I left the lagoon around 8, home by 8:30.
Got started installing more of the hurricane shutters.
As immigrant mentioned, I am drilling a hole right through the aluminium frame for the windows, and installing a 3 1/2 inch bolt through the hole. When the washers and nyloc nut is in place and tight, there is still about 1 inch of threads left. Enough to get a good purchase for the steel shutters. I guess that the steel is around the same thickness as the IBR sheeting we get in SA for roofing, not very thin, pretty strong. And the shape that it is moulded into makes it very resistant to damage from flying objects.
Once the bolt is in place I slide the sheets over them and secure them in place with a wingnut.
I also had to cut 12 of the sheets that I had bought shorter by about a foot. I clamped and bolted them all together and got the electric Sawzall out. It was still a big job, but not too bad with good tools
I got all the shutters done today, with the exception of the two sheets that I want to secure to the porch door. I want to be able to open the door in a storm (during a lull, or when the eye moves over, so the dogs can have a pee, or we can survey damage. It will also be a second way out of the house should there be an emergency (like a fire, tree falls on the roof, walls start blowing away, etc.). The primary escape route will be through the garage door. Even though it is electrically operated, it has a pull-tab that disengages the motor and you can just push it up by hand. Direct route to the vehicles for escape.
I'm pretty chuffed with the progress.
After the work was done I went off to Walmart and bought a pair of readers at 1.75 strength (as per my eye doctor) and a new pair of tekkies for work. My old tekkies have started losing their soles... I also picked up some supplies for home, like bread and cheese and mince.
Back home I fired up the grill and cooked a pork rib that I had in the freezer for some time. I just rubbed it with braai spice, none of the BBQ sauce and kak that the yanks use, I like to taste the meat not the sauce.
I also opened up the bottle of Klipdrif Premium that DarkMan sent to me. I had been saving for a special occasion, and a braai IS a special occasion.
O. M. G.

Moedersmelk
