Hurricane Chimes

It's about quarter to 3PM here in the west, and moderation has set in. As of now, only two families evacuated. The rest of us have policed the street to a fare-the-well, made a walk-down at 2PM, and plan for another at 5. Everyone's worries focus on tropical storm-like rain and wind, since Rita's track has moved a bit east. However, everyone also knows that Rita is changeable.

We'll be able to tell because of our “Hurricane Chimes.” Just a couple of years after Barbara and I moved to Houston, we met a young metal artist with some interesting ideas. We bought several of his pieces, including a giant yard sculpture he named “Hurricane Chimes.” It has a series of five immense steel pipes, graduated in size, each one welded to swing freely, back and forth. He joked with us that if the pendulums ever swung horizontal, we'd be in the middle of a hurricane.

“Hurricane Chimes” is almost 20 years old. Mark Bradford is older, too - but one of the better-known metal sculptors in southeast Texas...a regular participant in Houston’s famous Art Car Parade. We'll be able to tell him if his indicators work. And boy, we’re hoping that we don’t hear those chimes ringing.

Thanks again for the responses. Talk to you again soon.