Hurricane, hurricane.
On Friday my mission was to pick stuff, including flowers so that they wouldn't be sacrificed on Irene's altar, and to mow the lawn.
I got halfway through before I mowed over the dog's (hard as iron) rope that we have attached to a tree so that she can be outside with us and not run away. That rope, quick as a wink, wound itself around both blades of our ride-on John Deere and brought everything to a wrenching halt.
It took a good long while to free the mower's innards (my dear friend Erin, who arrived when I ought to have been finished with that particular chore, providing moral and fetching and pushing support — I was hiking it up on blocks, crawling down in the dirt and grass, using one razor blade per cut of rope, four cuts, gentling and yanking it back around the way it went in, and finally succeeding!).
Then I had to rest. Whew.
Saturday, more preparation, including getting everything that could be airborne out of the yard and into the garage or under tarps. The boys found this — I think it can only be described as a custom-made natural cudgel! Comes in handy for weighting down stuff, I think.
My husband thought that the trampoline would be a big sail and sail away. I really didn't want to take it apart! This was his compromise:
Yesterday kids played on it that way, which I thought was pretty funny!
We prayed our Rosaries for the safety of those in Irene's path, but, as the storm began, I was skeptical that it would prove to be a problem for us, and indeed nothing much happened except that we did lose power for 24 hours. In winter, you can at least take comfort in the fact that if you are cold in a power outage, your food is too. In August, you do start to worry about all the stuff in your 3 freezers…
My skepticism led me to predict that hurricane winds would leave these pesky branches aloft. They have so far resisted Phil's efforts to try to budge them, lest they brain an unsuspecting person below. They might not look big in this picture, but you'd think they were if they fell on you.
Sunday the rain had abated enough for us to heat some leftovers on the grill. I wonder if I was the only crazy person grilling that day?
(Connor girls, your sandbox tower made it!)
Yesterday the power came back on. The food remained frozen. My biggest anxiety, that I would have to throw away ice cream, did not materialize. The 14 bottles of raw milk made it! Sheltered here on the side of the hill, we did just fine. The zinnias fell over, and the pole bean support bent over just enough for us to be able, now, to reach the beans up high!
And yes, those dead branches are still up in that tree!
Breanna says
So glad you're all okay! (Huh. What do you know. It's like prayer works or something…)
swanski says
Thank goodness you did not have to throw ice cream out !! That would have been brutal. We did not lose power down here and I am forever grateful.
Barbara says
So glad you made it with few issues. Sometimes a break from electricity without losing any expensive food, is nice. If only we could know that we are not going to lose the food when we are going through it. Of course all we do is worry, worry.
I know what you mean about those branches. We have some 80 years oaks and once my husband was almost impaled by a hanging branch — missed him by inches. They don't look heavy but when they are coming down from a height — they are very dangerous.
Provincial Homemaker says
Glad you and your icecream made it through safely. Your house must feel like a florist at the moment:) Hope you are enjoying the colour in your house.
Woman of the House says
Glad you and your icecream made it through safely. Your house must feel like a florist at the moment:) Hope you are enjoying the colour in your house.
Lisa G. says
I was wondering how you fared – we didn't lose power at all – except that today on coming home from work, I found that we'd been without it for 3 1/2 hours!
There's been talk of the media over-hyping the storm, but of course they don't take into account the power of prayers which reach God's ears.
So, you're the one who mows! I wouldn't know how to start our mower if I had to!
_Leila says
Lisa, we both do the mowing. There is a glut of lawn and a dearth of kids. Mowing to me is a chance to sit down (unless I'm dumb and ride over the rope) WHILE tidying up 🙂
Emily says
Glad you're all fine, and that nothing serious blew away. The trampoline picture is funny. 🙂
Laura says
I'm so glad to hear y'all made it without major incident. I thought of you and your family all weekend. I grew up in Louisiana and know how unnerving those storms can be. I'm glad you were able to enjoy the beauty of the blossoms and candlelight!
LoeeINW says
Those kind of branches are called widow makers, and not without good reason. After a storm I warn everyone to “look up”. We are usually too busy looking around and down that we forget the danger just over our heads. We lost power here in Virginia for about 2 hours, but amazingly it came back on during the height of the storm. A first!
RubberChickenGirl says
“Brain an unsuspecting person below”! HAHAHAHA!! Unless of course it falls on you and you realize how big they actually are. I am a proponent of free wind removal of widow makers but alas they do often stay put.
Did you see Drudge after the “big” storm….the headline under Napolitano's pic it read, “Continue to be afraid….” I hope you are dutifully continuing to be afraid and take refuge in your lofty govt. ;O)
RCG
Barbara says
Good one. I heard the president say “this is not over” and I thought he might add “until I say it's over”!
320 sycamore says
So glad you are all safe and LOL at the ice cream! 🙂 Love the new favicon!!
Glenda Childers says
Glad to hear that you are okay.
Fondly,
Glenda
Lisa says
I need a zinnia garden next year for sure!
We had crooked picture frames and crucifixes after the big Virginia earthquake :), but Irene was basically a rain storm here (fortunately no power loss).
Joy says
I understand about the freezer. I was concerned about mine as well but, miraculously, we never lost power. This was a blessing since we had already had an earthquake and a violent thunderstorm which had put a large percentage of the area out of power for up to a day before Irene even hit us.
A friend advised me to wrap my freezer in quilts, if we lost power, for added insulation. She said that her grandmother did that and popsicles lasted two days. So there's a tip for the next storm to protect your ice cream. 🙂
Christina A says
I’ve also heard that filling gallon jugs with water to fill in all the empty spaces in your freezer will help it stay cold. So if you know the storm’s coming, get those gallons good and frozen in there; the empty space is the enemy of cold!
Nancy says
Glad it passed through with no damage. I have been through several since living in Florida.
Jeannie says
So glad to read you all are safe. I was looking through your pictures and admiring your flowers. As I scroll down further I see you have the same bee goblets I have and that our nice strong glasses(the tempered kind) are almost identical. I just love those bees. I have the bee plates too because they weren't 11 or 12 inch dinner plates, nice 10 inchers. I have a pet peeve with GIGANTIC dinner plates, it becomes impossible to set the dinner table for guests when we are squeezing in. Okay I am done rambling.
Love the pictures!