Climate Refugees

It's great to have the freedom to change plans as needed, as we did a couple of days ago. We left Titusville and headed north to Saint Augustine Beach for 2 nights and we are now in Savannah.

The beach was lovely and we were close enough to Saint Augustine to enjoy the hop on hop off trolley tour of the city. The heat and humidity almost did me in, though. I am not made for the southern climate!

The first time I was here, I was 7 years old and the old jail, the oldest schoolhouse, the pirate stories enthralled me. This time around, it's just tourist kitsch and not so interesting. (Come to think of it, that might be driving my whole reaction to Florida this time around.) But the architecture of the city is lovely, the Castillo amazing and Anne O'Malley's, the oldest Irish bar in St Augustine was a hoot – with a phenominal sense of humor. From the husband daycare sign outside, to the barmaid's shirt that read: 'I'm sorry, I don't take orders – I barely take suggestions'. It must also draw clientele with a sense of humor. The t-shirt on one patron was for a bar in Key West called Tattoo & Scars, ‘because every relationship ends in one or the other’.

Like many down here, we are refugees due to storms made more intense due to climate change. As we were headed north on I-95, we noticed lots of large utility trucks already headed in the opposite direction to be of assistance when needed. It’s sad to have Ian throw a wrench on top of our plans, but better safe than sorry. We knew this might be a possibility from the start and I have no regrets.

We’ll probably feel some effects from the storm in the coming days because it’s cone is so large, but at least we won’t be in the worst of it.

I suppose these mer-men, on offer in a shop on St George Street, might be looking forward to the storm - it might set them free to swim away!