Calm Before The Storm

It’s turning into a busier than usual day around the Smith abode.

We’re sterilizing and filling bottles with clean drinking water to go along with the many gallons we’ve bought. We’ll fill both bathtubs with water for flushing toilets and I’m in the throes of baking and cooking stuff that can be frozen, thawed and easily reheated on a grill. (Thankfully our neighbors have a generator and said we could run a power line over there to keep our fridge running.) Steve is currently outside with the chainsaw doing whatever it is that men with chainsaws do outside before storms.

Of course, I consider chocolate to be as necessary as flashlights, batteries and drinking water.

Sarah and I went out for a few things this morning and I snapped some pictures along the way.

This is the front of our grocery store. . .

. . and the stores next to the grocery store.

After getting our groceries, we drove past a lovely bed and breakfast near the bay that sported this sign.

I’ve always loved looking at this particular bed and breakfast whenever I’ve driven by; it’s even lovely with some of its windows boarded shut.

A few blocks away in downtown Manteo, we saw this sign on a favorite restaurant.

Another couple blocks away, I parked and took a few pictures of brave flowers who have no idea that their short, beautiful lives are about to end.

Beautiful and brave. Quite an epitaph.

This path led to Manteo’s replica of the Queen Elizabeth; it’s tied down as securely as possible but of course there are no guarantees it’ll be still be there by tomorrow at this time.

A few boats tied near the Queen Elizabeth.

And my patient daughter waiting in the van for her camera happy mama to return.

As you’ve probably surmised, we have decided to not evacuate. We are going to weather the storm in our church which is completely free of tall trees on three sides, has a second floor in case of flooding and is one of the higher points on the island. So with wind toppled trees and flooding being the two biggest safety concerns, we feel like we are covering both of those bases pretty well.

Also as pastors, Steve and I very much want to stay near our flock and our community and be able to lend helping hands—practical, spiritual, or otherwise—to those who will need it in the hours and days following the storm.

So unless something changes that we’re not anticipating, we’re here for the duration.

I’ll update as I can . . .