We were incredibly lucky that in Irma’s aftermath, we only had minor property damage and loss of landscaping. Moreover, the power stayed on the whole time. We were shocked that our power stayed on during the storm, since it tends to go out daily.
We did lose internet and cell service, which stinks. Netflix was a godsend during the storm. Currently, our cell service is intermittent at best, so if you can’t reach us that is why. I am hopeful that our cell service will improve in the coming hours and days.
We did lose our lime tree, which has been very good to us. Every year it has provided bountiful, tasty fruit and required little to no maintenance. We try to keep our fruit chemical free, so there’s no pesticides on the tree. Sadly, my mojito tree is no more.
We also lost some banana trees, but those grow back quickly. Our neighbors tree also fell into our backyard, but that’s about it. Our maple tree survived the storm! I cannot tell you how excited we were to see the tree still standing Monday morning. This is likely courtesy of Irma’s Winds that had shifted throughout the course of the storm.
We got lucky! The fact the storm weakened before hitting mainland Florida was truly a blessing. Our thoughts and sympathy are with the people of the Florida Keys and the West Coast of Florida who got walloped yesterday. Lastly, a sincere thank you to everyone for the checking in on us, the prayers and the well wishes
And so it begins, after much anticipation Irma and her nasty weather are here! We’ve been able to enjoy time outside with the neighbors today before the storm and in between the feeder bands. I can’t say enough about how amazing our neighbors are, but we are super lucky.
I had to laugh when I walked out earlier today and the neighborhood men were taking turns riding the dirt bike. No better time to learn how to ride than during a hurricane! Life is all about making lemonade from the lemons and that’s truly what we’ve been doing.
While the adults played on the bike, the kids were indoors. Interestingly, the kids came back outside after the dirt bike was put away. They love playing football. In between the rain bands, and even during them, the boys were playing football with their neighborhood friends. It was a godsend for the kids to have a chance to burn off some of their energy. We are all getting stir crazy inside and the storm has barely just begun. We’ve been trying hard to overcome the boredom all day.
We’ve had several tornado warnings already tonight, but have not lost power as of yet. As long as I can post and film, I will continue to do so. To all my readers in Florida, please stay safe and godspeed!
As Irma approaches the Florida peninsula, our preparations are completed. The caramel rolls have come out of the oven and the champagne is chilling. We’ll be kicking this storm off with a mimosa brunch. Life is too short to panic, to be bored and not enjoy it. So enjoy it we will!
If there’s anything that’s awesome about impending hurricane doom, it is hurricane shutters. Our house is so dark that we all slept until 9:00 am. It was simply amazing! I don’t think I want to take them down ever. We leapt out of bed once we realized how late we had slept.
We hurriedly rushed into the car and headed to Gulfstream Beach. Not surprisingly the beach was closed to the public, so we headed south to Delray. Delray Beach is public and impossible to close completely. We found a parking spot on the north side of the beach and made our way towards the water.
The roar of the water and wind was deafening. Between the wind and the waves, it sounded like there was a jet engine constantly running. As the waves crashed, they left behind a brownish white foam. Beach erosion will definitely be a problem with this storm. The water had a markedly brownish tint as the waves retreated back into the sea. You could see how the waves from Irma would soon overcome the beach.
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As the waves crashed upon the beach, the onshore winds peppered with us a sand. The palm trees’ fronds were blowing westerly in the wind. As the howled, the air was thick and hazy. It was so humid and so hazy that my canon t6i couldn’t focus on anything. The pictures I was able to capture with my cell phone don’t capture the haziness of the air.
After the beach, we headed home so I could finish up preparation for brunch. There’s no better way to prepare for a hurricane than a mimosa filled brunch. I baked my caramel rolls that I usually reserve for the holidays. My boys, who beg me to make them all the time, were thrilled to hear I was making them. They’re pretty easy to make, but they’re time intensive. I started them off last night and then finished them as soon as I got home.
Soon after they came out of the oven, my bro and his crew arrived. We had several mimosa with several different sparkling wines: peach champagne, asti (my favorite) and champagne. That last minute trip to Publix clearly paid off. Everyone enjoyed the rolls and the mimosas, which were followed up by board games. The boys started off with the game Klask, which is sort of like table hockey with magnets. it will be a great way to pass time during the storm.
Once they finished the rousing game of Klask, we played a frightening game of Cards Against Humanity. Goalielocks nearly won the game, which is scary since he’s 13. They may be a little too knowledgeable for our tastes. Nevertheless, we played a game full of laughter and good times. Meanwhile, all four of the puppies enjoyed the extra company and attention. Alas, our good times had to come to an end since Palm Beach County is under a 3:00 pm curfew. We snuck in a group picture before the crew headed back to South to Boca.
This is the perfect wisdom Wednesday quote for us as Irma rapidly approaches! Now is the time to prepare for the storm and not be foolish. Prayers for everyone in the storm’s path. Finally, please stay safe in your preparation and during your evacuation. It is time to use your wisdom!
Irmageddon is seemingly baring down on Florida with an arrival scheduled for late this weekend. One could only hope that a strong Canadian cold front will dip down and force the hurricane away for us. Obviously, the best case scenario is for this storm to take a hard right out to sea. Trust me there is no way to elevate someone’s blood pressure than the satellite imagery of a KAT 5 storm heading towards them.
This far out it is hard know exactly where this storm will land. Meteorologists and scientists can give us a pretty good idea, but sometimes these storms have a mind of their own. Moreover since Irma is such a large storm (almost 500 miles wide and 400 miles tall), you cannot take this monster for-granted.
Needless to say with Irmagedden looming, hurricane preparations are well underway in South Florida. We spent much of our work day contingency planning for the coming days and weeks. With a storm like this, you could be looking at weeks of business and school interruptions. Importantly, the potential loss of life is a far scarier prospect than the interruption of our everyday life. Consequently, we’ll be putting up our shutters tomorrow and ready to batten down the hatches for Irma’s arrival. Please keep us here in Florida and those in the path of this massive storm in your thoughts in prayers.
I’ll leave you with some levity. When you’re looking at 185 mph sustained winds, you need to laugh so you don’t cry.
