Rita Taquachita

This girl Rita is a frightening hurricane already, with the third lowest barometer pressure of any tropical storm near the US. As of 7:00 p.m. the central pressure was 898 millibars and winds were Category 5. Lots of folks have been asking if we’d stay or leave but the action looks worse for the middle and upper Texas Coast, so we’re still in the wait mode.

A Taquachita is a small possum, or should we say opossum. Its name is usually used in conjunction with Rio Grande Valley conjunto music, which is slower than the kind you hear up in San Antonio. The slower rhythm has been compared to the taquachita because it is slower and more fluid than its counterparts elsewhere. So that’s my little prayer for all the folks along the Texas Coastline: Rita taquachita. Slow down.

I'm still trying to fix the digital camera, which decided to go bonkers at exactly the wrong time. But we'll be safe and if we do boogie, we'll be up west of Austin. The Rita party is still on for Saturday, with prickly-pear margaritas and all. The plywood still sets in the garage, hoping it doesn't need to go up again after Hurricane Emily in July. At least it it is numbered and pre-cut and I have all the logistics figured out.

I did notice that the birds, hummers, and butterflies stopped migrating through here the last several days. What's up with that? Sure, we've got dragonflies out the ying-yang, and little tiny bees all over the flowers, but whither the other winged ones? Even the ospreys and Perigrine Falcons seem to have left. Hot, calm winds, and haze - something's brewing out there, dark and sinister.

Rita taquachita.