Gustav

This is not real news since it has been announced all over the country, but Gustav was a bust. The locals here (with the exception of the network with the MD telethon) covered the "news" until noon. I guess they can only show so many downed . . . leaves from trees. True, I believe there was minor flooding in New Orleans, but it wasn't the "mother of storms." I couldn't determine if the reporting was really serious or if they were a little tongue in cheek trying to make damage out of no damage, like the downed paper political sign.

I doubt people will evacuate with the next storm that comes knocking at their doors. Some of those folks spent hours and hours in traffic (like with Rita), and paid high gasoline prices only to then add hotel/motel rooms to the mix. Several who made it to Swampland with reservations found that those reservations didn't mean anything. Sure, they could have paid ahead to have the room saved or called when they found themselves in traffic bottlenecks, but THIS time was supposed to be smooth. My heart goes out to them regardless.

I am really thankful that there seems to be so little damage. Some areas were hit pretty hard, but even so it was much less than expected.

Of course, the weather gurus have at least two more out there to satisfy their desire to whip us into a frenzy!

Such is the life on the coast of Texas and the Eastern United States. These come and go, along with the frenzied weather people (at least here in Swampland).