Helene packs a punch

 Wife and I had a rather hectic week last week. 

She was scheduled to leave Wednesday for a girls' beach trip. She was headed down to the Fort Myers/Naples area where friends of ours have a home. The lady of the couple had invited Wife and another friend to visit for a few days. 

Monday morning, Wife hollered from the hallway into my office, asking if I had heard about the hurricane heading toward the Gulf Coast of Florida from the Caribbean. Knowing our oldest and his family (who live near Atlanta) were vacationing on the Florida panhandle for the week, I said yes, and I guess that could affect Daniel's family. 

"Uh, yeah, and remember my trip?" she asked.  

I had had a momentary lapse. 

During the day Tuesday, she received a text from Southwest Airlines saying her flight, which would have gone to Fort Myers, could be delayed or canceled. 

She spoke with her friend in Naples, and they decided to call it. Even if the storm passed them by (as it did), it would likely rain the entire time they would be there (Wednesday through Sunday).  Also, Wife did not relish the idea of flying into all of that. 

As it turned out, the storm did pass by that area for the most part, and Wife's friend reported not as much rain as she thought there might have been. You never know. But I think they made the right decision anyway. 

In another turn of events, a dear friend of ours in Little Rock passed away Monday.  She had an aneurysm burst and a stroke back in April. She was in our wedding (and Wife in hers), and she and her husband were part of our friend group during our single days and later as young marrieds back in the 80s and early 90s. He died of cancer two years ago. They had four beautiful daughters, roughly intersecting in age with our children. 

Much more to that story but suffice it to say it was and is a tremendous loss for us, and it was important for us to make it to Little Rock for the funeral Friday of last week, which we did. 

It's about a six-hour drive for us, five and a half f traffic is not terrible and we don't stop much, and we started out mid-afternoon Thursday as I finished work. We arrived at our friends' home where we were staying about 9 p.m. We came home Saturday. 

Daniel and his family cut their beach time short Thursday morning as Hurrican Helene was headed their direction. His class reunion was here this past weekend, so all along they had planned to leave the beach and come here for the weekend. Obviously, they came a little early and arrived not long after we had left. 

We were glad for them to stay here while we were gone, and happy to see them here when we got home. Of course, it was especially sweet to get time with those two grands, seven-year-old (in a week) Hank and four-year-old Ruthie. 

My point with all of this is that we were preoccupied during the time the storm was making landfall and making its way inland. With learning of our friend's passing, getting ready to go, driving over to Little Rock, attending the memorial service, visiting friends, driving back Saturday and arriving home to part of our family being here, we did not realize the extent of the damage and devastation until mid-day yesterday when we had time to catch up on current events. It's just unbelievable. 

Here where I live, just south of Nashville, we had substantial rains off and on for about three days and maybe a stray limb here and there from some wind. In other parts of the state, however, there was terrible flooding. Western North Carolina was hit hard, especially the beautiful mountain city of Asheville.  (Blog friend Jeff is in southwest Virginia; hoping Helene missed them.)

With damage affecting at least a half-dozen states, although I am sure it has happened, I don't remember a hurricane in my lifetime having such a wide path, and having effects as far inland as Helene has. 

Hoping things will calm down now. Blessings and peace to those who must deal with the aftermath.