Frankie used to rarely travel to the street behind our house, but lately, we find ourselves there quite often. I think it is because of the male ginger cat that lives near the opposite end of the street. I think Frankie knows he’s there and wants to check up on him, even though they obviously don’t like each other. Perhaps Frankie thinks this entire area belongs to him.
In other news, another hurricane is heading our way. We escaped harm in the last hurricane, but the beaches here were devastated, even though the storm was well out in the Gulf when it passed us. This hurricane, Milton, was forecast yesterday to hit St. Petersburg as a category-three hurricane. St. Petersburg is just a few miles south of us.
I freaked my wife out yesterday by suggesting we leave this time. While living in Pinellas County, we have never been directly hit by a hurricane. There were several that were supposed to hit us, but all veered off and gave us a glancing blow. That is what I hope will happen again, but if it doesn’t, we could be in a lot of trouble if we stay.
Rose and I tried to book on our phones the only reasonable hotel left in the county with rooms available. She and I both got rejected when we tried to pay for it. Their computer said the CVC number was wrong on both our cards. She then called the hotel directly. They had three rooms, and as she was booking one, she got cut off. When she called back, they had two rooms left. Another person tried to book it for her, but by the time he got through everything and took her credit card, the room was gone. He tried again with the last room but was so slow. He had to confirm every little detail, and the room was gone before he finished. Needless to say, Rose was not happy with him and let him know.
Today, Rose talked to someone at Hilton and secured a room at a hotel in New Port Richey, in the county north of us. She got it solely because she is a diamond member, and they keep rooms in reserve for them. She then learned that our next-door neighbor planned to go to Georgia with her dad. She will watch our cats when we go on vacation starting Friday. Rose feared she wouldn’t make it back in time to watch our cats, so she booked them a room at a hotel across the street. It cost us $500, but Rose didn’t want anything to stop us from leaving on vacation. We are Flying to Boston on Friday morning and then traveling up the coast to Maine. Hopefully, our house will be okay because that could ruin our vacation.
I checked the track today, and the center is now predicted to hit about 50 miles south of us. That’s a little better for us, but still not great. Rose also suggested that our neighbor and her 96-year-old father stay in the room with us to save us the $500. That’s a tough choice.

Good luck!
Thanks.
I wish you both, your cats and neighbors luck and hope your home will come through the hurricane unscathed.
Thanks so much.
Your area is getting it bad this year. Good luck with everything to you, the kitties and your neighbors.
Thanks. My wife wants to leave Florida now.
Praying Milton changes course for all of you, hoping you can still take your vacation! As for Frankie, I think he has a love/hate relationship with the other cat.
Thanks. Yes, why else would he always end up there?
Hope everything works out for you to get that vacation! Hopefully Milton will lose his “punch” and not be a bad storm. Fingers crossed for you……..We leave for Maine on the 21st.
Hugs, Pam
Thanks. We will be back before you go so we will miss you. That is assuming we are able to go.
Hope you have a nice vacation and your kitties and home stay safe.
Thanks. We hope so too.
Dang, that’s a scary time to leave kitties behind.
We are bringing them with us.
Apparently Frankie wants to make everyone knows it’s his neighborhood. Good luck with the storms. That’s very scary
Thanks.
Sending many purrs and good thoughts for all of you who may be affected by Milton.
Thank you.
Wow, what a crazy time!
Hoping this storm just fizzles out, making all of the weatherguessers embarrassed.
Fizzling out would be great but it just became a category 5.
All of you, stay safe.
Thank you.
we hope you have evacuate, we just saw the latest
We are leaving tomorrow.
happy to hear that hope you all are safe will be watching and purring for you all
Thanks so much.
guys…hoping milton goes from five to zero, and you, the cat crew, friends and family stay safe.
saw on the news last night, that now a worry is, the aftermath from helene will become “projectiles “ … scary times …
be safe, post on the cat blogsphere if you can, there’s an “update “ scroll there now
Thanks. I posted pics from the beach.
I can’t believe you’re already up to M in the hurricane alphabet! You’ve only just had Helene!
My heart has been hurting for all in the paths of these storms. We’ve had them hit here, so we get it.
You’re all in my prayers.
Thanks so much. It is sad. I just saw a video of a cat in water hanging on to a car door handle until people in a boat rescued it.
Goodness. So much trouble.
Hopefully with a happy ending.