BUTTONED UP FOR ERNESTO

Still dazed and confused from recent blasts, Churchillians were fearfully staring at the Tuesday's cloudy afternoon sky, expecting a Category 2 or even a Category 3. Category 3 would be a major hurricane.
Today, we luckily learned that Ernesto was a washout. Forget the wind, it'll be the rain that will keep us inside. Call it a Category 6-pack. The worst winds will be about 45 MPH -- a walk in the park to veterans of Frances, Jeanne and Wilma.
The worst weather will be from mid-morning to mid-afternoon on Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service.
They have a great hour-by-hour wind speed forecast right
here



The first hint the storm was gonna be a dud was Carvel ice cream shop didn't take down their signature ice cream cones. Two years ago, Churchillians perched on the Brinkmans' front porch watched Frances rip the previous cones from the Carvel roof. The cones were tossed east on Churchill, like giant toys tossed from a giant toybox. Pieces of the plastic cones were found for weeks, behind bushes, under trees and buried under trash piles.


Farther east on Churchill, our neighbors were busy. And by the end of the day, everyone had at least one hurricane shutter installed.
By Wednesday night, Churchillians will all be geniuses. If you buttoned up, better safe than sorry. If you didn't, you predicted correctly, making you a weather wizard worthy of taking on John Matthews.



Here is our gallery:
(Photos by Churchillian staff)

Elmer's pink cottage

Pam and Ed's historic home



The DiPaolos tempt fate by leaving the awning up.