Ugh...

My daughter and I started out around 11 a.m. Our goal was to check on my in-laws who were 25 miles further east and incommunicado.  I wanted to ensure that they were okay.  The land lines were down, and they have a cell phone, but no one had heard from them.

While I didn't expect the worst, they are surrounded (as are we) my trees,  I wanted to ensure that they were okay.  No news is not always good news.

There is no power in my county.  Not one square inch of my county (New Kent) had power unless it is derived from a gasoline/propane engine.  We had planned to go down 60 east.  That was not to be as it was impassable.  We turned around and decided that we would go up 249 and check on the property and then loop over to 60.

249 was a mess.  Trees and power lines everywhere.  At first I was scared of crossing over the downed lines, realizing later into my trip that there was no power to them.  Doh!

We stopped by the rehab property which had no downed trees.  I was surprised, particularly since there was a large field on the other side of the road--lots of places for the wind to kick up!  We then winnowed our way back to 60 through the backroads.  I found an open gas station (just on line with generators).  I called my husband who was already many miles away in Hanover.  There was no wait here as opposed to the 2.5 hour wait at the one at Bottoms Bridge. I had plenty of gas, and I did not stop.

During our traversing of the county, we noted National Guardsmen/women clearing the way.  When I say "clear the way" that means just enough width to get a vehicle through.  Lines were down precariously so that if you were not paying attention, you would become ensnared in them as they were down diagonally from the pole to the ground with a tree in the mix.

Throughout the county, I could see where private residents were helping each other on their private properties and public causeways.  I do not mourn for America, as I see first hand in these weather calamities the generosity of spirit of those thrown together in the same circumstances.  Weather or economic hurricanes can be endured and survived.  To be sure there are casualties, but nothing is so dangerous than standing aside and thinking that 'someone else' will step up to the plate. We each have to step up to the plate.

Over the course of 4 hours I saw that my beloved county's residents were lending a hand, my in-laws were safe (though their cell phone had NO SERVICE) and that downed power lines in a power free grid are not a menace.  Below is indicative of what was on most of the roads in our county.  I would upload more, but with the Blackberry it is too slow.




Aftermath

I believe this storm was worse than Isabel.  Our land lines are down--along with many trees. 

The wind blew hard all night long.  About 3 a.m. I could hear my neighbors outside, and I could see their flashlights. This morning, I could see why. . . a large red oak had come down and hit the house on its way down.  A glancing blow thankfully.  They have 15 trees down.   He's fortunate that there were many narrow misses--his heavy equipment, his house, his outdoor area.  The fork of  a massive beech tree that went down (which also has a hive of wild bees about 10 feet in length) straddled his satellite dish--a small branch knocked the major piece of it out though.  He had moved his bull dozer and a car--both of which would have been crushed had they not been moved.

Our shed (that I was telling you about in the last post), was narrowly missed by a large tree--it did pummel the fence as did another tree on the other side of the property.  Luckily just fence work.  Many of my neighbors did not fare so well.  We cannot get out the neighborhood; however that will be fixed soon with a convergence of a loader and chainsaws. 

The land lines are not working. 

Not one square inch of ground remains clear of the litter of shredded tree branches. 

Pictures do not upload quickly, so I'll save that for another time.  I need to go check on the house project, as I understand the road is now clear.




Landfall

11: 04 a.m.  Irene has made land fall.  Here in Quinton, VA, between Richmond and Williamsburg, the beginning stirrings of wind began at 5 a.m.  We made final preparations for items on the deck.  I headed in during one of the gusts...no need to get beaned by an oak branch tumbling down (see pic below).  Thank goodness this is coming in as at Cat 1 and not something stronger.  Nevertheless, the dangers are great. Tornado warnings are coming across for areas north and just east of the storm.

I do see that shelters and transits are allowing folks to bring their safely secured pets (leashes/crates).  If live in an area where storm threats are common and you do not have a sturdy leash(es) or a crate(s) for your animals, consider purchasing them after the storm, so that you can shepherd all of your loved ones to safety.  Also, ensure that your animals have secure tags.  I'll update this post as I can throughout.




