Noon: Getting Very Worried In Miami

Have a really bad feeling on this storm which has built this morning slowly from wondering to pondering to worrying.

Hard to explain why exactly as everything with this storm has been sort of cryptic.. .

Think the storm will come in much further north than the current "middle of the track" area within the Cone.

Took my lunch break here and Broward County is erring on the side of caution and asking for a voluntary evacuation of low lying areas... Um... okay.. but.. they are supposed to only get tropical storm force winds...hurricane watch maybe.. they are being way too cautious. Then Palm Beach comes on.. how high up the coast are we going to go?

Track still officially between Cuba and Key West.

Spoke to Jim.. trust him and agree with his logic but I just cannot buy into the Western movement the official plots show.. time will tell. Think he is right and it can and will be over 115mph when it comes through.

And, am sure that Broward County and West Palm Beach have been advised of that possibility which is why they are acting like they should be if they were in Miami-Dade ..not much further north.

Maybe everyone is just spooked..figure it went south last time.. this time it will go north.

Meanwhile..back at the ranch.. at the library no one (except staff) seems to know there is a storm coming this way. Word gets around slow in this town.. they watch morning news to see if kids have school and check in around dinner time.

Have seen very few people putting up shutters in Miami but have heard people in Broward are being sent home from work to do so...

Confusion here if you ask me.

Or maybe, everyone is pretty much stocked up and figures they can do this in their sleep.. on automatic.

I do.. though am going to make a check list soon.

City is meeting at 2 to discuss when they are closing. Imagining by 3 the library will be closed tho some have guessed 5. Will see.

Telling you.. I am serious on this.

Think Rita cannot be underestimated and she will continue to do wierd things .. movement wise.. and do not be surprised by anything she does..

All kidding aside.. I think Katrina was an early warning storm not THE storm of the Miami hurricane season and still think we will get one in October that catches a front NE..

Yes..we know the drill... there is a secret sort of thrill at work wondering what tomorrow will bring but for those who wished Katrina was just a little stronger.. they may get their wish tomorrow with Rita.

As for me.. still thinking 18 mile stretch and upper keys.. Florida City but not sure of angle or intensity and I could be surprised again and get the eye for the second time.

If Broward and Palm Beach are all that worried.. I should be more worried.

See my point?

Quiet here except for a breeze picking up and branches keep falling down from the trees as I am talking.. little things fluttering down. A big.. BIG palm frond from a tall Royal Palm pulled loose by Katrina and just blew past my window as I type this.. little things fluttering by. Hmmm. Seriously, not kidding.. have seen 3 of them fall in the last hour.

And, this morning..not one butterfly anywhere on the trees by the bus stop that are usually covered every day with bright yellow butterflies. Where did they go? No dragonflies either. Where did they go?

Nature showing signs here..

Later..Bobbi