This morning I got awake thinking that the hurricane was surely here. We had a lightning and thunder and fairly heavy rain and some wind. Dennis seemed to be right on our doorstep. I left home to catch the hardware store when it opened at 9 am, and by the time I got there, minutes after nine, the parking lot was entirely full. I was fortunate to get a parking space near the front door. People already had trollies full of hurricane supplies; anxiety seemed to brush past each shopper and cling to some.

Batteries seemed the most popular item, and after that water containers, tarpaulin, lanterns, and candles. I had come to purchase the plastic sheeting that I had picked up weeks ago when the shop was quiet. I had put it back thinking I had time to shop around, and then planned to return because no other shop seemed to stock this item. I needed it to line my bath so the water could not leak past the bath stopper.

I had picked up the rest of my hurricane supplies some weeks ago, and this morning I decided to add to my stock a roll of duct tape, some binding wire (I could need that to hold my windows firm in the event of heavy winds) and a length of rope that could come in useful though I still am not sure for what.

After I returned home, the rain stopped, and the skies cleared and the sun came out. For a while in the afternoon I thought the place felt the kind of stillness that I associate with an impending hurricane. Then I heard the birds singing in my garden and felt reassured. Evidently they still felt safe.

Dennis is now at hurricane strength. At this moment (10:32 PM) all is quiet. Not even a drizzle or the stirring of any wind.Just some very distant thunder. But I expect I will wake up to some very different conditions tomorrow morning. 

The light and power company says we should keep our electricity if the hurricane does not go much beyond category 1, so I expect to be staying on-line and staying in touch.