2 p.m. Power out...cable out. Thanks to generator and Verizon Wireless, I can connect via my Blackberry. Limbs coming down left and right. SIL reports a downed oak already..and we've not received the worst of it yet. These trees can kill...and if you live in a rural area, a falling tree on your car, or descending branches can make for a deadly intersection with your body/property. I see already a child in Newport News killed when a tree fell on an apartment building.

11:03....Winds still howling. Top of a red oak snapped out earlier. Something fell on the roof. Black outside, so hard to know what. All will be revealed in the morning. Generator will likely shut off soon from gas. No need to run it overnight. I tire of hearing the wind blow and trees rustle loudly. Just a few more hours. News now too is that it could be 1-2 weeks for power to be restored.

Hurricane!

Preparedness--a word worth contemplating when facing important "stuff".  Irene is important stuff.  Yesterday we were evaluating all articles outside for propulsion proclivities from hurricane force winds.  I live among the oak trees.  These stalwarts are not wind friendly.  Because we have many trees, their numbers greatly block the wind--but their numbers and size also get a little frightening.

During Isabel, I watched out the back door as the wind bent the very tops of the trees at what seemed to be impossible angles.  Once the wind stopped, the tops snapped back and then wobbled a bit.  That alone would shake out any damaged tops.  The next wind gust (which you could eerily hear building up) would bring the same bend, snap return and wobble.  Thant wind lasted throughout the night.

We found that most of the homes that were damaged by trees came from exposures to wind paths.  There is a large farm at the entrance to our neighborhood.  Winds coming in from the east had no resistance and came roaring down the road toppling singular trees. We actually thought we had been spared, until I spied the trailer tongue of our 1977 Century Arabian boat trailer pointing toward the sky.  A large, red oak had fallen and clipped the back of the pole shed--crushing it and the back console of the boat.

Power was out for a goodly amount of time.  Irene promises to deliver quite a punch being a large storm much like Isabel was.  Thankfully, we have a generator, a private well and gas cooking facilities.  I am sure that there will be people crawling out of the woodwork to get my electrician husband to help them install a generator panel....something that develops urgency when such threats arrive.  Waiting until a hurricane is barreling down upon you to get a generator panel is not being "prepared", but rather being a procrastinator.

During Isabel, my husband was inundated, to the point that my neighbor had to step in and tell people who were lining up in our driveway to go away.  Not only had my husband been getting our home ready, but helping several other close friends--something that he was glad to do.  But then the marginal folks--acquaintance neighbors who descended upon us.

Make no mistake, we are helpful people--lending a hand whenever and however we can.  Nevertheless, physical and emotional exhaustion take their toll on a body--and husbando had reached that point after about 15 hours.

I have wrapped up my client work for this week, so today, I am free to continue to secure stuff.  I did forage at the store yesterday before the last minute folks hit the stores draining the shelves of milk and bread.  At one place I visited, I was told that they were out of D batteries and so was Walmart.  I'm trying to be mindful that while I have a generator, it does run on gas.  An exceptionally damaging storm could impede the ability to get to a store to get more.  And even if you can get to the store, damaged roads, downed power lines can disrupt supply.  I am also reminded as to why I still keep a land line at home.

We only had a small thunderstorm last evening, and I see a large branch down.  These trees, like me, are starting to get old and brittle!  I do need to gas up the cars and get some cash in hand.  Washing clothes and other preparedness stuff.  I see that the Weather Channel is interviewing some residents of the outer banks who plan to stay.  Good luck with that.  Storm surge is not something one rides out easily as Katrina reminded.  Storm surge cannot be prepared for, rather it is endured.

Good luck with your own preparations and lend a hand where you can.


Shake, Rattle and Roll

Virginia was roiled with a 5.8 magnitude quake yesterday.  I was working from home yesterday, when it hit.  I was upstairs when I could feel the house shake.  At first I thought the washing machine, which had bedding in it, had become unbalanced during the spin cycle.  The dogs were barking outside and were clearly unsettled. I went out and could feel the ground shaking. 

