A Banner Weekend in Hurricane Land

I walked three miles on the beach this morning, feeling fortunate, grateful.

The surf is still pretty rough, though nothing like a few days ago. I spotted many dangerous rip currents and opted not to swim since I was alone and the beach was nearly deserted. I waded up to my chest and let the waves crash over me, to cool off from my walk, but I didn't feel comfortable enough to try a swim.

At Holmes Beach, most of the soft, white sand has washed away leaving only hardpack and shells. The renourishment is barely visible anymore, but the beach itself is still there, so I suppose the project served its purpose. Both residences and rentals are still shuttered, though some only partially so as the community becomes more confident that the hurricanes will give us a reprieve for a week or two.

Tropical Storm Jeanne is difficult to forecast, according to the NHC. Ivan is influencing her somewhat and the trip over rocky Hispaniola ripped her up. She is still forecast to restrenghten, but it's impossible to tell how strong she will become or where she will go. Some of the locals believe she'll go up the eastern seaboard, missing Florida. Others believe that every hurricane is destined for Florida this year. I'm somewhere in between. Cautiously optimistic.

Hurricane Karl continues to look like a "fish storm," another blessing. You can almost feel and hear a general exhalation as people try to return to normal. We don't know what gave us this literal break in the weather, but we're grateful for it.