[2 a.m.] After days of relative calm, Wilma is finally lashing us here in Bonita Springs in the early morning hours of Monday. We’re getting strong winds and heavy rain, just like they predicted for southwest Florida. But Wilma is so gargantuan that she’s blasting nearly the entire Florida peninsula. With winds gusting over 30 mph here, the rain sometimes looks like it’s coming down sideways in the lights by the pool. I feel pretty safe here in this three-story hotel near U.S. 41, where I’m n the top floor. But I keep thinking about the little beach towns I’ve visited and people I’ve met the past few days and wonder how they are doing. If I was staying on Sanibel or Captiva right now, I’d be very worried, especially if I was there with my children. Maybe dawn will break and it won’t look so bad, but I’m not counting on that. Wilma is expected to make landfall near high tide and that’s not good for anyone just a few feet above sea level. Since I’m going to get up at 6:30 a.m., I should get some sleep. But now that something is finally happening, it’s going to be difficult to go to sleep. And I’m still waiting for the power to go out. The lights just dimmed a bit, and that tells me I could be writing on battery soon…