Should I stay or should I go?

We here at Feedin' Mama Central are currently in the midst of a long drawn-out encounter with a tropical trollop named Fay. We are in good shape, lots and lots of rain and wind but we still have power and all the trees in the immediate area are still standing. Just got a call from my son Joe to say they have been without power for about 3 hours. That's no fun with a 2-year-old boy and a 3-week-old baby girl. Unfortunately they live on the other side of the St. Johns River from me and the Buckman Bridge at the south end of Jacksonville that runs between their side and mine has been closed by the sheriff's office due to the high winds. We have plenty of food, water, batteries and a plethora of flashlights and other battery-operated lanterns and such so we're fairly well prepared I think.

There are shelters open, especially for special needs folks and that's something to always keep in mind. Shelters for seniors are, in my opinion, a last resort except for those who are oxygen dependent or have other such medical needs. I'm glad they are there and would be grateful for one if I had no other option but I know for sure that Mama would be miserable if we had to do that. I've seen too many news reporters standing in gymnasiums and cafeterias with cots lined up all over the floor and kids running amok and I'm pretty sure that they don't have low sodium options on the menu. There's no possible way Mama could get any sleep in those conditions and when she doesn't sleep she is beyond miserable. So we stay hunkered down unless we were to get an order to evacuate. Even though she's on oxygen at night, we do have an emergency tank for a backup if we did lose power.

Speaking of losing power, we're in another band of squalls and gusts and the lights are flickering so I think I'll post this and come back later as long as I'm able.