Post Hurricane Earl

Hurricane Earl came through St. Maarten and left, leaving behind mainly broken trees and signs, and a day or two of lost revenue for the stores that cater mainly to tourists.  After being sequestered in for more than twenty-four hours, Mike and I ventured out today, expecting to find things back to normal.  While people seemed to be out and about, the stores were mostly still closed, in part preparing for tropical storm Fiona.  The entire town of Philipsburg, the shopper’s mecca on the Dutch side of the island, was cleaning up from Earl and readying for Fiona.  We could not even find a place to eat in the entire area.

Mike and I talked about this Hurricane experience, and our lessons learned. One of my lessons was that while I thought we were unprepared since we had not gone to the grocery store for supplies, what we had in the refrigerator was more than enough.  Mike was not surprised by that at all.  Our dinner last night of leftover pasta, cheese and crackers, and our breakfast of bagels and cream cheese this morning was ample fare.  I was reminded that we often have more than enough, if we only use what we have.  My urge for bread and milk was nothing more than the getting caught up in the hype of those who rush to the grocery store in a spirit of scarcity, buying things they do not even usually eat, just because others are doing so.  There is probably a larger lesson in that as well.

This strange life of ours has us leaving St. Maarten on Saturday, assuming that we can get back with the weather conditions that could affect our travel, just in time to meet Hurricane Earl in North Carolina!

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