#$%! Swirly

The Post Horsie Camp Blues finally lifted and we went for a ride last night, to make sure we hadn't forgot how; Dolly the Donkey was particularly helpful, carrying off equipment, knocking over stuff, and generally being a pest. She did however bring Haley her helmet, which made up for a lot of sins. She looks quite nice in red cowboy hats too.

We're supposed to go on a whitewater trip next week. It's been planned for less than a year, but not by much, and of course involves several parties from different parts of the country meeting up at a certain time, in a certain place, to embark on a week of fun and frivolity in inflatables. Tents, lanterns, bears, you know the drill. Our river is in the East. There's very few places that the long prognosticated, and now official, Pre-Swirly can go without throwing a wrench into the works.

Certainly we've camped in terrible weather (including tropical) before, and well, we'll be inflated and have our PFD's and helmets, so that's not so bad. The thought of feeding a dozen teenagers for a week is actually significantly more anxiety provoking.

The included graphic is of the current dynamical models. Once the actual center of circulation establishes itself the computers will get a better idea of what may happen; once the Hurricane Hunters fly, we'll get some real answers. Right now, the trend is towards FL; in the morning, it'll be towards TX; actual landfall will be somewhere on the Gulf Coast, guaranteed!

And so, the bear watch begins.