One of the advantages of living in south Florida is the weather. 

One of the disadvantages of living in south Florida is the weather. 

Here's the storm track as of this morning:

We have lived here for just over two years, and have already survived three fairly major hurricanes.

But this Ernesto is making me crazy. This coming weekend is Labor Day weekend, and we made plans to take a little vacation trip up to Daytona Beach. They are having their first Jazz Fest featuring Jean Luc Ponty. Since I've never been to that part of the state before, we researched all of the cultural, touristy, and culinary things to do, and made plans to experience what we felt to be the best of the best. And now, Ernesto's roadmap looks surprisingly like ours.

Granted, they never really know where a hurricane is going when it's several days away... but prudence dictates that you prepare. That means making sure you have enough supplies in the event you lose power for a couple of days. Of primary importance is an adequate supply of liquor and ice. In addition, bottled water is important as we have birds to think of.... Of course, any and all vehicles must have a full tank of gasoline (for us, specifically, it means the van needs to be ready to roll in case we have to evacuate with the birds - they won't all fit in the car!). We do live on an island, so a mandatory evacuation is indeed possible. Fresh batteries must be purchased for the battery powered fan, the radio, and flashlilghts, and other electronics need to be charged up so they can be used too! When you're good at this, you can sometimes get through a storm with a certain degree of comfort... we've watched DVD's on a portable DVD player in the middle of a hurricane, with cocktails and a steak dinner by candlelight!

Now, I don't want to ignore the fact that hurricanes can cut a swath of tragedy, death and destruction like Katrina last year did to the New Orleans area, but I do want to point out that folks can get a little carried away. I think the media plays into our fears and makes it worse. Right now, it's another beautiful day in paradise here... blue sky, 84 degrees and sunny - yet schools were closed, there are lines like you wouldn't believe at the gasoline stations and supermarket shelves are being rapidly emptied of things like water and batteries. Let's put it in perspective... at the moment, Ernesto is only a Tropical Storm, with the possibility of turning into a Category 1 hurricane. Amazing.

But even though I don't believe we're in any serious danger from Ernie, we still need to take those basic precautions, which brings me around to the bonsai portion of this rant! When severe weather threatens, it is prudent to protect your trees somehow - I will bring mine indoors. I will be moving them into the garage later today, as well as the bricks and timbers that make up my bonsai bench. We must have water for the bonsai as well, so I'll fill a bathtub in case we lose the water. In addition to the bonsai, we have a number of herbs that need to be brought indoors. This becomes quite the exercise!

However, on the positive side, it's a great opportunity to take a closer look at your trees, and maybe do some trimming or styling while you have them indoors! If I have the time, I may even stage a photo shoot. They love all the attention!

Will I get to the Jazz Fest? Who knows!