Where are we, anyway?

We are in Oregon and getting back to the old grinds we were in before we left in 2006. Our friends and coworkers have been amazingly gracious as we invade their lives once again. Rick and Elaine have generously loaned us vehicles and even a place to stay during our time back in Oregon. My family has also helped out immensely as we struggle to get back on our feet.

It's been extremely difficult for us to adjust back to our old lives when we've lived as boat people for so long. Both of us are struggling to keep positive, trying to just focus on our overall goal to getting back to the boat in January. But we were welcomed back by our family and friends and it has been nice to be in our home state again.

We had driven almost 2700 miles in 2 1/2 days!! It was a fast and long commute but it was fun to see a different part of the country we'd not seen. We drove through Lousiana, Texas, up through Oklahoma, Kansas, Colorado, Wyoming, Utah Idaho and then Oregon (did I miss any?)

Hurricane Gustav had both of us in knots as we prayed that our boat was tied well enough. Several scenarios had us on edge.

I forced Brett to explain to me in great detail the real worries of a hurricane with Benevolence. He reluctantly shared his concerns. If the high winds caused the wind generator's shunt to break, it could overcharge the batteries and cause a fire. Our mast and shrouds could entangle with the boats next to us. Our boat was literally squeezed into a slip in between two other boats. We had cushioned our boat with multiple fenders but it wouldn't stop the masts from entangling. Brett also explained in great detail about the likliehood of the water rising and causing the boat to swing forward into the dock and land.

I was also worried about our new friends in Cypremort on the Vermillion Bay in Lousiana. They were also in the path of this monster.

We had hastily left our phone number with a sailor we'd met during the night we'd packed everything into the rental. We were hoping he'd remembered us as the storm made a direct path for Lake Pontchartrain. But we had not heard from him and were not going to rely on him still being at the marina. The slight chance he'd be there was of little comfort.

For days, I felt sick and nervous. We talked about Brett flying down to New Orleans and being with our floating home during the storm. I made arrangements to pay for the high priced airline ticket if need be.

On Saturday, we awoke and sat in our chairs watching the weather channel with Grandma. The hurricane had been almost a category 5 when it hit Cuba, the highest category for a hurricane. It only fell 5mph short... I teared up as I watched the path veer toward Lake Pontchartrain. I contemplated the possibility of the hurricane surpassing category 5 as it made its way over the warm water of the Gulf....

We tried to continue our day without worrying. Brett and Nathan went fishing and I spent the day with Shannon. We went to the Saturday Market and picked grandma up some flowers and Shannon some soap. When we returned to grandma's house, I grabbed the cell phone I'd left charging on my bookcase and checked for voicemails.

My mouth dropped open as I listened to the strange new voice on the voicemail. "Yes, this is Keith Hobbs. I met you at the marina when you left and told you I'd watch your boat. I'd like to tie up some more lines and let you know that I would be here to ride out the storm on my own boat. Please call me."

I called him back and we talked about what he might do to prepare for the hurricane. He said our boat looked tied well, that he just wanted to add a line to the stern, across the marina to the center dock to help keep her off our dock. I asked him to tie off the wind generator and I'd have Brett call him that night so they could talk. I thanked him over and over. I hung up and cried, thanking God that he'd sent us our guardian angel for the boat.

I spent the day nervously waiting for Brett to get back from fishing so I could tell him the news.

When he got back, he called Keith and they discussed keys and lines and the generator, etc. Keith was moving his boat to the middle of the marina to give it space to rock back and forth.

Sunday, we sat and stared at the tv as the hurricane made its way toward Louisiana. It had downgraded to a category 3 but was expected to speed back up. We spent the day trying not to think about it.

On Monday morning I struggled to open the internet. It turned on just long enough to let us see that Gustav hit as a category 2. It had actually diminished! I looked up Mandeville's weather to see what had happened and it didn't look too bad. The storm had veered just West of us.

Later, Keith called and I talked to him. He said everyone had fared well at the marina. They did have quite a surge, the water about two feet over the street which was another few feet above the docks. He said they had between 75-80 mph winds but everything survived well. He praised Brett's job on tying our boat. They had used our dinghy to move around boats to the middle of the marina. They ended up moving the boat next to us so we had no boats next to us during the storm and were free from masts and shrouds. I tried to convey our appreciation to Keith again before we hung up.

I cried again, overwhelmed by the stress of the last few days.

The boat made it in better shape than I did through the hurricane.