cat shepard

@ger_77 Gerry, happy to read that the nail did not go too deep! I had an interesting morning. I arrived at my gym only to learn that it did not have power. So I figured I would head to Starbucks to kill time until my Aldi opened. But they did not have power either. And traffic lights were being powered by portable generators! And this is the main drag of my little town! SomI headed North to the Aldi just North of me and on my way passed convoys of electric company vehicles coming out of the Flagler County Airport road. They must be housing them there. Some of the trucks were from Hyattsville, Maryland, Roy @rafinmd! Still some areas here without power. But we are blessed, when we compare our situation to that of the Southwest Coast.

Thank you for today’s Report and Daily, Rich. Roy, hope all is well with you up there. Thank you for keeping our lists. Another cool morning and it is just starting to get light out now. Heading off to the gym, then grocery shopping. More Ian cleanup and today I get my third COVID booster. Maybe I will nap this afternoon.😎 Prayers for all who need our support. Cheers to all who are celebrating! Stay well everyone! ******** Adega Mãe 2020 Dory White (Lisboa) This white blend from Portugal is a bit elusive but critics and consumers really like it, so it might be worth the hunt. I found one online distributor offering it for $8.99, so it won’t break the bank. Distributor notes The wine is bright and fruity on the nose with citrus, fresh sweet herbs and a slight mealy note. Lively and acidic on the palate, but with generous fruit, it’s a medium body with tonnes of character and nervy acid. The finish is long with green apple, sour apricot and blueberries. Any aromatic white drinker would love this.

Ann it looks as if it has eyes. 😱

Rose Villa is wonderful. Great ambiance and creative, delicious food. A bit pricy, so it is saved for special celebrations, but it is a favorite of many people in my area. I would not put it in any of the categories of the title of the show though. But who cares, they deserve all the recognition they get!

That would avoid some of the worst “to be avoided at all costs” roads. There is some kind of caution right before Lake Garfield, but if she checks the website I shared, she will know whether it is temporary or something she needs to avoid.

Sandi ask your DGD which company supplies her electricity. It may not be FP&L. I think Duke Energy provides power to some areas. And there may be other providers. She should be able to Google them and find out some basic info. But I agree that her apartment complex would have the best info for her.

And right below it is Fort Myers Beach.

Melisa thank you for reminding me… @StLouisCruisers Sandi, have your DGD check the following website. It would have the most current and reliable info available, but it still might not be perfect. it includes traffic info and road closures for the state. https://www.flhsmv.gov/fhp/traffic/live_traffic_feed.html

Florida Power & Light just emailed an update on power restoration broken down by county. They hope to be able to provide an estimate for when they expect to restore power in the hardest hit counties by the end of today. @StLouisCruisers have your DGD find out what she will encounter in Tampa, before driving all that way. Perhaps her area will be up and running. •Alachua, Martin, Indian River, Putnam, St. Lucie and St. Johns counties will be 95 percent restored by end of day Saturday, Oct. 1. •Brevard and Okeechobee counties will be 95 percent restored by end of day Sunday, Oct. 2. •Flagler, Seminole and Volusia counties will be 95 percent restored by end of day Tuesday, Oct. 4. •Charlotte, Collier, De Soto, Glades, Hendry, Highlands, Lee, Manatee and Sarasota counties are still being assessed for damages and we expect to provide estimated restoration times by end of day on Saturday, Oct. 1. •Baker, Bradford, Broward, Clay, Columbia, Hardee, Miami-Dade, Monroe, Nassau, Palm Beach, Suwannee and Union counties are considered essentially restored.

Jim, thank you for checking in. Glad you are both safe. Entire electrical grids were wiped out on the West Coast. Stay safe.

Safe trip & may you find no damage!

