Morning blog readers.

Time was hurricanes had names such as Carla and Hanna.  Female names.  Sometime during the past few decades they changed that and began naming them alternately after women and gay men.  I don't know why they changed it.  Just happened.  Something to do with political correctness, thinks I. 

One day it's Constantanople, same as it's always been, next day it's Istanbul.  Just one of those crazy human things.

There's a Jova and Kenneth dancing around out in the Pacific, but threatening no one.  Still, they've a middling chance of getting arrested for disorderly conduct or some such thing.

But this new one that's sneaked into the Gulf of Mexico's named Rita, coincident with the forest fire that's been storming around Santa Rita Canyon, smoking things up.  Too many Ritas bunched up in too short a time period for my tastes. 

Rita's patron saint of lost causes, which seems an unfortunate coincidence, naming a hurricane.

 

Anyway, spectacular thunderstorm was working off to the west last night, but mostly stayed there.  Looked to be folks over in Navajo country and maybe Grants getting blessed with enough rainfall to have them trying to save the chickens and wishing they'd fixed the roof on the hogan while they had the long chance.

Cats are outside, even though the sun's not up for a good while yet, but with me up making coffee they put up enough of a fracas to decide me to risk a coyote lurking out there taking advantage of wind noise.  Man and cat need to make a few choices in life.  Outside before daybreak is theirs.

Anyway, those of you worried about us, we've got our coastline mostly evacuated.  Mostly it stays that way, even though it hasn't seen any water since 95,967,482 BC.  We like to play it safe.

All you folks down there on the Texas Gulf Coast, good luck.

Guess I'd better go check on the felines.

Jack