Checking in

Yes we were among the thousands of people on the east coast that got it by that amazingly powerful line of storms that blew through on Friday. We finally got power back last night. I'm very grateful to have it and pray that those who are still without get it back quickly. I'm sure the power crews are working hard to fix everything.

AZ is my hero. He and jakes worked hard about the compound to make sure everyone had water for flushing (river water works great!) and fridges hooked to generators. But by Saturday evening it was clear we weren't getting power back that night. We both needed showers and were hot and tired from being up most of the night before so we packed bags, Jakes and Jaxon and got a hotel room. That shower felt heavenly!

Sunday we came home to see what was going on around here. Dad had the RV running on generator and it was nice and cool in there. After going to get water for drinking and washing, AZ headed out in search of a generator for the well pump and maybe our AC unit. He found one!! Once he had it all hooked up and running, the power came back on. HA! Perfect timing!!!

Our theory is that if he hadn't hooked it up, we would still be without power. Besides, AZ's heart was in the right place!

For those without power still, be safe and cool and I am saying a prayer for quick restoration.

We got the keys to the new house today so I will be very busy in the next couple of weeks and don't know how much posting and reading I will be doing! I will be back! I'm just out living life outside the screen!

Invasion

In the past few weeks, the East Coast has experienced some pretty freaky weather and other natural disturbances.  We shook and swayed through the earthquake that was centered in Virginia.  We've endured inches beyond inches of rain, either from storms or hurricanes.

My little neck of the woods was largely spared by Hurricane Irene.  Since I live on the river with a tidal marsh directly behind my house, we expected to have lots of flooding.  Fortunately, we didn't during the storm.  Our flooding came after the storm was done.  After all the little rivers, creeks and marshes had drained their excess waters into my river, which then flooded our little marsh. 

We didn't suffer any damages from this flooding but we were invaded.  Now, I've reported before all the creaures we have around here, the crabs, the fish, the bugs, the baby eels.

Just get on with it, what were you invaded by!

Mud Crabs by the HUNDREDS!  We hear them before we saw them.  They were skitttering along the curb and all over the road.  We think they came out of the marsh because the tides were so high.  They came up with the water, then got "stuck" on dry land or in the road.  They knew which way to run to get back to the water.  That's what the skittering sounds were, them running for the marsh.

By the time ESM got out there with her camera, we had chased most of them back into the marsh.  They came visiting at the high tides for three days.  Then the tides started staying at the normal levels and we haven't seen them in the road since.  Pretty freaky of Mother Nature.  Here's some pictures:

There are three in this picture
Some of them had one big claw while others had 2 smaller claws
The big claw could be on the left ot the right.



My what a big claw you have!



Skitter on back to where you came from

Jakes spent lots of time outside just after high tide for several days checking on the crabs.  And to be honest, I hope they stay far, far away!

The Aftermath

I am sitting safe and dry in my hotel room on Sunday after Irene blew through the area.  She has flooded many areas of my county.  They have only just removed the order for everyone to stay off the roads.  OEM still doesn't want you to be on the roads but if you must, you can be.

We left the house yesterday at 3 pm.  Jakes, Jaxon, Kathy and her dogs, Dad and EMS and myself all gathered our important stuff and headed for higher ground.  Our newest neighbors, Melanie and John stayed behind.  Not 20 minutes after we left than Mel messaged me that the electric was out.  We had good timing for leaving!  The electric was off and on all night long, more off than on.  Its off right now.

At the hotel, we all got settled and then gathered in Dad and ESM's room for dinner.  I had cooked a chicken, ESM brought hot dogs and mac N cheese.  Kathy brought chocolate stuff for desert.  Our three dogs actually got along very well, which doesn't happen at home.  We had a great time listening to Dad's fire police radio at the chaos happening in the county.  And the storm wasn't even really here by then!

After dinner, Jakes, Jaxon and I went back to our room to relax for the evening.  By 10:30 the storm was raging outside and the bathroom was leaking.  YIKES!  The front desk brought rags and buckets to catch the water.  There are no open rooms to switch us to because everyone evacuated.  We met our neighbors here at breakfast!

I was checking the weather channel and facebook to see what was left.  Irene hit for the second time in Little Egg Inlet, NJ.  This is a little town 90 miles almost directly EAST of my town.  We were SO close to the center of the storm!  That's a bit scary and I'm glad I didn't know it before it happened.  I think if I realized how close the eye of the storm was going to be, I would have paniced.

I imagine we were fortunate that the storm had decreased in strength so much more than when it hit NC earlier.  We are waiting for the next high tide, which will be even higher after the storm, with all the run-off.  We are waiting for power to come back on so that we have drinking water at home.  I have to go back and get clothes for work on Monday.

All in all, I know I made the right decision to leave.  I was torn on whether to leave or not.  Part of me was scared to be there during the storm and part of me wanted to be there to see the excitement.  But I had to think of my child and animals.  I did the smart thing.

Its Sunday already?!?!?

WOW. Where does the weekend go? Its Sunday already and I will have to go back to work tomorrow. ugh. Yesterday, I spent most of the day on the couch. I did get out of jammies to go to dinner with my parents. But was right back in them once home again!

Today, I had to go to the store, Son seems to want to eat when he comes home from his dads. grumble. The weather here seems to be getting better and actually, I am surprised that these Nor'easters haven't been worse. Here is a picture I took at High Tide today:

These are the steps leading to the beach (we have beach at low tide). We have had white caps out there all weekend.

Here is a shot of the fury of the River. This is a picture taken by my step mother on a different day. Its a bit blurry because the window she was taking it through was covered in River Spray.

We don't worry about the river over-flowing its banks. My parents have lived here for 7 years and have only been flooded once and that was from the meadow behind our house. Seen here:

Again, this is an old picture, we didn't have any flooding this weekend from the storms.

I hope your weekend has been a safe, warm and dry one! I still have time to color my hair and get a nap in before Son comes home! Yay me!