Well, here I am again!!! Just when it seemed like the adventures with our Airstream were over for this year…NOT SO!
After my last blog post, we had put the Airstream back in its storage place until time to drive it to Florida for the winter…that was supposed to happen last week! We had plans to drive the trailer to Florida, and then spend a few days there with the kids and grandkids!
Andrew had a long weekend, so he and Leigh and Nolan and Miles planned to fly in on Friday afternoon, a day after us getting there with the trailer. What perfect timing it would be – put the trailer away, getting it all ready for “winter hibernation” (haha) and then head to the airport to pick up the kids for a three day weekend!
Like the title says….we had to do some recalculating!
It was Saturday, October 5, and we had driven halfway to Emily and met her for lunch to see her and spend a little bit of time with her. On the way home, we were talking about our upcoming trip to Florida – at the same time we were talking about the hurricane that was in the Gulf of Mexico, and wondering where it would go and how bad it would be…we looked at our weather apps – Leonard has MANY because of his family living in Florida – and saw that it was not looking good for the Tampa area, which is where we were headed!
After much talking and planning, we felt like it was not a good idea to drive the trailer down – possibly right INTO the hurricane! Not the best place for the Airstream for sure!
As we were figuring that part out, we also felt so strongly that we needed to get home and get packed up to leave the next morning – Sunday. The storm would be coming in the middle of the week and it’s a two day drive! Since we already had planned a trip there and would be flying home when we left the truck and trailer there, we decided that it would be best to rent a car here in Pittsburgh and drive down. That way, we could drop it off and then fly home like originally planned!
Alamo Rental gave us a beautiful Lincoln Navigator to drive – we traveled in style!
Packing our suitcases Sunday morning…stopping the mail to be gone for a week…picking up the rental car…emptying the fridge…packing snacks for the trip (a MUST)…loading the rental car…AND OFF WE WENT!
Oh, and one more thing….WE HAD TO HAVE STARBUCKS FOR THE ROAD!
As we drove the first day, planning to make it to Rock Hill, South Carolina, it seemed like we checked the weather channel app all the time! It was unnerving to think about the storm and what might happen and when it might happen…it sort of felt like a race against time!
Everything went great on the drive down, and we arrived in Florida Monday around 3:00. It seemed as if we were the ONLY ones heading south – this was what we saw on the other side of the highway, heading north – all of those people who had just made it through Helen and wanted to BE GONE for Milton!
What a shock we had as we drove down the road that leads to our condos – hurricane Helene had come through that area about 10 days before, and we had NO idea of the damage to our little area there (it’s about 40 miles north of Tampa)…I couldn’t get over what we witnessed…
The only damage we had from the first storm was water that got into our sheds by the boats…about 4 feet of water. We didn’t start cleaning up because we had no idea what was going to happen with hurricane Milton! It was just a “let’s wait and see’ situation.
After we got safely to Florida, it was obvious that hurricane Milton was going to be a STRONG storm! And it seemed like it was headed right for us! What a scary thing, especially for this Pittsburgh girl! But I jumped right in and helped get things ready…and Leonard’s parents ready! We decided as we watched the storm approaching that it would be best if we evacuated them AND us! Our condos are on the second floor of the building, but we just were not sure what was going to happen – how strong the winds would be…how much storm surge would come up…etc.
The area was under a mandatory evacuation, so we took that seriously and decided to leave.
We are so blessed with friends who live about 15 minutes inland from our condos, and they offered for us to come there and stay – Leonard and I would stay with them at their house, and Leonard’s parents stayed at Sharon’s mom’s house, which is on the same property – what a relief for all of us – to know we would be safer than out at the condos RIGHT on the water!
Leonard and I also moved our boats and jet skis over there to their driveway incase the storm surge was high again! This way they would be protected – at least from water! We prayed that a tree wouldn’t fall on them – haha!
Tuesday was the day to get everything ready and head out to our “safe place” – it was really a comfort for me to know we had a safe place to go…this was unknown territory for me! Tuesday night our friend Chip cooked us a GREAT meal, and we had a “pre-hurricane” slumber party! Everyone got a good night’s sleep and prepared for what was coming Wednesday!
Wednesday morning came and it was already raining – as the day went on, the weather deteriorated little by little…We watched the weather channel and the local news on TV so we would know when the worst was coming! Making sure Leonard’s parents were “hunkered down” and “tucked in”, we just waited and watched!
About dinnertime the winds got strong! I have never been in a hurricane with 100 mile per hour winds – well I was that night! Chip and Sharon have a pool with a screened in enclosure, and we watched as some of the screen panels ripped and blew out! Again, a little unnerving!
