Saturday, June 30, 2012

In The Eye Of The Storm


Last night our area experienced a storm that knocked out power in over a million homes, caused supermarkets, gas stations and restaurants to close, weddings to be cancelled and many people to experience sleepless nights while temperatures hovered in the 100's.

We are lucky and still have our electric and internet. But we were caught in the tempest while giving the Lab her before bed walk. We were at the other end of the block from our house when it began.

In a matter of seconds the air went from humid and still to 90 miles an hour with branches breaking off above our heads, flying gravel filling our eyes and GG screaming "get down" at me.  We would crouch beside a car, wait for a break in the wind and move forward until another gust of wind came at us.  We did this for about 10 minutes, mostly with our eyes closed, slipping in the pounding rain with lightening breaking above us in an almost purple sky. It was a very long 10 minutes.

Unusually we had locked the door after ourselves and it seemed an eternity waiting for GG to turn the key in the lock.

Once inside we burst into gales of laughter, hugged the dog and dried ourselves off.

Talk about feeling powerless.

Tomorrow we leave town and and  a very messy yard with tilted plants, a fig tree listing and  an unmowed lawn. We have a broken patio table and leaf debris flung madly about. I debated taking tomorrow to clean it up. Then I got a grip. Remember last year?  We had a earthquake and a hurricane while we were on holiday. Better to live for today.



It will all be waiting for us when we return.

I think it's high time for a vacation!

Carpe diem.

xo jane

P/S. Meg over at Pigtown Design has an excellent post on the storm.






21 comments:

  1. Jane! For cryin' out loud, what a week! I saw the news when I came home and wondered if you were caught in that storm. Just a few thunderstorms and some heat await you in NEngland next week.. If you can just stop falling down with your friends, I think you're golden!

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    1. Shelley, I know! Who was I in my past life? Bonnie Parker? I will email you when I have more details. xo

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  2. Glad to hear you made it home safe and sound! xo

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  3. Holy cow! I am up here in the Catskills with no news--I had no idea. Glad you are safe.

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  4. Hello Jane

    You need a vacation. Have the best time in Cape Cod. You said no more dancing, I am reminded of Demus Roussos song "No More Boleros" (you tube)

    Enjoy your week

    Helenxx

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  5. Glad you're in one piece (plus ankle brace).

    Wave when you pass through. Are you passing through?

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  6. Wow, one day I don't go on-line and the world falls apart; your awful storm, Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes, what next? Have a wonderful time laying about and being lazy, you deserve it.

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  7. I've seen photos of the lightening. Kind of fun when you are inside, horrible to be out in it. Glad you are all OK, and hope you have a wonderful vacation.

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  8. I am delighted you, GG and the pup are all okay. It must have been a scary 10 minutes. Enjoy a restful and hopefully storm free holiday. Be safe! Bonnie

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  9. It all sounds very scary Jane. Happy to hear you came home safe!

    Enjoy your holiday! Take care,

    Madelief x

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  10. Oh my ! It makes our English summer of rain, rain, rain seem quite tame by comparison. Have a great holiday!

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  11. It was a howler all right - with more to come the next few days. Glad you are safe and headed to - hopefully - cooler places. Have a wonderful vacation. will miss you. xo

    ps: remember two years ago when we got ranunculus? I also got some "pineapple lilies"; planted them and promptly forgot them. Well, today I discovered them - three plants, three blossoms. They are not quite open, but I will keep a watch to get photos. Am sad about the ranunculus never doing anything, but thrilled with this surprise!

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  12. oh my that was a dorothy moment. how scary and fun at the same time. glad you are all safe and sound too.

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  13. So happy you, GG, and the Lab made it home from your walk ok. Have a great holiday!

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  14. Holy crap!!! Enjoy your hols ya mad woman! Sinead xx

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  15. I thought about you when I saw that mess on the news. So glad to hear you're okay and on your way to a holiday!
    We got the same storm last night, but luckily to a much smaller degree. It was amazing how fast it came up, though. Mother Nature at her finest.

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  16. Glad you survived. This storm goes down in history and we will always remember it (along with the two 24-inch snowfalls, right? I lost power for only a few hours after the 70 mph winds, lost internet for 3 days, and helped neighbors clean up and cut branches because I had no damage.

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  17. Sheesh! I'm glad to know you are okay and ready for vacation. You definitely deserve it.

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  18. SOunds very exciting, but maybe not when you are actually outside in it! Enjoy your vacation....

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  19. Crikey, glad you are OK.

    Enjoy the vacation.

    Paul

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  20. I don't think I'd be able to sleep either. Whenever there is a storm I get scared that the wind is going to come and blow my house away. I know it's stupid but I have that thought. You see in the movies when the wind is so powerful in a storm that he blows the old ladies around.

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