Wet Mississippi

[Riley Smith]

Weather has been a problem lately for me. I'm involved in several outside activities and rain forces changes. We've had several ("bubbles" I call 'em,) forming in TX and heading our way and the result has been rain and lightning. In a cycle, over and over. This place hasn't seen the majority of rainfall but this AREA has. A fellow drowned on Mobile Bay after getting hit by a waterspout while shrimping, too. Those little bubbles of low pressure suck cool air from other locals, and then the jet stream mixes it with the water laden soup we call air, and yes, it gets soggy. And sometimes violent.
And as the summer progresses, the possibility of those little bubbles to stall out over the warm Gulf waters goes up by the day. Hint: a tropical storm can be WORSE than a hurricane except for wind. If you've never seen a good one, the rain is never ending and it pours bucketsful. But rarely lightning, although it isn't impossible. And the water goes up by the hour, as it continues to rain. Yep, been there.
 So in effect, I've watching the water and the wind lately. We're hosting a memorial at the Labort House for a former neighbor that moved to Austin next weekend, and there are things to do. Jane was a wonderful woman and I know Jackie will miss her. They'd always have a great Christmas party. I think Jackie regrets moving back to Austin. But family was there. Maybe for the best. My wife's niece bought the house from Jackie, and they still keep in contact.
 All the old people do, although several have passed and others left. Hal moved in beside the Labrot House, in Jack Womble's old house, and he's a great guy too.  Richard, Jack's son, knows Hal and is around. We're all bonded and know each other except the former owners of Twelve Oaks who seemed to have dropped off the universe. We've all looked out upon the same water and it gets in your bones. A storm coming across that water is one of the magnificent sights of Nature. So, yeah, we'll look out on the water this time in Jane's remembrance. She was something.