Ivan! Jeanne! & Karl & Dennis The Menace & Katrina

Gotta get some shut-eye. Big surf tomorrow.

Actually, I was just about to ask you when you last slept. Try to get some rest. You'll need to have your wits about you later today.

Night, night!

Good morning everybody! I do hope you are all still sleeping in Florida and will be for a while.

I will check in frequently today! Be safe!

Oh, that sucks dude... sorry to hear it. Good news is the storm is moving pretty slow so they've got some time... probably home by now actually. Let us know. Until he does, folks, I can tell you that so far the weather is still beautiful and like he said, they are reporting virtually no southbound traffic and plenty of fuel on the turnpike.

More good news: it's dropped to a cat 3… about 20 miles per hour slower winds. If you've ever driven fast, you know how much more important the last 20 is than any that precede it. It could still increase again, but the eye doesn't appear to be the perfectly defined type that is such a tell in the worst storms. Cat 3 still ain't no joke, but it isn't the bomb that a cat 4 or 5 is either.

That and convertible weather over 300 days a year. Sometimes I go a month without putting the top up. Very attractive to a Wisconsin boy (Go Packers!)

Thanks everyone for your concern. So far, so good!

Ah, things are sounding fractionally better! That's a relief.

I keep watching the satellite pictures...

same here

Because Frances is too slow. .. it is paradox, but that means he will be very strong then.

Hope y'all will be alive later.

Oh, My! Woke up this morning and checked the weaather.... IVAN???

Can't we get a break? This really does seem worse than other years.

i just saw a map on the weather Channel and I have 2 widowed aunts that live in Flagler Beach. Ive gotta call down there and see that my cousin, who lives ner them, is making family arrangements to evac

panzade- I know that I will be caught up in this mess. Where I am will not be as bad as the east coast, but they are talking about torrential rain, and tropical storm winds. I think that Tampa Bay will catch the back end of the storm. I am not in the evacuation zone, so I am staying put.

My husband had been fixing some minor leaks in our roof. Now we will see how good his repairs are! I had said "the hell with it," and wanted to get a new roof, but now I am glad that we didn't. It would be something if we had a brand new roof, and it blew off!

Good morning, all. The sky is back and ominous looking here and I woke up to rain. Glad that I didn't get out on the highways.

farmerman, where in Flagler?

Guess we'll head for the high school, which is a designated shelter. Sheeeze! I hate the thought of that.

Just got the scoop from the Weather Channel. Frances has weakened to a category 3. Keep your fingers crossed!

Crossing all fingers!

Letty, please go to the shelter. We are worrying about you! Take care, dear!

I will, urs. I sorta like myself.

I like you very much, Letty!

The news is good, or a little better this morning. I urged Mamma to keep on going...it was a hard thing to say. She just called and said they finally broke through the bottleneck at 2 am. It was located at the perfectly named Turkey Lake Plaza. They're 2 hours from Panama City now; having slept for an hour on the shoulder. Frances is looking more like a sweet little girl.

What bothers me most is that someone came along and stole some construction equipment in front of my garage last night. It's almost as if these people are totally in a vacuum. Go figure.

Thanks, honey. You and BD and Rog will have a great time, I know. Wish it were possible for me to be there at that gathering.

Yeah, we would love to see you. But you know - we will return to Florida!

Like you, too, panz. Glad to hear your folks be good.

My sister-in-law lives in Boca. She told me she and her family are heading inland a bit and will be staying in Wellington. I looked on the map and wondered; is she really moving out of harms way?

I'm still hoping for the best for all of you.