INLINE HURRICANE

In California it's called The Pineapple Express.  The storm is coming from the southwest with winds steady at 45 miles per hour.  The rain right now is battering my living room and dining room picture windows which have southern exposures.  It's called The Pineapple Express because it originates in Hawaii and blows east battering the California coast and we're 150 miles inland.  It's howling outside and I'm waiting for the wicked witch to fly by on her broom.  The outside cats are all hunkered down on the porch and in the outbuildings.  The new little stray kittie, Ruffles, doesn't know what to think and Pumpkin, in the house, is all agitated.  The winds are supposed to become greater as the day goes by.  My husband, talking to his nephew on the phone, just said "It's a sit around the house and drink beer day 'cause you can't do anything else".  There's white caps on the swimming pool and the patio furniture is blown everywhere.  Thank goodness nothing has blown in the pool yet.  The last time we had a storm like this was early last November and the big swing with the canopy blew in the pool and stayed there until Thanksgiving when we had enough help to pull it out.  Lake Shasta Dam and Lake Oroville Dam are both releasing water into the Sacramento River at the rate of 40,000 cubic feet per second and the river's near flood stage.  Animals are gathering two by two.  Thank goodness we've got the Grady White back from the boat shop!  (Originally published on FB March 24, 2011)