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Damn and damnation.

I came home today and saw the dreaded temp power pole erected on the lot behind us. Looks like the owner is building. Not a big deal, I know. Or I should know. But I hate it. For 18 years we have had our little bit of seclusion. We’ve had very few year round neighbors and the rentals around us were all the small pre-sewer homes that limit the number of Tourons. 

Not no more. I’m sure the nameless, faceless new owner will build an enormous, humongous Touron Mini-Hotel complete with a 24/7 swimming pool and squealing kids. 

Ooh goody.

If the days leading up to a hurricane are spectacular, the day after is typically spectacularly beautiful. Or bee-you-tee-full as Carol says.

Yesterday was no exception. It was so bee-you-tee-full that it was like Mother Nature was making up after the storm. Kinda like when you were a kid and your drunk Mom would come into your darkened room right before you fell asleep, kiss you, and whisper in her dusky voice-“Sorry I had to beat you, honey”. 

And then, even though you had been hating her, you couldn’t anymore.

Hanna’s here and even though she is “only” a “tropical” storm with “minimal” storm surge she has timed her visit to coincide with high tide today, maximizing her minimalism. 

Bitch.

Originally I was going to include a Hanna picture in today’s post but have decided not to. If you want see pictures of her- go to the Weather Channel. I’m busy wanting to ignore her.

Speaking of the Weather Channel- they just flashed to Jim Cantore in Atlantic Beach NC. The studio anchor opened by asking him, her voice all trembly, if it was safe to be there on the beach during Hanna. 

Big Jim hesitated, squinty eyes squinched behind his Hurricane Hero goggles, and you could tell he was revved up to deliver one of his Hurricane Hero diatribes, when the camera panned back and picked up a middle-aged couple walking barefoot, hand-in-hand, in the shore-break behind him.

We’ll call him Mrs. Sheepish.

Looks like Hanna is on her way for a visit. Hurricanes and Tropical Storms are God’s way of letting us know that our lifestyle is way too much fun.

The other funny thing about Hurricanes is that the days leading up to a storm are drop dead beautiful, almost like Mr. Nature is saying- “Sorry the next couple of days are going to suck, dude”

So we watch and wait.

Yesterday, I finally received the RAM necessary to install Photoshop Lightroom on my aging G4, got it all installed without having to kill anything, and have been working with it ever since. 

I love what it can do but teaching old dogs new tricks is never painless.

Gotta love it. 

This is what we locals wait for, wish for, look forward to, all summer long. Empty rental homes. No more endless pool parties and endless Tourons with their endless “Hey dude, I’m on vacation” attitudes.

I know that most of the owners need renters, most are not wealthy people- which is why they rent out their homes in the first place- but I’m not sad to see the Tourons go.

Far, far, away.

That’s it.

Finally a setting sun on summer’s long season.

The Tourons and Touristas have left taking their screeching kids with them. The quietude envelopes and we rejoice.

At long last.

 Thems our dogs.