Bumper-to-Bumper

Hurricane Rita is bearing down on the Gulf coast as we speak. Luckily, though I am sure they don't feel luck at the moment, many people in the path of the storm are taking heed of the warnings and evacuating the area. My sister-in-law and her family are among those attempting to leave the Houston area. They left their home on the west side of Houston (which according to this map may be in flood danger) last night and have been driving through the night. Unfortunately, with the bumper-to-bumper traffic, after nearly 12 hours on the road they've only made it 68 miles!

She just sent me the above pic, taken with her cell phone, looking out the front windshield of their van, as they crawl northward on I-45. There are problems on the road, of course - people are running out of gas, cars are overheating, etc. On the positive side, my sister-in-law reports they're actually getting to know the people in the cars around them - they're travelling so slow that they can hold conversations with each other, get out and walk their dogs, etc.

Anyway, I wish them all the best and pray everyone stays safe.