Two Nights in a Hotel With Our Dog, Trying To Reason With Hurricane Milton

I learned some things from Koda that the circumstances revealed

First, our dog, Koda, is smarter than I am.?

He was in my car before I decided to evacuate. Aussiedoodles are known for having human eyes and human-like smarts, including intuition.?

This was the first evacuation in my life. I always rode out the tornadoes in the Midwest and had been doing the same here in Florida for the last 3 years.

But oddly this one felt different. A Category 4 hurricane named Milton.

Hurricane Milton?—?decisions that must be?made

The last hurricane to directly hit Tampa, FL was 1921, 103 years ago. I guess we should have suspected it was bound to happen sooner rather than later.

I had to make decisions, fast.

My wife and youngest daughter had been in Chicago for a family event. They would stay there.

So, it was going to be Koda and me.

Second, do I evacuate?

Koda had already decided as he was in the backseat of my car napping.?

Evacuate.

When Hurricane Milton lands in the Tampa area, how far inland did I need to be to avoid the flooding and storm surge?

There were thousands of cars ruined by the saltwater storm surge from ‘cane Helene ten days earlier and I wanted to avoid that.

I decided to go to the east coast of Florida a 4-hour drive, but surely safe and dry.

Should I head northeast or southeast based on the storm track?

A calculated risk, but I took a southeast path.?

Where do I stay that is pet-friendly??

I immediately thought of Hilton.

I looked for a multi-level Hilton hotel with a multi-level parking garage and 2+ miles inland from the Atlantic Ocean. Minimize risk by staying above and away from water.

Conversations with an indifferent roommate

What do I do in my hotel room when a hurricane is about to drop a bomb in my neighborhood?

I think out loud about the consequences of another storm surge, high winds, and damage to your home. I think about things I cannot control. Unsettling.

Feeling helpless, I explained the situation we had with ‘cane Milton to Koda, he reacted by turning his head, winking, and barking. He was trying to answer.?

I tried to hide my anxiety from him, yet he reacted by jumping up on my bed to be closer to me so he could be petted.

And, to help ease my anxiety.

A very smart boy.

Thus, I explained in intricate detail all the scenarios of what could happen to our home.

Can you imagine a man sitting on his hotel bed with “The Weather Channel” on the TV to watch ‘cane Milton make landfall; his phone is lit up with texts while asking his dog what he thinks.

Koda simply turns his head like he is thinking about it. Sometimes whines because he is frustrated that I don’t understand him.

Hey, this may all sound crazy, but I guarantee you, having your puppy with you is a comforting situation while you are hiding from a hurricane hoping it doesn’t turn southeast, praying for your friends who decided to go Northeast to Orlando and Gainesville.

He will listen to me, make a sneeze or Scooby Doo sound, and release a big sigh. And then he falls asleep.

I notice the beauty of this situation in the simplicity of his thinking, feeling, and focus. I had not seen this behavior in this light?before.

Why can’t I focus so extremely on only one thing and let the rest go?

It’s brilliance. When I’m not talking to him, he falls asleep to rest, should he need a surge of energy.

Koda doesn’t know nor could he comprehend what a hurricane is, nor worry about it changing direction.?

There is no threat until there is a threat, so why worry about it?

He cares about the essentials. Food, water, ice cubes, treats, playtime and sleep. And being with and protecting the people who love him and whom he loves back.

That’s it. He simply does not get distracted from what he was bred to be.

My learning from?Koda

The human mind can only process a limited number of issues at one time. But many of us take all the issues head-on at once, especially when there is a crisis.

It’s the worst thing we can do.

Koda teaches us to practice the concept of the spheres of influence.?

Only focus on things that you can completely control.?

The other issues will evolve into ones you can control or not. Like hurricanes evolve as they spin in circles out on the oceans.

You are wasting your time putting energy into those issues which you cannot influence or control.

The circle of control is not a prescription for detachment or indifference. It is a way of focusing our attention and energy on what matters so that we can live more fully and authentically. (William B. Irvine, 2009, p. 69)

It’s 2:00 am EDT, with ‘cane Milton in full force landing south of Tampa and heading East/Northeast.?

Koda and I are sound asleep in our hotel room. The rain is heavy, and the wind is blowing hard. Not a hurricane wind at 133mph, just a strong thunderstorm wind.?

He lays on the bed closest to the door so that he can protect me, should something happen.

As dawn breaks, we are loading my car and he, again, is sleeping in the back seat ready to drive home.

He has no anxiety because he did his job well overnight and needs?rest.

I wish I could say the same. But my flaw is I’m?human.