TheBanyanTree: Henri

[NancyIee at aol.com]

Henri is coming.

No, not a dreaded relative, but a tropical storm, hurricane wannabe. Henri 
lurks off the coast, spitting at us to the tune of four or five inches of rain 
and a gusty sneeze now and then.  I wanted to take a kayak out tomorrow.

I'm just learning you see, and have only mastered the art of not tipping over 
with each breath or stroke of the paddle. I saw a demonstration, and the 
fellow showed how to "roll" a kayak, safely get out and up to breathing level, get 
the kayak righted, and climb back in, all without drowning.  Not for me, I 
thought. All I want in a gentle paddle in the calm shallows to see the egrets 
and pelicans nesting and looking after their young along the mangrove islands. 
Kayaks come in such cute colors, like plastic jelly beans, light and quick to 
respond to the dip of the paddle, and large enough to carry a small lunch and 
spare sodas.

There are bays and coves and smooth rivers all about, too deep for a motor 
boat, and who wants to scare all the wildlife away with one of those stinky 
things?  Gently paddling about, not even waking the snoozing aligator there on the 
sandy bank, or disturbing the hunting of that fine Great Blue Heron waiting 
for frogs, and coming within sniffing distance to a nest of fluffy, half-naked 
cormorants.

But, it seems, I will not be kayaking tomorrow.  Henri is on his way. Dang, 
fussy, inconvenient old man, blowing in with his damp chatter and sloppy ways, 
snorting and sneezing about and wetting the floors. He'll only streak the 
windows and put another damp spot on the ceiling and drool on the window sills.

Naturally the dog has to go out just as the blows fiercest, wading through 
expanding puddles flooded driveways to find a bit of earth whereon for dog to 
squat. And, naturally he must sniff about to check out the trees and every blade 
of grass there for sign of friends and foes. I'm getting soaked, my feet are 
wet and freezing, and in  spite of a rubber raincoat, I'm soggy.

It could be worse. It could be his cousin, Hurricane Henri.

Up north, it would be snow.

NancyLee