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Ok all of you South Texas builders, batten down the hatches store all the wood high and dry and get out of the way. Don't let Gulf coast Texas be the next New Orleans. Any South Texas luthier or novice builder need shelter away from the storm PM me. Please everyone get the heck out of there.

Good thought, Michael.
All those folks ya'll had at the Astrodome have now arrived in Arkansas.

Ron

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OLD MAN formerly (and formally) known as:

Ron Wisdom

Somewhere in the middle of Arkansas......

We're only 150 miles or so from the coast.
They're already starting to head north up Hi 59.
You should see the traffic!

We need the rain desperately, but I fear we're about to get more--much more--than the doctor ordered.

Stay tuned....

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From Nacogdoches...the oldest town in Texas.

http://www.stephenkinnaird.com

I was just thinking about you. You know you are probably going to be in the tornatic zone. If you want to come West I have two spare bedrooms you are welcome. What ever you do take percausions and be safe.

I was going to head to Shreveport this weekend. Tought about maybe dropping by on the way but not the best idea right now.

My son is in Houston going to school, he said he is headed to Austin. He hope that will be better. I'm in Calif. and cann't help him much, all I can do is set in my shop and worry.

Michael,
Thanks for the kind offer! I think we're going to be alright, and the officials must think so too, as we are an evacuee center for the Gulf coast. The only trouble with that scenario is that we're still full up from Katrina. Today our weather woman said that we should be getting 3-8" of rain and 45 mph winds. But who knows?
We stopped off at the local Kroger tonight (not for Walnut oil) which is now sold out of lots of neccessities. The place feels strange and jittery as people are getting ready for no one knows what.

We'll keep you posted,
Steve

P.S.--Joshua French, do you need a place to run to?
If so let us know.

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From Nacogdoches...the oldest town in Texas.

http://www.stephenkinnaird.com

Steve, I know what you mean about feeling strange. My wife and I decided to ride out one of the Hurricanes that passed through South Florida last year. We have a place on Miami Beach and they had a mandatory evacuation but, we are strong in faith that if God wants you he's going to find you no matter where you run. But, after everyone evacuated it was like a ghost town. It felt very strange and eery but, by the grace of God it took a turn to the north and all those who evacutated to central and norther florida caught the hardest part. It did very little damage on the beach (some strong wind and rain and a few downed palm trees) but, other than that nothing. We had all of Miami Beach to ourselves and we even went pool hopping at some of the most prestigious hotels one evening. HAD A BLAST !!Brazilwood38616.9856828704

Steve,

That is very kind of you, thanks. I've already got other arrangents though - I've already packed up all my wood and I'm off to San Marcos in a little bit, trying to avoid evacuation traffic by leaving in the middle of the night.

Looks like its going to be an incredible storm. If I didn't have a house full of guitars and wood I'd just stay here, but i've got a lot of guitars promised to people so I can't afford the risk.

This will be the first tropical depression, storm or hurricane to enter the gulf this year that I won't have surfed. Its been an incredible storm season for gulf coast surfing.

If anyone wants to keep an eye on one of my favorite places to surf, which is taking basically a direct hit, go to http://www.surfhousesurfcam.com/ . It might be fun to see how big the waves get. Have a look at the pictures on that site too.

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Instagram: @jfrenchluthier
Web: https://www.jfrenchguitars.com/

All of you that are in rita's way are in our prayers. Leave everything and go. Nothing is more important than the lives of you and your family.

Good luck Joshua, keep yourself (and your stash) safe. Never underestimate the power of nature.

Colin

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I don't believe in anything, I simply make use of a set of reasonable working hypotheses.

I just heard on the news that all the hotels in Okla City are booked up with all the Texans fleeing the storm. Not sure how far folks are going to have to go to find a place to stay till this one is over.

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Dave Rector
Rector Guitars

After a lot of discussion, consideration, and constant attention to the storm forecasts, my family and I have decided that we will shelter in place. We live in Houston. The freeways are 200-mile-long parking lots and have been that way since yesterday. I'll bet that, if Josh left in the middle of the night last night, if he's lucky he's just making it to the outskirts of Houston by now, say some 8 or 9 hours later. That's how bad it has become.

