Hurricane a' Comin'

Hurrican Arthur swiped past on its way to the Atlantic.

We had some gusty winds up to 50 MPH

and rain

and water nearly up to the pier.

All in all, pretty hum drum.

Monday Meditation

Our pier- Sunday Morning

“Bursts as a wave that from the clouds impends, And swell'd with tempests on the ship descends; White are the decks with foam; the winds aloud Howl o'er the masts, and sing through every shroud: Pale, trembling, tir'd, the sailors freeze with fears; And instant death on every wave appears.” 

~ Homer

Neighbor's Pier- Sunday Morning

"So the storm passed and every one was happy."
- Kate Chopin, "The Storm"

Boat Ramp and pier- Sunday Morning

"Who hath desired the Sea?the sight of salt water unbounded The heave and the halt and the hurl and the crash of the comber wind-hounded? The sleek-barrelled swell before storm, grey, foamless, enormous, and growing Stark calm on the lap of the Line or the crazy-eyed Hurricane

 blowing."

~Rudyard Kipling  

Stay safe out there!

Hurricane's A'comin'!

There's a big storm rolling up the Atlantic and it's projected to turn inland somewhere in the Mid-Atlantic or Northeast.  As of today, forecasters are saying there's a 90% chance that areas of the East Coast will be subjected to gale force winds, flooding, heavy rain and possibly snow as Hurricane Sandy collides with a winter storm thus creating what they're dubbing the "Frankenstorm".  So, because of the potentially really bad, really crazy weather, here are some preparedness ideas- just in case.

• Have a list of contact information (hospital, law enforcement, local utilities, etc)
• Water- make sure you have 1 gallon of water per person per day for 3 days
• If you have a well and lose power you will lose water- fill available containers with water (including the tub) to use for drinking and flushing the toilet
• 3 day supply of non-perishable food
• Hand crank or battery operated radio with extra batteries 
• Flashlights- one for each person in the household
• Batteries- for flashlights, radios, etc
• Matches/lighters
• First Aid kit
• Manual can opener
• Charge cell phones 
• Fill your car's gas tank and try to park it facing out and away from trees if possible
• Fill your grill's propane tanks- if you have an electric stove, you won't be able to cook food
• Fill jugs with water and place in your freezer to fill up any empty space- a full freezer holds temperature better than an almost empty one
• Clean out your fridge of any left over food
• Set freezer and fridge to the coolest setting
• Gather coolers together and place in coolest place in house (like a basement) if it looks like the power is going to go out, place perishables like milk, lunch meat, condiments, etc in the cooler with jugs of ice and cover cooler with blankets or quilts. This limits the amount of times you have to open the fridge door.
• Make sure you have extra blankets, jackets, hats in the event the temperatures drop (they're supposed to with this storm- keep warm!)
• If you use a generator- PLEASE DO NOT use it inside the house and do not sit it outside next to an open window/door.  Generators create carbon monoxide which is colorless and odorless and people have been known to get sick and die from improper generator usage!
• Secure any loose objects in your yard: tables, chairs, toys, grills
• Clear out any clogged gutters and rain spouts
• Have board games or cards on hand
• Stay out of flood waters! 
• Watch for tornadoes! 
• Don't forget to prepare your pets/livestock too! Check out some tips here

Stay safe! 

Haven Beach Overlook

 I've taken more than a few photos of these chairs sitting on this dock called the Haven Beach Overlook.

Located at one the the Mathews' beaches where people swim and fish, 

it was something that made me dream and think.

One day, I'd be sitting in those chairs and sharing the view with someone special.

There would be hand holding.

There would be deep meaningful conversation or not 

because just being with someone special and not saying a word is deep and meaningful in its own way.

 I never climbed up to sit in those chairs.  

Just took photos and made my dreams.

Sadly, I learned yesterday that Hurricane Irene took the dock and the chairs out to the Bay.

They're gone.

Of course now I have someone special to sit with. 

And while I'm disappointed that I don't have the chance to sit in the chairs with person, 

I am grateful that the chairs were there when he wasn't to help keep the dream alive until he showed up.

Irene

Photos of weather taken in PA

 The clouds began moving in as Irene made her way up the coast.

Many prepared by boarding up their windows to prevent damage from the expected high winds and debris.

And removing any loose items from the yard to prevent them from blowing around in the wind.

 The Jackson Family prepared too.

Like putting a cinder block on the rowboat.

(There were apparently two cinder blocks on the boat so Irene must have done something with the other one.)

And safely tying down our high quality grill.

Because after being tossed around by the tornado, smashed by a tree and thrown off the deck,

it still might work.

All in all, Irene didn't cause much damage in Deltaville.

We had the usual flotsam near the rip rap- items that probably were remnants of the tornado.

And there was evidence that the water covered the pier in a couple of feet of water, came over the rip rap

and came about 3 feet onto shore.

Sadly the Redneck Diving Board did not make it through the storm.

It floated off somewhere to litter someone else's waterfront.