Thank you for today’s Report & Daily Rich! Roy, thank you for taking the time to keep our lists updated. it is another lovely morning here. Hoping that Ian hasn’t caused much damage for our neighbors to the North and all are safe. Lots of surrounding areas still without power. But nothing like Charlotte and Lee Counties. My friend’s Winter place is gone. I actually hope they do not rebuild there. It is such low lying ground. Today I may try to get to the gym to Zumba. Not sure if they are open. Or if they will even have classes. Then I have friends coming over for dinner. In honor of International coffee day… Prayers for all who need our support. Hope we hear from @jimgev today. Cheers to all who are celebrating. Stay well everyone. ******** McManis 2020 Estate Grown Certified Sustainable Viognier This Viognier is priced to try! I am adding this to the list. It is available from several online distributors with prices starting at $8.97! Cheaper than most glasses of wine. 😎 Winemaker Notes Light straw in color, this Viognier is a rich, velvety white wine with peach, pear and apricot aromas. Similar stone fruits and vanilla notes grace the palate along with a touch of minerality, leading to a smooth and decadent finish. Critical Acclaim WE90 Wine Enthusiast Rich and aromatic, this full-bodied, luxurious and ripe-tasting wine pours out coconut, fig, vanilla and honeysuckle flavors that coat the palate and linger on the finish.

Thank you for checking in. So glad you are both safe. Enjoy that cruise.

You were so close to where the eye crossed the coast, Charlene. I would think the atmospheric pressure would be really intense.

Thank you for today’s Report & Daily, Rich! Roy thank you for keeping our lists. I am so happy your niece is safe. Bindi celebrated being able to walk without getting wet by opting for a super long walk this morning. We had to walk in the road much of the time. The sidewalks were debris fields of small branches and leaves. There was one huge tree down blocking a main road, but if it had to happen, it happened on a U-shaped street with two exits. Bindi and I limboed under it. Our power came on some time in the middle of the night. It was only 64 here this morning when Bindi and I headed out before 7. Another view of the local Beach pier that was destroyed. With waves like the one in this picture, it did not stand a chance. I have small branches and Spanish moss to clean up. My bougainvillea trellis is detached from the house. All minor stuff. Praying that anyone in Ian’s path will be safe. 😎 Praying for all who need our support. @MISTER 67 and @jimgev hope all is well with you. Check in when you are able. Cheers to all who are celebrating! Stay well everyone! ******** Moët & Chandon 2013 Grand Vintage (Champagne) Who could resist champagne at its “champaniest”? I have enjoyed this champagne at several celebrations. Excellent ratings and available from numerous online distributors with prices starting at $51.75. You might be able to find it cheaper locally. Winemaker Notes Blend: 41% Chardonnay, 38% Pinot Noir, 21% Meunier SJ94 The Somm Journal Speaking of textbooks, here’s Champagne at its Champagniest. Combining 41% Chardonnay with 38% Pinot Noir and 21% Pinot Meunier, it offers up aromas of toast and apple with a hint of honeyed nuts; green apple tumbles onto the palate with a dash of salt, a stripe of chalk, and a squeeze of lemon that lingers for some time. Zippy yet seamless. WS93 Wine Spectator This elegant Champagne displays citrus, mineral and toast character in equal measure, with bright notes of preserved lemon and verbena layered with smoke, chalk, brioche and nut flavors. The interplay is backed by deftly knit acidity, riding the fine and creamy mousse through to the lingering finish. Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier.

Well Ian is almost out of here. Bindi and I had an exhilarating, but exhausting day. We still do not have power. It is downright eerie to walk down streets where you are one of the only two houses with lights. It is now a very light rain with some wind gusts. But it is downright chilly when it gusts. It was a real struggle getting Bindi’s walks in. The wind gusts made it difficult to walk. And some gusts were low enough to blow Bindi off course a bit. But I have now used my Alaska/Iceland rain gear more in Florida. 😎. The power went out at 8:21 this morning. No estimate for restoration and many areas in the County are out. This has to be caused by something big. My neighbors dropped off their phones to charge. And most were using battery operated lights. And grilling. Here are two pics that really hit home. This first is from Ft. Myers Beach on the West Coast. My friends, currently in Maine for the Summer, have a Winter place there. This is a pic of their neighbor’s driveway/carport. And the iconic Flagler Beach pier that was destroyed by Irma in 2019, has been destroyed again. What you see is the half close to the shore. They also had to shut down the Eastbound side of their bridge over the Intercoastal until engineers inspect it. High tide and the storm surge could have damaged the structural integrity. I and my neighbors are blessed. Thank you all for your prayers and good wishes. I fear the loss of life and damage reports will be tough to bear.

