(For the record, the following illustration proves that I can draw things other than anthropomorphic characters.)

The day I'm posting this sketch - June 1, 2010 - marks the beginning of the 'Atlantic Hurricane Season'. Meteorologists have already predicted that this season will bring 14-18 possible named storms, with up to 8 of them turning into full-blown hurricanes!

The last major 'Hurricane Season' that affected me was the one in 2005. There were so many tropical storms and hurricanes that year, they ran out of letters in the English alphabet, and Greek letters had to be used afterward!

The three hurricanes that struck my part of south Florida that year were 'Katrina' (a Category One storm at the time, before entering the Gulf of Mexico, and headed for New Orleans), 'Rita' (which followed the same path as 'Katrina'), and 'Wilma' (a Category Two blast which traveled from west to east).

'Wilma' did the most damage to the city of Margate, knocking out power for almost a week, knocking down traffic lights and various signs, but mostly uprooting ficcus trees throughout the area - including the ones in Oriole Gardens (where my condo is). One such fallen tree missed my car in the parking lot by five feet, while another tree was prevented from crushing three cars (including my mother's Ford Focus) by a jutting overhanging second-floor roof. But the worst damage came when one of the ficcus trees fell into one of the two clubhouse swimming pools.

The day after 'Wilma' left, I took out my art supplies, sat down in a poolside chaise lounge, and drew this sketch of the tree in said pool. I found it amusing to include the sign on the right, that reads: "NO LIFEGUARD ON DUTY - SWIM AT YOUR OWN RISK"!

But this illustration conveys one message, and one message alone... It only takes ONE hurricane to cause so much severe destruction. So, take my advice; be prepared! If you live anywhere along the Atlantic Coast, follow the instructions necessary for hurricane prevention (including having plenty of non-perishable food and bottled water, and spare batteries for flashlights and radios that offer non-stop coverage during a hurricane emergency).

Let's all hope that 2010 won't be as bad as 2005 (and with an oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico to compound matters, we don't need another disastrous year of hurricanes)!