we had some heavy flooding here soon after some hurricane [ivan or dennis]. it wasn’t much more than a big rainstorm, but the ground was already soaked and all the storm drains were clogged with hurricane debris. we’re not going to need a huge increase in the number of category 5 hurricanes to have problems along the gulf coast. among other things, the cumulative effects from an increasing number of albertos and allisons will be sneaking up on us while we’re watching for the “big ones.”

hmmm… if at first you don’t succeed, try, try again

the family farm always had more mice than rats, so my only firsthand observations of dogs, cats, and rats is from a couple of rat invasions into two of the houses i’ve lived in. in both cases the resident cats [pets, not ferals, i’ll grant you] completely ignored the rats, while the resident dogs went on killing sprees, gleefully. the dog i had before this one was an especially superb ratter.

lots of electical crews out working today. fortunately the weather was not as bad as predicted.

georges, flooding. ivan and frederic, 2 weeks without electricity. opal, evacuation. celia, sudden intensification just before landfall. all the rest, big loud rainstorms [can’t even remember most of the names anymore].

Some of the electrical grid was smashed, so things will be iffy, power-wise, for a few days over in your area. Trying to repair electrical lines in the rain is slow work.

A truly feral momma cat is a very effective ratter. Rani [may she rest in piece] dropped them off at back door at least once a month, but I suspect she found something wrong with those, because she would eat them [maybe she didn’t like Thai, and they came from the back of the Thai restaurant].

Ferrets are the best ratters, but they don’t survive very long down here.

some flooded streets here, and some destroyed houses that probably everybody has seen on the news already and the day care center, and the church, and joe patti’s]. a tv crew was out in front of the vet’s this morning, trying to do person-in-the-street interviews when i went to pick up the cats. i stayed inside the clinic until they went away. the vet thanked me profusely for not bringing them any more cats today.

for rats you really need dogs, terriers, instead of cats [although i’ve heard that ferrets are good too]. if the hawks hadn’t moved in, i was threatening to start a colony of feral pit bulls to take care of the rats.

i dunno. there might be some starving kids in china who only own one or two of the cat who… books.

Doesn’t everyone own all the Cat Who… books?

I have some repairs to make when the weather permits, but no major local flooding.

I posted the current totals and they look a like Georges without the wind. I’m avoiding the road because the locals are driving like this was the first snowfall of winter.

my mom’s ironclad rule on family cats: no smashed-face persians and no siamese, so i don’t know first-hand what they’re like to live with. i do, however, own all the cat who… books.

the weather disrupted a few things today, not the least of which was the vet’s office [closed]. the 2 cats were fine as of wed afternoon, and i was supposed to pick them up this morning. ha. i was out slogging around in the worst of it, looking for a phone to call a tow truck [yes, i have a cell phone; don’t ask]. i did drive by the clinic this evening [after hours], saw lights on inside, cars in the parking lot, and no apparent damage to the building, so i assume everybody inside was being fed and bedded down for the night and made it through the storm ok.

we’re supposed to get more of the same all night tonight and all day friday, so i’ve scrapped the plans for taking any more cats in for surgery until monday.

Siamese are the champion howlers, but they were bred as temple guards – to spread the alarm and to attack in groups – they can been interesting to live with.