“The track of Sandy is now solidifying.  This massive storm is set to deliver significant, and in some areas, record storm surge flooding through Tuesday.” This is the media warning message that’s been broadcasted the past few days.

It is now apparent the East Coast will NOT escape the fierce winds, torrential rain, and potential flooding Hurricane Sandy is expected to deliver.

I cannot help but think about my good friends in New Orleans, who, just a few months ago, were fleeing to a small town in Texas in search of safety. Their challenge was not a “haven” for themselves, but the limited places willing to give refuge to their precious Dachshund babies (see “ARE YOU PREPARED” – Aug 30th).

Sunday afternoon, we could feel the weather changing. The clouds started moving in slowly, and the temperature was dropping pretty rapidly. I had been preoccupied with Harley most of the weekend, because he had no appetite on Saturday, and today he’d started throwing up. My focus had been directed more on him because he’d shown no interest in anything edible, (definitely a sign somethings wrong) so I just wasn’t following the weather reports “closely” – until today.

Based on what we’d been hearing, we’d ALL be indoors for the next several days, so DH (Doodle Husband) and I decided to take the boys out to play ball. As soon as we came out, Leo immediately ran three houses down…

Got himself into position to catch the ball…

And what a proud moment! He caught it…

Was bringing it back…

Lost it in the leaves…

Found it…

And came back ready to start the game all over again…

Harley tried to get in the game, but he really wasn’t feeling all that “doodlish.” He watched a few rounds of catch for a little while…

But the next thing I knew – he was maneuvering through the cars making his way back to the front door…

Hurricane or not, I will either “drive” or “float” my way to the vet in the morning if he’s not felling any better!

As projected, the rain has already started this evening. And the major storm activity is scheduled to show up around noon tomorrow (Monday). For those living in Hurricane Sandy’s path, our prayer is that you’ve had time to prepare and ensure both you and your pets are safe.

If you need to seek shelter and are unable to take your animals with you, please contact:

• An organization called Red Rover (http://redrover.org/ ).They set up emergency shelters during natural disasters so that people who have to evacuate have a safe place to leave their pets.

And for more detailed information about “Pet Preparedness”, please visit:

• The Humane Society. They have wonderful information on making sure your pet is ready to go in an emergency. In addition to a few tips to make sure you and the other humans in your household are ready as well  http://www.redcross.org/prepare/location/home-family/preparedness

If you know of other agencies out there where pet parents can benefit and seek assistance, let me know and I will certainly get the word out.

I’ll keep you posted about Harley and his tummy. In the meantime…

Be careful, and be safe,