I concluded that it was an earthquake.  It became a major news event.  The epicenter was about 60 miles from me.

I was able to use the earthquake as an excuse for a slightly out of kilter cuban opera cake.  I only make this cake for the most special occasions.  This particularly occasion was the getting together of several KPMG folks (current and ex).  The occasion was the visit of a now retired partner and it was hosted by a former partner.  I remember well the dinner that we had many years ago celebrating the two of them becoming the first Richmond partners in Virginia.  (Not sure how many other women partners that were made that year circa 1988).


It was a beautiful evening with old friends.  I still maintain that the greatest thing about getting older is that one's friendships grow older too.  Now to start batting down the hatches for the hurricane.......






Melange Post

The house project has helped me shed 6 lbs.  Ideally, I would like to lose 13 more.  I need to load up the mountain bike and take it down there to beef up cardiovascular stuff.  There are some great dirt roads to ride that would be a perfect workout.  As most of my worklife has been supported by my backsides (that isn't quite sounding right--read sitting), being on my feet for many hours has been taking its toll.  I'm always glad to get home and put my feet up.  Though my feet are aching, I am loving the way my arms and shoulders feel. The many trips up and down the small step stool and the stairs are yielding good lower body results.

New Kent does not have many roads going through it.  Interstate 64, 249 and 60 are the mainway ways to traverse the county N/S and E/W.  Though I have lived here most of my adult life, I have a surprisingly (embarrassingly) limited knowlege of the roads.  On Saturday, while foraging for various supplies, Mark alerted me that 249 and 64 were very backed up.  He suggested that I take 60 and then meander through the backroads.  "It is just two lefts and that will take you to Stage Road, " he assured me.

Right.

Two lefts later, I am going down a backroad that I was sure that I've never been on before.  The road did not appear to be much wider than a private drive, and I was at one point wondering if I was not venturing onto someone's land.  Surely the next turn in the road would yield some clue as to where I was or some recognizable intersection.  Several turns in the road proffered zip.  I call husbando.

"I don't know where I am.  I took two lefts, and I think that I'm heading back toward Windsor Shades."

He helpfully states that he does not know where I am.  "What do you see?"

"Nothing."

He deduces that I must be on a now-paved, former dirt road that we have ridden our bikes on previously.  10 years ago previously.

I am not very good at video games because I never know where I am in the geography of the video.  I immensely dislike not knowing where I am (though I intrepidly drive anywhere).  It is just that if I get lost, I'm not very good about finding my way back.  That is simply directionally challenged, and I feel no shame in that.  Nevertheless, I am discomfited (why does this word only have one "t"?)  when I'm lost.  Being turned about is unsettling.  My husband is kind to stay on the phone as I travel deeper into this wilderness  "Oh, there is a cul de sac!"  I might has well have found a statue of gold I was so excited.

A mere 10 feet of dirt separated me from civilization.  "You are on the back side of Brickshire.  Can you drive across?"  Drive across I do.  I still don't know which way I'm supposed to be going once the cul de sac meets the road.  My I find my way out.  The nice thing about shortcuts is that they are rarely shortcuts.  By the time you find your way out of them, you end up on the stretch of road you were trying to avoid.  Either you are so grateful to find that place that you don't mind the inconvenience, or you have been lost so long that whatever travel snafu had occurred, it has since cleared.  The latter was the case, though the former would have been true as well.

This was not my first time lost in New Kent.  The last time I took a shortcut, my son had to talk me in.  The roads do not always lead where you think.  A metaphor for life.

I have seen more turkey in the last week than I have seen in a lifetime--both near the house and in a field on 249 where I saw about 50.  Never have I seen such a sight.  If you have never seen a wild turkey before, you will puzzle a moment at the sight.  There is also a nearby field on 249 that I have been looking to for a couple of herds of deer that begin eating just as daylight wanes.  They are quiet now, but soon they will be moving, and that is a time for extra vigilance while driving.