Truly wonderful news, Melissa!

Just a quick update. The NHC tracks the eye much further South of me and Ian has picked up speed! Maximum gusts at 75 mph in Daytona. Still a dangerous storm, but I will definitely be on the West side of the storm and the rainfall prediction has been lowered to 15 inches max. Hope the trend continues for our Georgian and Carolinian Dailyites.

Terri, I will echo Dixie’s caution. This one is so huge with it ‘s long arm (band of rain) reaching to the Northeast. And sadly that is the Carolinas. I will keep you all in my prayers.

Dixie, though I am sorry about your tree, I am so glad that is all the damage you sustained.

Thank you for today’s Report & Daily, Rich! Roy, thank you for faithfully keeping our lists. Bindi has finally accepted the fact that she can not wait for the weather to improve before going outside. I never thought that I would use my Iceland/Alaska apparel in Florida, but I wore my rain pants and my long rain jacket with the hood I can tighten when she went out this morning. She made quick work of it. Had a brief T’storm last night. Bands of rain. Wind gusts were really strong. Not sure how strong the wind will be when the eye makes it to our side of the peninsula. It may barely be a Cat 1. Nothing like our West Coasters received. It is just barely light. Once 8 finish coffee number 2, I will head out and drain some water out of the pool. Everything is all set up, just need to flip a lever. @cunnorl Charlene, how are you doing? You will be on the Southside of the eye, and I should be North of it, depending on its size and where it hits. Everyone stay safe. 😎 Prayers for all who need our support. Cheers to all who are celebrating. Stay well everyone! ******** Meyer-Nakel 2018 Pinot Noir (Ahr) This Pinot Noir sounds lovely. But not only is it outside of my budget range, I could not find any online distributor in North America, so shipping would also be a factor. But for those of you who live or are visiting Europe, I found several online distributors with prices starting at $51.78. Winemaker Notes This wine is a typical traditional Ahr Pinot. In the nose you find a slightly earthy aroma of red berries like blackberry, blueberry and raspberry as well as ripe cherries, strawberries and blackberries with spicy traces of juniper and laurels. A smooth wine with elegant tannin structure and good substance. This wine goes well with poultry, light meat, pasta and mushrooms as well as a spicy companion to grilled stronger spiced fish. WE94 Wine Enthusiast An exhilarating mineral crush extends from nose to palate, lending freshness to profoundly ripe flavors of black plum and currant. Full-bodied yet spry and lifted, it's a piercing, deeply concentrated Pinot Noir edged by hints of earth, smoke and violet florals. The finish is long and ruffled by fine, furry tannins. Welcoming in youth but structured enough to improve through 2030. Editors’ Choice. W&S91 Wine & Spirits This matches its translucent garnet hue in its restraint, the tangy raspberry flavors fragrant with notes of forest floor, orange peel and peonies. Italy's gentle and elegant, ready to elevate an herbed mushroom risotto.

Yes. Ian has/had a long arm that stretched to the Northeast. So the rain and gusty winds started here early. The Coast was expected to get 8 inches of rain by this morning. I am not sure whether I got that much. I do know I need to empty water out of my pool this morning. I had hoped to wait until late afternoon, but the water is at the top of the pavers already.

Thank you for checking in Dixie! Glad you are both safe.

Thanks Jacqui. I haven’t seen an update, yet, but the last one said the worst winds should hit early this afternoon. Bindi and I just came in and it is already wild out there.

Melisa Just catching up. How tragic about your friend’s neighbor. Weather folk who are not known for their dramatization of events are calling Ian one for the record books and they fear their will be many tragic events before this is over. I am not sure where in my area this will happen, but I am currently in a swath on the rainfall chart that may receive 20 - 30 inches of rain. My head can not wrap itself around those numbers. I am fairly close to the Intercoastal, and a State Park with areas of standing water. Then there is a section of the road that borders my subdivision that often floods, so perhaps those areas will bear the brunt of this. Friday can’t come soon enough.