If we were having coffee: Nor’easter edition

Fall out.

For most of the history of our species we were helpless to understand how nature works.  We took every storm, drought, illness and comet personally.  We created myths and spirits in an attempt to explain the patterns of nature.

~ Ann Druyan

We’re still telling stories.  Thursday’s headline in the local paper.  I wonder why they put disaster in quotes?

If we were having coffee, I’d be surprised and delighted to see you.  Come in out of the rain and wind!  I can’t believe you came all this way, in this weather.  Big hugs if you’re amenable to them.  Let’s grab something warm to drink and have a seat in the living room.  There’s a fire going in the wood stove.  We can watch the rain and wind through the patio door windows while we stay warm, dry, and cozy.  Or we can watch the flames dancing around in the wood stove since there is a window in the door just for that purpose.

How are you?  What have you been up to the past week?  Have you had to weather any storms lately?  Did you have to by-pass any flooded areas or take any detours for other reasons?  Have you been out splashing around in puddles or dancing in the rain?  Have you traveled anywhere?  Taken any walks?  Visited with friends or family?  Read any good books or watched any good films?

Puddling.

If we were having coffee, the first thing I’d tell you is that M and I are fine, and I am extremely grateful for that and many other things.  As you already noticed, M and I made the decision to stay.  We watched and waited, prepared to leave if necessary.  So far, it hasn’t been necessary.  Hurricane Joaquin is expected to head east and out to sea.  There are still wind and flood warnings out, especially for tomorrow.  Today we are experiencing a little lull in wind and rain although the wind still kicks up a good gust now and then.  Tomorrow, they say, the winds will be gusting at 35 to 45 mph.  The high tide cycle on Sunday should be interesting, too, but we’ll be okay as far as flooding is concerned.  Some of the roads around here might end up under water for a while during high tides, but we’re well stocked and hopefully won’t need to go out and about.  Our woods might flood, too, but that happens from time to time and doesn’t seem to hurt anything.

Trying to capture the wind.

If we were having coffee, I would tell you that I am grateful, too, for the well-wishes you all left on my last post.  I would have answered the comments and updated sooner, but my internet connection, as expected, has been consistently inconsistent.  In and out.  I find it frustrating so I don’t bother with it too much.  I check the weather, check updates on Facebook (I follow NOAA NWS National Hurricane Service and it’s a good place to see the latest on what’s going on regarding Joaquin or any tropical systems), and leave the rest for when the satellite connection improves.  Today it’s been a so far, so good day.  The lights on the modem have been blinking as they should.

Speaking of the NOAA NWS National Hurricane Service (for those unfamiliar with the agency, Wikipedia has this article about it), it was interesting watching their language in the updates about Joaquin.  On September 30, they referred to the hurricane simply as “Hurricane Joaquin.”  Early on October 1, he was “a major hurricane” or “major Hurricane Joaquin,” and late that afternoon they were referencing “an extremely dangerous Hurricane Joaquin.”  Joaquin stayed “extremely dangerous” until about 22 hours ago when he was once again plain old “Hurricane Joaquin.”  About six hours ago, he was promoted to major again (“major Hurricane Joaquin”).  The latest update from two hours ago has labeled him “severe Hurricane Joaquin.”  I wonder if the weather service has a language — or adjective — guide to help those doing the updates.

Morning glory season is almost over.

If we were having coffee, I would tell you that I went for a walk in the rain and wind yesterday and today.  I caught a break in the rain today which enabled me to take better photographs than I took yesterday when the raindrops kept clouding up my camera lens.

Raindrops on the lagoon yesterday.

I would like to walk out to the dock to see what’s happening out there, but I would have to walk through the woods.  With the gusty wind blowing things around, it’s best to stay out of the woods.  Judging by the debris on the trails and driveway and lawn, I might get beaned on the head with a branch or pine cone.  I should buy a hardhat for these situations.  Then again, it’s probably best to not to chance it.  A small branch or pine cone are not likely to kill me, but an entire tree might.

Pummeled by rain and wind.

