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Raui in Akumal

So, last Wednesday, Mimi and I and our friend Mary and the new kitten Raui came to Akumal. Mimi and I had an owners meeting to attend for the condo building and Mimi was heading north the next day. Mary just loves Akumal and wanted to hang out with us and snorkle. I didn’t want the Brits to have to deal with the new kitten until she had finished her worm meds so we brought her along. It was odd seeing her here where we lived with Tita at about the same age. When I look at the pictures I can’t immediately tell whether it is Raui or Tita.

Of course we were monitoring Ida online, she was drowning Honduras and Nicaraugua and had dropped to a Tropical Storm. Thursday night Mimi said we should put up the hurricane curtain on the front before I leave just in case Ida gets larger when she gets back over the water. I said, no she’s not going to hit us, stop worrying.

Friday morning, Mimi offered again and I said don’t worry so much. Ida was still a tropical storm and the tracks had her heading up the channel between the Yucatan and Cuba. So, off we went to Cancun and barely got Mimi to the airport for her flight to Houston and LA. Then Mary and I and Raui headed back to Merida.

I got up Sat morning and checked weatherunderground as usual. Oops! Ida now had a 50% chance of being a cat 1 or cat 2 and her chances of actually hitting the Yucatan coast had gone from around 5% to between 30% and 40%. Damn! The hurricane hunters were not flying into her for another hour or two and if I waited too long I’d be putting the curtain up in the dark. So, I tried to find some clean clothes, threw what I had back in the bag and took off.

I can’t believe how lucky we are to have such good friends. I called the Dodwells who are dealing with their own traumas out at the beach in Chelem and they agreed to come in again and feed our dogs and cats. This time I didn’t want to take anyone with me since I didn’t know if I would be sitting through a hurricane or not.

I admit I was just a tad unfocused and I forgot a lot: a hairbrush (this should explain my ‘towseled’ look to all of you in Akumal), the plug for my iphone which seems to have disappeared, my US phone so I could call Mimi, my glasses, and – best of all – the keys to the house in Mérida. When I went back from getting gas to pick up the US phone I realized I couldn’t get in!

It was a fast drive, 3hours from the periférico around Mérida to the arch in Akumal. I had several guys who were going to help me put the curtain up, Rod was delayed dealing with someone’s electrical emergency and the guys at the condo were putting stuff away downstairs. I put on my bathing suit because it was pouring rain, started putting in the bolts and then I lifted the curtain by myself and by the time everyone was ready to help – I had the whole thing up and secured!! Yah!

Ida is out there somewhere

putting in the bolts

there are her outrunners

more bolts in the rain

Done!

After a hot shower and a rum and coke, I called our friends Sherwood and Bob to see if they were going out. They said there was a locals housewarming around the corner to come with them. So, I went to a party where I either knew everyone or knew of them, had a great time, came home and PM’d Mimi and slept while Ida ran up the channel offshore. No wind here, some good waves but by the time I finally got up at noon today, the water was flat and gray and it wasn’t even raining.

I’m going to head back to Mérida in a little while, I’ll leave the curtain up for now. My knees don’t want to do all that bending to take out the bolts and I don’t want to take the curtain down when it is still wet.

Thanks Ida, but still… Ida rather you hadn’t come by.