Hilary

My mother did not evacuate New Orleans before Katrina hit and the levees failed. She hunkered down in the first floor bathtub. She had cleared out — unnecessarily, in hindsight — many times before, she explained, so she decided to stay. “River of misery,” she saw afterwards. Followed by “river of joy,” the following Mardi Gras. “Not many people are privileged to see both in one lifetime.”

I did evacuate, however. Mold toxicity in 2013 Olympia, Hurricane Dorian in 2019 Florida, and now Hurricane Hilary, currently off the southwest coast of Baja Sur. My angels, Francisco and Mario, helped me prepare Habibi for high winds and waves. The whole marina is bustling, with boats huge and small seeking refuge in this hurricane hole.

Now I am back on land. It’s bumpy, but higher ground sounds good right about now.