"They reminded me of the chalk outlines detectives draw around a dead body."

Matt  is a volunteer from our region. 

...every one of the buildings that housed and served what must have been a beautiful place pre-Hurricane Michael, is severely damaged or...just gone. Erased.  Deleted from the face of the earth.

Totally and absolutely gone. ~ Matt Swaney

Progress

Batdog wasn't quite sure about the new family member yesterday...

But he seems to be adjusting (imitation is the sincerest form of flattery).

Stand By For Heavy Seas

He's on his way home with our new puppy.

Reserve Cat can hardly wait.

Home Again

I'm glad I got back in time to see the last bit of it.

(Ran into another volunteer from my region in the Atlanta airport and we shared the home leg to central IL.  He was in Panama City and he says he's never seen such destruction; and he was in the Gulf last year for Harvey).

Bad Habits

I've been working closely with the Southern Baptist disaster relief field kitchens for refueling and other motor transport support.  

Based on a phone conversation I had this morning with one of their team leaders, they are under the impression that I am a former nun.

Just A Couple of Good Ol' Boys

First volunteer: (Hunting and pecking on a laptop) How do you spell "destroyed; "D-E-S-T-O-R-I...?'

Second volunteer: (slyly)  R-U-R-E-N-T.

First volunteer:  "Ruint."  Yeah, that works.

(It was a good day, all told; I managed to get my hands on a pillow last night).

Matthew 19:26

Shortly before lunch today the refrigeration unit failed in the trailer holding the perishables for the Southern Baptist Disaster Services field kitchen that is turning out 3,000 meals a day here. While I was on the phone  frantically trying to locate a technician, two Baptist ladies walked over, laid their hands on the trailer, and began to pray.

It re-started.

On The Road - But Not For The Reason You Think

Off tomorrow for a family wedding - blogging will resume Monday!

UPDATED to add for your reading pleasure, or rather growing sense of horror - Hurricane Michael, A Confluence of Awful Factors.

UPDATED to add - looks like I'll be deploying to Florida the day after the wedding.  Onward and upward!

Vintage Sewing - A Gypsy Costume From Bandannas

Another project from Nina Jordan's Holiday Handicraft, just in time for Hallowe'en.  This book is well worth checking out from the Open Library, if you have an account.

We've All Been There

From our dog trainer's FB page this morning:

"Just a reminder; if you cancel your appointment within 24 hours of the start time, you will be charged $20.

And if you cancel after I've put on a bra and eye liner you will be charged triple."

It Depends On How You Look At It

Cat Physics

"When a material is heated, the kinetic energy of that material increases and it's atoms and molecules move about more.  This means that each atom will take up more space due to it's movement so the material will expand. 

When it is cold the kinetic energy decreases, so the atoms take up less space and the material contracts."  Physics and Astronomy Online.

Caturday!

Quote of the Day

Silence does not make mistakes. ~ Hindi proverb

Aunt Martha's Workbasket, July, 1937

In this issue from the summer of 1937, readers can choose from projects that include two garden hats crocheted from crepe paper, a two-color star quilt, another hat to sew from linen or pique, and the pot-holders on the cover.  Free download from the Antique Pattern Library.

Vintage Magazines - Captain Science, 1951