
I suppose I could take a \u2018long-cut\u2019 to Robbinsville and leave any ol\u2019 time\u2026 Then, putz around for a few days, and ultimately wind-up in Clover, SC, where I\u2019ll meet Trout Dude and Waterbug for the final jog over to Robbinsville\u2026 Not, however, an altogether unattractive notion, that! In fact, that sounds like a downright upright idea! What\u2019s more, the more I roll it around in my noggin\u2019, the better it sounds\u2026 We just may have stumbled upon a great game plan here!<\/p>\n
I reckon I can start packing a bag today. Well, I already have my bags packed, but the primary one is old, and it is really starting to show its age\u2026 Worse, it is also showing quite visible signs of wear and extreme usage over the many years she\u2019s been part of our travel ensemble\u2026 Rips and tears along a couple of seams, with some other joints looking like they could go at any time\u2026 Wishful thinking can just do so much, then reality has to be faced\u2026<\/p>\n
I have already ordered and received its replacement\u2026 but I haven\u2019t transferred the contents from the old bag to the new yet. Actually, I have two travel bags I\u2019ve been using, and the other one also is a lost cause\u2026 I\u2019ve replaced it already, however, so the content of that one has been transferred. Shoot! I\u2019m already halfway there!!!<\/p>\n
Poor ALI\u2026 She\u2019s been riding out the storm outside under her bike cover. I hated to do that to her, but there simply was no room for her in the garage\u2026 two cars already inside, plus some unpacked boxes remain from my recent move\u2026 The life of a procrastinator can be challenging and fraught with missed opportunities\u2026 the life of a procrastinator\u2019s partner can be even more so\u2026 She is one tough gal, though, and she takes stuff like this right in stride.<\/p>\n
She, however, is ready to get back out there. Her oil & filter were changed while I had her in for a front tire replacement less than five hundred miles ago\u2026 I\u2019ve looked out many times over the last several hours to check on her, and she\u2019s doing fine\u2026 Her only complaint is that she, too, is ready for a road trip! She is absolutely not a show bike\u2026 Nope, she has the DNA of a thoroughbred road warrior, and that\u2019s where she really shines, and where she wants to be\u2026 Soon, baby\u2026 soon\u2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Hurricane Matthew is\u2026 well, it is. In spite of all the hype, we have been spared most of the doom and gloom\u2026 Some light rain, some modest to occasionally vigorous wind, and much anxiety; but, we trudge on\u2026 Yeah, I …<\/span> Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-655","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-meanderings-by-ddt-2"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/willowinthewind.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/655","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/willowinthewind.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/willowinthewind.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/willowinthewind.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/willowinthewind.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=655"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/willowinthewind.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/655\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":795,"href":"https:\/\/willowinthewind.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/655\/revisions\/795"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/willowinthewind.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=655"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/willowinthewind.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=655"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/willowinthewind.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=655"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}