About 9:30 pm we lost power – that was so strange, and the four of us decided to head to bed – Leonard and I laid there and listened to the wind howling, sleeping right next to a big window – the good thing is that there were no trees outside that window! Another thing we listened for was a “train” sound, since tornadoes come along with hurricanes and that’s how they are always described!
God is good – we fell asleep and woke up the next morning safe and sound!
It was still rainy that morning, but the worst of the storm had passed – so thankful!
Still no power, but all was well! Leonard’s parents were great, because their house had a generator – so they were safe and sound and keeping cool with the air conditioning and lights working! Leonard and I decided to venture out and drive around to see what the area was like, and also to see if we could get in over at the condo to check it all out…. Lots of trees and debris all over the place as we drove!
Thankful that everything was over, we got to the condos and all was well!!! NO damage and no real storm surge!
Obviously our “vacation” with Andrew and Leigh and the boys was cancelled, but Andrew and Nolan decided to come on down to help with some clean up and get things (and people) back to the condos – AND to provide a little fun with Nolan there! So thankful to have Andrew to help move boats, parents, etc! haha
To make a little fun out of it, we decided to put the small boat in and take a ride – there was SO much debris in the water from hurricane Helene! As we drove down the river and out in to the gulf, we were able to see more of the damage that had occurred – we were so surprised!
Having Nolan with us was a bright spot – and he’s not just a 4 year old that likes to play and have fun – HE IS A WORKER! He helped clean the boat and two jet skis!
We made it through the storm, and cleaned up from the first storm – the sheds that had water had to be cleaned out… What a messy job – it really made me stop and think about those people we saw right down the road who lost everything because of the water – ours was just some things for boats…I am thankful to the Lord for His protection, and really feel for those who lost so much.
The week passed, and we were all safe, as well as Leonard’s parents – God is good!
For those of you who know me, I am an “anxious flyer”, so at the end of all of this craziness, I had to get on a plane to fly back home! I tried not to add any anxiety to the week we just had by worrying about it – but it’s always a little bit of a struggle for me…I really am working on this fear, and God has helped me – a friend told me about a program called SOAR – it has made ALL the difference in the world and I am getting better when I fly! We got up at 3:45 Wednesday morning and flew home on a 7:30 flight
Here is the view as we walked to the car at 4:30 am – amazing with the moon in the sky!
As we took off, the sun was coming up and it was a beautiful day to fly – when the pilot came on and said “sit back and relax – it will be a smooth flight”, I did just that (I tried anyway! ) – I looked out of the window and marveled at the sky and the clouds and the sun as it came up! God is good!
WE EVEN FLEW RIGHT OVER DOWNTOWN PITTSBURGH! IT WAS AMAZING – ENJOY THE VIDEO!
It was good to be home – Pittsburgh is a beautiful place and this time of year up here is the best!! The sun has been shining and the leaves are beautiful shades of yellow, orange and red! I love the way they crunch when you walk in them!
AND…we got one more “camping trip” in since we didn’t take the trailer – we had to bring it home to winterize it since it’s getting colder, so we decided to “driveway camp” for an afternoon and evening – we watched college football, had dinner and spent the night, right there in our driveway! (can you tell we LOVE our trailer!?)
We will try to get it down to Florida in November, so this really IS my last post – no more camping until the spring! It sure has been a year filled with adventures – AND I AM THANKFUL FOR EACH OF YOU WHO “CAME ALONG” WITH US!
UNTIL NEXT TIME…(FOR REAL!)
I am so thankful you were all okay during the hurricane. Thank you for your photos, videos, and story of God’s goodness.
Love, Ruth Ann
Wow! What a trip that was! I am exhausted for you. Glad you are back in town safely.😀🙏🏼
So glad the storm didn’t cause any serious damage for you guys and along with you, I am so sorry for the losses that the people suffered in that area. Seeing all their stuff sitting on their lawns or the curb is just heartbreaking. So glad Nolan got to hang out with you guys, and Andrew too!!
Ooh my. What a contrast these photos are to the beautiful, uplifting shots from previous trips. It is so very sad to see all the destruction from the hurricane and flooding. Very sobering . So glad you and Leonard’s parents fared so well.
Oh my! A time filled with contrasts, Praise the LORD! You and your family are safe.
You were so brave!!! What wonderful care you two take of Walt and Lausanne – bless you. Glad you’re safely home. xoxo
I’m thankful that you and Leonard’s parents were protected, and that your friends were a blessing to you. I know this may be crazy, but it was also a memorable adventure! And I’m sure Nolan felt special to be able to help his grandparents while his little brother stayed home. God is good!