by Pat Laster
FROM A FRIEND who saw where Isaac’s
tail-end hit near Little Rock and inquired as to my safety.
“We've had a lot of smoke from two wildfires
on the Warm Springs Indian Reservation and the air was pretty bad until
yesterday, when the wind again shifted to the west (only twice now in two
weeks). Still pretty warm, too, with mid-80's; usually by September 1, we're
into the mid to low 70's. The summer came late and stayed late this year.
“I enjoyed the August Haiku--especially the "signature poem"--power outage/enjoying the lighter side/of darkness. We were without power on August 5 or so for about 5 hours after lightning struck a transmission line; lights went out for over 9,500 people and we lost our reception of Oregon Public Broadcasting.
“When I informed them of it three days
later, the "customer care" (don't you just love that!) woman emailed
me that the engineers were working on it.
“Two weeks later and we still can't
get the signal, so I emailed again and she seemed rather surprised that it
wasn't fixed yet, then told me they were out there again at the antenna array
trying to see what was wrong.
“As of last night, still no OPB. I
really miss the Masterpiece Mystery series and Sherlock Holmes, and Doc Martin
(which at first I thought was stupid, until I saw a repeat of the first episode
ever made, which explained a lot, and now I like it).
“Well, enough of my babbling . . . . S.”
“Well, enough of my babbling . . . . S.”
ON SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, I answered her:
“Thanks for checking/caring. Except
for lashing wind and slashing rain--which I found myself in TWICE within an
hour--it is now sunny and as calm as if Isaac never lived and breathed.
“I did drive 30 miles in it yesterday
(from a writers' conference in Searcy)--very slowly on Highway 67/167, sometimes
with hazards blinking.
“Back at Beebe, we changed to dry
clothes, then I started home. Had to stop for gas and by the time I had drawn
enough to get home, and the pump said "see the attendant," I was
drenched yet again. The good part was that two or three miles south of Beebe, the
four-lane highway was dry and the sun was shining. So, though wet, I drove with
cruise control (a no-no in the rain) until I-30.
“Within a mile of home, a fireman
stopped us. A power line lay across the road "just over this rise," he said. Not too
much trouble to turn around and take a back way home.
“On Couchwood Hill, two tree limbs
were down--both smallish-- and other items--flower pots, buckets--were blown
around.
“Glad you liked the August booklet. The
September Senryu one ready to mail out. I spent almost all of August
entering state and regional contests and submitted a revised version of the
Rakestraw Experience to an Ozark-related anthology. My muse may be
spent, too.
“I've already had a nap today since
I arise early to get to church (choir) at 8:14!! This morning, the power was
out at the beginning of the service. We sang the anthem by candle-and- window-light.
This is my 3rd Sunday running to
sing in their choir, a neighboring church with a good (to me) new director and
young-man organist who has gone back to college (where grandson Billy goes) to
finish his degree. Some of my oldest and dearest friends still sing in the
group, too.
“Life is good here. Take care of
yourself. PL”
c 2012 by Pat Laster dba lovepat press
Check out my novel, A Journey of Choice, on Amazon or B&N. A sequel is in the works.
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