Hurricane Sandy

Hurricane Sandy

We have been hearing about the approach of Hurricane Sandy for days and now it is finally here. So far it’s not too bad where I live. The winds are blowing hard and our backyard suddenly looks bare as the remaining leaves on the maples, Redbud and Tulip trees have been stripped from their branches. The butterfly bush, still lush as a curtain outside our dining room window, is bending low, the remaining flowers gone. Our rain gauge shows over two inches of rain so far but more is predicted. The bird bath has water up to the top and spilling over.

We left our bird feeders in place although I know that some people have taken them down for fear that they might be dislodged and crash into a window. I am keeping my fingers crossed that doesn’t happen here because the birds are still eating. When a burst of wind swings the feeders they take off. Yet, with a forecast of possibly ninety mile and hour winds heading for our area, I think we will probably opt for caution and remove them later today.

All this, so far, is more maintenance than worry. People who live near the shore are seeing a different story. They have been ordered to evacuate, which is probably wise as pictures on the newscasts show flooding in the streets and jetties askew in the ocean where their supports have been undermined. And a particularly high tide is expected mid-evening. Rain + wind + high tide = trouble. Not a good equation. The bridges leading onto the shore towns are closed. 

The storm is making its presence known far and wide. I have been receiving messages of concern from friends and relatives in different states. I even got one from Japan. Thank you all.  People seem to come together when there are difficulties. When we can care about each other and express that caring we become like a family. In troubling times, whether physically based like a storm or politically motivated, if we can remember that we are a family and care about what affects us all, we move into the space called humanity. I hope everyone affected by Hurricane Sandy is safe. And I wish the best for all of us no matter what circumstance presents itself.  

My lights just flickered. Maybe it’s time to lower the bird feeders. Don’t worry, birds, they’ll be back. I take care of family.   

Stats about Hurricane Sandy:
 

http://www.usatoday.com/story/weather/2012/10/29/hurricane-sandy-east-coast-frankenstorm/1666105/

The Heat’s On

Last week we had a tiny bit of rain. It was so welcome but it didn’t add up to much and the garden was still panting with the heat. I took a photo of the leaves on the Flowering Plum tree just to document that we had some rain, little though it was. And then there was yesterday. Out of the blue, literally as the sky had been cloudless and the sun brilliant, gray clouds started to gather. Low rumbles could be heard. And then – BOOM – a flash of lightening, a loud bang of thunder, and the sky became a waterfall. The rain overwhelmed the gutters and cascaded down along the perimeter of the house. The water slooshed over driveways, flooded the sidewalks, pounded hard on unsuspecting plants. Then it started to ping against the siding. The raindrops now alternated with hail, small, hard ice balls, which grew larger as the storm continued. Crack. Ping. Splat. The percussion section in a weather symphony.

We were standing by our front door watching the concert and noticed the neighbors across the street and some down the block were doing the same. One of our neighbors pulled up in his pickup and made a mad dash for his porch. When things started to calm down, he took an umbrella and splashed his way across the lawn to check on his plants. I wondered how our tomatoes had fared. Had they been squashed? One was almost ripe – I wished I had picked it and let it finish ripening on my kitchen counter.

All-in-all the rain, even with the unexpected hail, was welcome. The rain gauge registered 1 ½ inches. Yay. Today the grass that had not succumbed to during the various heat waves was smiling green. And the temperature went from the low nineties to the mid seventies and way less humid. Breathing weather.

Nature has been so different this year, all around the globe. Extreme. So has the world of humans. Revolutions, disagreements, political disputes, economic challenges pretty much everywhere. Is this a chicken and egg issue or coincidence? (I can here the shouts of those who believe there is no such thing as a coincidence.) Things certainly have heated up on a grand scale. I wonder how we can all find some breathing weather for life in general.

Trenton, NJ, set a record with 108 degrees, Alaska with 97 degrees. Wow.http://www.ouramazingplanet.com/50-states-set-july-hot-weather-records-1812/