Rocksalot Cottage: Mother Nature

Good morning,

I'm spending the next few days battening down the hatches.  Really battening down the hatches.  Surveying the gardens for items that could morph themselves into projectiles during a very high wind.  Saying prayers that the trees in my neighbor's yard stay upright instead of the alternative.  Making certain that gutters are secure.  These activities are usual and customary.  Part of putting the farm to bed for the winter, but in this instance the tasks carry a sense of urgency because they are compounded by something else demanding equal attention.

The reason for my angst you might ask?  Well, see for yourself.

Image from NESDIS



That's an image of Hurricane Sandy passing over Cuba.  Hurricanes are infrequent in New England, but when they do make their way here, it ain't a teddy bears' picnic.  We've had infamous storms:  the Hurricane of '38, the 1954 Hurricane, and last year's visit from Hurricane Irene, which took a great deal of time to recover as the trees fell from neighborhood to neighborhood.

So, instead of gently putting my gardens to sleep for a long winter's nap, I need to prepare  Mom, Dickens, the cottage and myself for what might happen come All Hallows Eve.  Compounding the work ahead of me.  Fortunately, there's help.  Checklists from some pretty smart folks at Be Ready.  Additionally, Mom's registered with our state's Department of Health's Emergency Roster.

Twice a day I check the projected path of this rumored visitor.  This morning's news looks ominous for New England, although it could change at moment's notice.  Have a looky.

Sandy just might take a left instead of a right.  The photo comes from The National Hurricane Center.  Looks can be deceiving.  While some might breathe of sigh of relief up here, I know from experience that the northeast part of a hurricane isn't where you want to be.  That quadrant contains the heavy rains.  If this photo had us on the west side of the storm, I'd feel better.  The west side has a lot of wind, but not the deluge.  Another nightmare in the making.

So with an eye on the weather models, another on the wildlife (trust me, they know when something's brewing) and another cup of coffee, let the preparations begin (or continue).