It’s Winter. Yet, plenty of lightning, thunder, and pounding, pounding, pounding rain and strong winds. The roof is certainly being rain tested. So far, so good… Yikes! Things I had leaning against the hermitage are being knocked down. So far, the plastic sheeting walls are holding, but… Yikes!
/// Just before this round of storms began a couple days back, I was able to bring up about 20 boxes of books and things. Still about that much to go, but this was good, to get them out of the 100% dripping humidity of the neighbor’s barn. With the woodstove going, it’s about 30 points lower up in the hermitage. The path up is almost impassable with mud underneath the pine needles and leaves. Makes me wonder why there are not more landslides around here.
/// The other night was a bit dramatic as well. I had to sit out in the jeep for a good while. The stovepipe got a bit of creosote around the cap. The next day I cleaned that up and cleaned out the stove and put 2000 degree proof caulking around the imperfections of the stove and some to hold a gasket on the door… But a good fire going on now… if the chimney doesn’t fall down. The wind is pretty horrific right now… Yikes! Thunder… Lightning…
/// The roof has sprung a leak… I think. Actually a bit of water was flowing in underneath one of the rafters from the outside. I think I know how to fix that, but not now! A bucket appropriately placed does nicely in the meantime.
/// So, it’s about two hours before sunrise… I’m still alive! And the hermitage is still standing. According to weather.gov and weather.com, it looks like it will be a beautiful day. Thanks to those who prayed for no disasters to happen! Very kind and thoughtful of you. Very much appreciated.
Accompany me, Father George David Byers, S.S.L., S.T.D., as I begin life as a Catholic Priest-Hermit by choice. Holy Souls Hermitage is dedicated to the sanctification of my fellow priests, bishops, deacons & seminarians going through the purgatory of this life or the next. Prayer and sacrifice go up, of course, for both Benedict XVI and the next Successor of Saint Peter. 
Fr. George…Miracles happen when the Chaplet of Divine Mercy is prayed for protection against storms…I will pray for you.
Much appreciated!
Good luck, Father! I am praying for you. Don’t forget to pray to St. Thomas Aquinas. [He's the Angelic Doctor, but is there another reason? Perhaps when he was locked in the family castle tower when he was but, what 6 years old, when he memorized the entire Vulgate edition of the Scriptures, Old and New Testaments?]
May God protect you, Father. I continue to remember you in my Rosary. May God Bless you and all that you do. Jim
St. Thomas Aquinas is patron saint against storms and lightning. I prayed to him once when I got stuck in a downpour while taking a walk.