If we were having coffee, I would tell you that I enjoyed being out in the elements now that the threat of Joaquin coming for a visit has pretty much passed.  I felt invigorated in the wind and rain while on my walks, and wish there was some way to capture that feeling so I could have it around on low energy days.  The wind and rain gave me some crazy looking hair, too, something you might have noticed when you came in.  Mother Nature is a wild stylist.

I am grateful the hurricane won’t be coming this way.  No offense to Joaquin, but I suspect he wouldn’t make a good coffee chat guest, and his bluster would be much worse than what we’ve experienced so far with the current nor’easter.  I’ve held the people in the Bahamas in my thoughts and prayers.  Joaquin has been plaguing them for what must seem like a very long time.  There is a cargo ship missing, too.  The El Faro, a U.S. flagged container ship, was somewhere near the Bahamas when contact with it was lost.

This is as far as I was willing to go into the woods.

If we were having coffee, I would tell you that the lawn, the gardens, and the meadows are looking shaggy.  The lawn is overdue for a good mowing, something I couldn’t do for the next few days even if the garden tractor was working.  The repairman came out last Saturday to have a look at it (it’s still under warranty), and he had to order parts to fix it so we’re waiting on those parts to arrive.  The grass is quite long now and going to seed.  Neither M nor I want to mow all that needs mowed with the push mower again.  We did that before the party we had last week, and it required a lot of time and energy.  The grass will have to wait until the tractor is fixed.

Surviving the storm.

The morning glory vines on the garden fence are beginning to die as they go to seed.  There are still some flowers blooming, but much fewer than there have been throughout their growing and flowering season.  The tomatoes and peppers in the vegetable garden are pretty much finished.  M planted some broccoli and kale a week or two ago, and the rain is doing it good.

A spider catches raindrops in her web.

The zinnias in the scrounger’s garden have been knocked over by the wind and rain.  There are still new blooms, but most have gone or are going to seed.  The birds, especially the goldfinches, will enjoy them.  The seeds are one of the reasons I rarely pick any of the zinnias.  I cut some in the beginning to help them branch out and create more blooms, but then I leave them alone so the birds will have the seeds to eat in the winter months.

Grasses in the meadow getting blown around by the wind.

To be honest, the scrounger’s garden is a big fat mess.  I haven’t weeded in ages because of the heat and humidity we experienced for so long.  The dryness of the ground due to lack of rainfall made it difficult to pull weeds even if I had been willing to work in the sauna-like conditions.  I can’t find the lupines I planted.  They have been overgrown by my garden nemesis: the centipede grass.  I am unsure what to do about them.  I hope they’re still there somewhere, and will come up next year.  If I start trying to pull out the grass, I’m afraid I might pull up the lupines with it.  Any advice from you gardeners out there would be much appreciated.

A willow at the edge of the meadow.

If we were having coffee, I would tell you that we have seen the sun a few times today.  It doesn’t hang around for long, but it’s nice to know it’s still up there.

Blushing in the wind.

If we were having coffee, it would probably be time for me to let you go.  There is a big break in the rain right now.  Most of it has moved west, and our family and friends in the Bogs (northeast Ohio) are now getting a share of the rain we had.  This would be a good time to head out.  I don’t know about you, but I don’t like driving in heavy rain.  I don’t like driving in general, but it’s worse in heavy rain.

Mushrooms are popping up all over.

Thank you so much for dropping in and visiting with me.  I appreciate your company, especially on such a blustery day.  If you’d rather stay and chat for a while longer, that’s fine.  The only plans I have for today are to curl up on the comfy chair with a book for an hour or two, and maybe watch a movie later.  Those are plans that can easily be adjusted or changed.

A tree falls at the edge of the cemetery woods.

Be good, be kind, be loving.  Just Be.  🙂

The obligatory cemetery shot. Because it’s October. (Processed in PicMonkey to add spooky effects.)

This post is in response to Part Time Monster’s #WeekendCoffeeShare.  Put the kettle on, start the coffee maker, open a bottle of wine, or whatever your preference is, and join us.  I’d love to hear all about what you were up to this week.

Toppled.

Reminder:  If you’re participating in Walktober, please post your pingback or link to your post here.  You have until midnight of October 25, although if you need more time, let me know.  I’ll gladly extend it.  (Click on the Walktober widget in the sidebar to the right if you are unfamiliar with the Walktober event.)