Folks are stuck in traffic and running out of gas and many of the gas stations within a couple miles of the freeways are now out of gas.

According to the most recent storm tracking data and forecasts, it looks like projected landfall has moved eastward such that Houston will now be on the west side of the storm, rather than the east side. This is very good news. Also, they are forecasting that the storm will substantially weaken before coming ashore, which is more good news. Further, the last two hurricanes that have made landfall along the Gulf Coast -- Ivan and Katrina, took a right turn a few hours prior to moving ashore. If Rita follows suit, then landfall will likely occur around the TX/LA border. Even better news for those of us here in Houston. That means that the worst we'll experience is a lot of rain and tropical storm force winds, with scattered power outages.

I'll probably continue to surf the 'net up until the power goes out, so I'll keep y'all posted. But for now, I've gotta get busy and go board up some windows, and gather up all the projectiles from the yard.

Best,

Michael

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Live to Play, Play to Live

Stay save Michael. My Prayer will be with you.

Well, I made it to San Marcos. Left at 1:30am, and made it here at 9:00am - something that is otherwise a 2 and a half hour drive. At one point we were making a distance of 6 miles every hour traffic was so dense. Friends of mine who left a half hour before, and who took the highway all the way (I ended up catching some unbelievable short cuts) are just as Michael stated - just barely on the outskirts of Houston.

All the evacuees from Katrina have made it a complicated thing for most of Texas, there are people everywhere escaping storms. Good luck Michael, wish you the best, and any others in her path.

best wishes,
Joshua

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Instagram: @jfrenchluthier
Web: https://www.jfrenchguitars.com/

Glad to hear you got out. San Marcos is still likly to se 80+ winds but at least you will not have to worry with the storm surge. Keep your head down and power dry.

Thanks MichaelP. Finally watching the news, after my two hours of sleep, and I am utterly amazed that I made it out here. Some people are spending the same 8 hours not having made it 10 miles.

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Instagram: @jfrenchluthier
Web: https://www.jfrenchguitars.com/

Josh, you must have chosen your route very wisely. I was just now watching the news and a woman on the phone was being interviewed. She got out on Hwy 290 (the main highway from Houston to Austin, and San Marcos is just south of Austin) at 4am, and after 8 hours had moved only six miles. She gave up and returned home. Can't say I blame her.

I've got the front windows in my house either boarded up or taped with ductape. Taking a break for lunch before I board up the windows in the back.

The storm track is continuing to shift to the north and the east. Obviously not good news for folks east of Houston, but it sure makes me breath a little easier.

And here's something that isn't getting a whole lot of news yet, and a reason why we should all hope Rita misses Houston. Folks thought that there was a lot of oil refining capacity shut down in the New Orleans area, resulting in higher gasoline prices for everybody. Well here in Houston, there is at least as much refining -- in fact all along the TX Gulf Coast there are oil refineries, plus Houston is known as the petrochemical capital of the world. So that means just about anything you can think of that is made from petroleum is made right here -- most of the nation's supply, in fact. If those plants were to get the blunt of the storm, the entire country's economy will feel the hit to a much deeper extent than its felt the hit from the loss of oil refining capacity in New Orleans.

Keeping a weather eye out,

Michael

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Live to Play, Play to Live

Michael Mc- I didn't realize that you also lived in Houston. (If so, I would have offered shelter.) Tell you what, if you do need to get away, we're just up 59.
You'd have to spend a couple of nights with guitar wood, but I bet that wouldn't offend you too much?

You are right about the refining hit that the whole country would feel. The Texas refineries produce something like 24-25% of the nation's fuel. Some one said $4.00 gasoline is around the corner.

