Bump in the Night

It was just eight months ago that I was sitting up and felt the little rental cabin jump. Chocking it up to an earthquake, I paid no attention. Then it happened again a couple hours later. The next day I raced outside in my pajamas thinking that it had snowed, when it was...of all unbelievable things...the results of a volcanic explosion.

Today, out at our unfinished house, we felt it shake and sway around noontime. Now, tonight, as I am glued to all the hoopla over tomorrows historical events in the US, at 12:45 am on January 20th, the cabin jumped again. It is a quiet night. No traffic, no music pounding as is typical during this week of festivities and tourists. Perfect silence. The sky is clear with brilliant stars and there is absolute silence.

I sincerely hope that I am simply being paranoid, and this is simply normal earthquake activity. But, as I felt back on May 2nd, this just did not feel like a normal tremor. I hope I am wrong.

Here is a short excerpt from my original keyboard poundings on the events of May 2, 2008:

"One-One Thousand, two-one thousand, three-one thousand, four-one thousand," no, that's not right,. That's for lightening. Try again. "Put masking tape on the windows, or board them up, move patio furnature inside," no, that's night right either, that would be a hurricane. Let's see, "Move to an interior room of the house, a bathroom perhaps, best a cellar or basement though." No, that is for a tornado. Alright, how about, "Seek high ground!" Sunami. Nothing seemed just right. No matter where I searched my middle-aged, girl scout brain, I could not for the life of me, find a file labled, "What to do in case of a volcanic erruption!" And so it goes...

May 1st, 2008. Futaleu, Region X, Chile......


I am ashamed to say that my first thoughts were about beer, just in case things got jiggy, but then my head cleared and I filled bottles of water before the water got cut off. I'm actually ashamed of alot of my initial reactions...excitement, wonder, disbelief, and yes, excitement! We've been through hurricanes, step-children and several earthquakes of significance, but a volcano was something that would take some time to wrap my reality around. I did not have the presence of mind to consider just what this event might entail for everyone. For the people, the animals, the country. And I am ashamed now at my initial reaction. By the way, here is how we first met Futa...


For a long, rambling read about the event, and things up to then, here is the link to my work in progress: http://volcanoblows.blogspot.com/