Isla Fishing Families vs NOAA

This photo of Joplin from the Associate Press captured, for me, the essence of what has been going on in the Midwest. As the blood hounds went out in Joplin MO looking for any survivors, another round of tornadoes hit the Midwest and surrounding area, in places like again, Missouri, Nebraska and Arkansas, threatening Texas as well, pelting Austin with hail.
The l0cal papers are filled with it, just like those north of the border (NOB). And so is the local talk. So when I shopped in Cancun Saturday, I was mindful to pick up a few extra canned goods and bags of rice.
We haven't had any real hurricanes since the Category 5 Wilma in 2005, at the end of my first season here. Carmen, the wife of a local fisherman, says she is certain we are due. She is not alone.
It has been so hot here that as early as April folks were saying it's the kind of heat that brings on big hurricanes. My cabbie in Cancun, Carlos Telliz, was saying last month that we could have a hurricane then! Hurricanes exist to break up the heat building up and it has been building.
I studied the issue a little bit on NOAA websites. There is no statistical correlation between early and active tornadoes and Atlantic hurricanes, including the Caribbean. Dr. Jeff Master's Wunderblog notes than NOAA forecasts a 65 percent chance of a greater that normal hurricane season, but the curve is way off because of the five years WE haven't seen a real hurricane in this part of the Caribbean. Many of us are afraid that will all change this year.

Hurricane Preps...Listo!

Well, we are all on the same page now! Mundo came early, Jose on time and Gladys a half hour late. Lora participated, and we are now ready to run the generator should it be needed later this season. For a cold start, prime the carburetor with paint thinner!
Gladys mopped up dead bugs that keep showing up after last week's fumigation and checked linens for mildew. They were all out of here by 12:30, which got me on the 1:30pm ferry and a quick stop at Soriano's (yeah! They had shower mats!) before my 2:30 date with Ricardo at Home Depot, where I selected shade cloths and privacy screening for the rooftop veranda. At Home Depot, I also found a baby gate, all the better to keep Lora in her place, and six swimming pool filters. Ricardo graciously offered to bring it all to the house Saturday.
At check out, 4pm, my lawyer called to say he was coming home early. Yippee! I thought I would have 2 hours to kill!
Ricardo and the cabbie dropped me off and I signed papers for Mauricio. Strategy for later today: I will keep my 10 am appointment at the Hacienda to correct the birth date on my principle legal ID, CURP, and he will meet me near there or at Costco to take my passport and original FM3 to Inmigraccion by 1pm, or wait til Monday. Tuesday and Wednesday are legal Independence holidays.
Two phrases Jose mastered this week: "Like clockwork" and "No rest for the weary." Pretty fitting.
By 5pm, once back on Isla Mujeres, I stopped to update Miguel and the boys. We also decided that September 28 in the Year of the Dog should be declared a "Day of the Dog" party to celebrate Lora's one year anniversary with me at her doggie daddy's place!

Priorities!

I was going to screw around today, but nature calls! Tropical Depression Gustavo will probably not cause much harm, but they train is about to take off, it looks like it...so...
Jose is coming over today. I washed the detergent tanks and will have him fill them with gasoline and maybe fire up the generator with the gas in it now. There are are many other manly things for a 21 year old guy with a good back to do and I have the immigraton lawyer appointment tomorrow.
Which places me at my scanner/copier and across the street at Federico's for more quick copying of additional stuff that Gabriel brought over last night and will bring today.
Then there's the taking of laundry in and the pool needs a mini shock since the filter has been off for two days. And the refri needs cleaned and the food recollected from yesterday's unplanned disbursal to the apartments in the wake of my fridge refusing to work until the frost free guts thawed out.
Ahhhh...the slowness of slow season...the big lie!
And of course, as promised again, we are waiting on Delfino to come by for Lora's ear treatment and some huesitos...Omega-3 enriched rawhide bones. Last time, he, he was with Kai, Dr. Greta's daughter, who wants to be a vet.
I am going to make a list instead of read tonight. It will be Lora's known vocabulary, which for a dog is pretty extensive and multi lingual. Last night, for example, as I lay reading before lights out, she wanted something. I asked, OUT? No reaction and usually she always wants out. WATER? And the tail wagged in anticipation. Yep, the water bowl, too big to throw around now, was dry.
Dumb animal? Dumb blonde? You can be the judge.