2017 July 8, Grandfather Scottish Highland Games

Never too late...
September 11, 2017 7-8 pm

It is now the 16th anniversary since 9/11/2001.  I am sure this event has had to take a back seat to something our country has not seen in century.  One hurricane (Harvey) went through Corpus Christi, Texas. The storm wreaked havoc all the way to Houston and beyond with flood waters like the flood over 2 thousand years ago.

Harvey has killed between 50 to 100 people with final numbers still in the works.  But mother nature has still got more up her sleeve.  Irma was churning off the coast of Africa demanding to be called "the storm of the ages!"  We watched this perfect storm gathering up speed and gaining winds over 150mph.  The storm passed north of Cuba and we still do not know the damage there.  The islands of Bart, American and British isles, and Jamica taking it on the chin.

Gathering speed from 9mph to 12mpg hitting the Florida Keys classed a #5 storm.  It was first projected to veer into the Atlantic but it choose to turn West going up through the Gulf of Mexico hugging Florida all the way up to Tampa and into the Georgia and then west into northern Alabama.

I am in Birmingham or should say Vestavia Hills about 10 miles outside south of the Ham.  When I grew up here the Steel and Coal and Iron business was our base economy employing in excess of 50,000 people in all the related industries.  Birmingham was known then as Smoke City as their was a light red dust in the clouds hanging over the city day and night.  But now we are a Medical and service industry with health services being the largest of employers in the Hospitals, Dental and Medical School, University of Alabama in Birmingham knows as UAB.  It too has a huge following and know as one of the best walking universities for the money.

This is Monday night and we are to get the brunt of the Irma Tuesday.  I hope our cars are not damaged as high winds are predicted tonight and tomorrow.  I will do a post script to this epistle tomorrow after we see what Irma offers.

Jeff the Knutt in the Ham