Last Light Before "Hunkering Down"

Night has fallen, and so has the first drops of rain. Mind you, not much yet, and on any other day one might think it was an anomalous cloud. Tonight, we know it is a beginning, however light. Rita's bands are noticeably on the move southward from us, lower, and more fully defined (top photo).




Neighbors meet for one last time to laugh and swap stories before "hunkering down" for the night. I filled up our last two coolers with water, and now all supplies are in place. The top and second photos were taken only a few minutes apart, and already the clouds have changed shapes and moved.





Last outdoor picture I'll be able to take before morning. The streetlight gives a calm glow to what we know will be a challenging night, and our night will be easy compared to our friends in the Beaumont area. This photo was taken about 20 minutes after the previous two. Winds are gusting to 30 mph (48 kmph).