Joshua--glad you're safe. We need to organize a Texas OLF gathering! (Only, not at MichaelP's home. )

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From Nacogdoches...the oldest town in Texas.

http://www.stephenkinnaird.com

Steve,

I appreciate your offer, but with a wife, daughter, niece, two cats, a dog and three birds, we'd have to caravan it if we got on the road, and I don't think the wife or the cats, or my daughter or niece would care much for sleeping with tonewood. Me, I don't care. Besides, I think this town is just about out of gas right about now, and even with full tanks, we'd probably run out before making it out of Houston with the way the traffic is right now.

I've got the windows boarded up with an incredible patchwork quilt of wood scraps, thick plastic sheet material, and even sheets of 1/2" styrofoam wall insulation I've been saving for years. I've thought about tossing this stuff, but now I'm really glad I didn't.

I oughta take pictures and show you guys. Besides, before and after shots might be interesting.

Oh, and I'm game for an OLF get together some time.

Best,

Michael



Best,

Michael
Michael McBroom38617.7387847222

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Live to Play, Play to Live

Michael while you have power and are able, post offen so we know you and your's are ok.

[QUOTE=MichaelP] Michael while you have power and are able, post offen so we know you and your's are ok.[/QUOTE]

OK.

Actually, conditions aren't gonna start deteriorating noticeably until tomorrow afternoon.

Hehe. Regarding preparation, most folks with pick-em-up trucks get down to the big box store, wait in line for several hours, load their trucks up with plywood, and then do this in preparation for a hurricane:



Well, I don't have a pick-em-up truck, and I don't have immediate access to one, either, unfortunately. Instead, over the past several years I've scavenged scrap plywood and lumber when folks were throwing it out, plus I've kept a lot of my own scrap. I've often wondered why I bothered with this. Now I know. Of course, my boarded up place doesn't look quite as neat --



But I think it's a whole lot more interesting looking.



I'll take after pics to see how well my patchwork quilt held up.

Well, now that I've got the windows boarded and ductaped, I've got a few guitar assembly chores to do before things start getting nasty tomorrow.

I still think Rita's gonna take that right turn, and make all this preperation -- at least here in Houston -- rather anticlimactic.

Best,

Michael
Michael McBroom38617.8350810185

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Live to Play, Play to Live

Michael

Now that is a patchwork, you look after yourself and family, my thoughts are with you.

Russell

Be careful Michael. We saw pictures from the folks at our EPA lab in Bay Saint Louis yesterday. They had storm surge and salt water all the way to I-10. Where there should of been houses, all that was left was foundation. New Orleans had it easy compared to these folks. Don't underestimate the storm. Take care.

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Don Atwood
Arlington, VA

Mike! That`s a great job you did on that window! I see some real possibilities here. Jerk it down and sell it as modern art! Somewhere there is some one who would like to grace their condo`s living room wall with real Rita merobelia ! I live up the road a way just South of Steve on Lake Sam Rayburn. Miss Rita is knocking on our door now. I felt the first drops of rain while I was walking the dog. This promises to be an interesting weekend! I have my 90 year old mom and her 94 year old sister here with me! I hope there are no major disasters! I`ll have to call the National Guard!

Dale, since you're east of me, you might actually get more of the winds than I will. I'm in the Spring Branch area of Houston -- probably about 2 miles NW of the I-10/I-610 West interchange.

The storm still seems to be tracking toward the TX/LA border. I wouldn't be surprised a bit if it makes landfall in Louisiana. That's all those folks need, huh?

Just a few minutes ago, we started getting a little rain. The winds have kicked up a bit, probably about 30 mph right now. Fortunately, we live in an area with great drainage. Tropical storm Allison, which was the worst natural disaster in TX history, dumped over 40 inches of rain onto my neighborhood and we had no flooding in the homes around here. The streets were under water, but the homes weren't. Just a couple miles down the road, though, flooding was seriously bad. So, I'm honestly not worried all that much about the winds because of the current track, and not worried about the flooding because of our location. Hope it continues in its current direction.

If any of you are interested in local news coverage of this storm here are a few links to local Houston TV station websites that do live video feeds over the internet:

http://www.click2houston.com/index.html

http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/

http://www.khou.com/



Best,

Michael

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Live to Play, Play to Live