On several occasions while arriving and departing  the property, I have notice rabbits in the dirt road.  Seemingly, they are eating the dirt.  There is nothing to eat in the road, but they have their mouths to the ground.  They are so intent on whatever it is, that they do not move until the vehicle is right up on them.  I stopped to look at the ground, but I could not find anything but curiously overturned pieces of gravel.  I'm not sure if that was from their inexplicable activity or just from road travel.  Anyway, it is a curiosity to me.

Both bedrooms are painted at the house except for a final coat of trim paint and the closets.  Our color choices are just fantastic.  For the Pottery Barn's Woodland Organic collection, we used Benjamin Moore's Riviera Azure with Chantilly Lace trim.

I would put another sample up for the other room, but I don't know where it is.  It is a fabric with so many muted greys, greens and taupes that choosing colors was difficult at best.  We settled on Balboa Mist (with Chantilly Lace).  To say that it was an exquisite choice would be an understatement (same with above).  I'm not usually given over to self-congratulatory hyperbole, but it fits with this choice.

With my 1000W work lights, I found and sanded out all of the junk that I found in the paint.  I believe that someone engaged the shop vac inside while the trim was wet.  I do know that my painting efforts were immeasurable helped by the work lights.  I'll never attempt painting again without such good lights.

All the trim existing trim is caulked.  Hannah finished sanding and priming all of the removed baseboard trim. I will begin with downstairs painting.  Ella (my English Setter) has been an eager companion.  She enjoys riding up there and as she is a couch-potato Setter, I don't worry about her getting away.  She is a good listener and fearful of getting left (which must have happened to her at some point in her life which is how she wound up in the shelter).  She also has a sturdy tag--a must for every dog.  All of the nails are up, so it is a dog-safe environment.

This week will bring good progress....I'm still bummed about the loss of my camera's functionality.













House Rehab: Caulk it!

My constant lament on the project is that the windows are just junk and the trim job was done with an emphasis on speed v. quality.  There are gaps in the trim at the corners (inside and outside), between the wall and the trim (normal)  So anything that I can do to 'tighten them up' is not such a bad thing.  Accordingly, yesterday was the day that I embarked on caulking (and I will continue today).  I know that caulking these gaps between trim/jambs, trim/trim, is going to give upgrade the look of this trim overall.  Of course, nothing will ruin good trim work than a bad paint job...but it is also worth remembering that painting will not eliminate structural imperfections of a poor trim job. By carefully applying caulk to well prepared surfaces AND carefully painting these well prepared surfaces, I will optimize my outcome.

To tighten up, I armed myself with a caulk gun and Red Devil Speed Demon Acrylic caulk.  I found these attractively priced at .99/tube at the local salvage place.  The also have Frog Tape at $2.99 a roll.   Like most things, caulking is harder than it looks--but caulk is very forgiving, and imperfections can be smoothed easily with the aid of a moistened finger.  It is worth taking time to have the right size bead, and to take your time and pay attention to balancing speed of moving the gun and pulling the trigger. I found  a Handi-Wipe which saved my fingertip from going over multiple linear feet of trim.  Now and again I would wash it out to keep it caulk free.

I took my digital camera, and Olympus Camedia (C-5050), to the home to take some pictures. I wished I had some before/after pics for you.  Unfortunately, when I powered it on,  I was greeted with a technicolor screen that indicated that something very much was amiss.  This happened some years ago (the camera is about 8 or so years old (ancient in digital years), and I had to have it repaired at a cost of $150 or so.  It has been a great camera, but it might be time for a new digital camera......sigh.

I still have a small digital camera that works for convenience settings when you don't want to fool around with settings and what not.  Though my Olympus was old, it still took great pictures--even if the megapixels were 5.1.

I had to forage a bit for some more supplies--one being a work light.  The lighting at the house is not great, and I found that while painting, I had some holidays from the mere fact that I could not see very well.  I bought a 1000w work light.  It was very useful--and very hot.  The amount of heat it generated (500w halogen bulbs) was surprising.  It was like a furnace!  However, it was a useful and inexpensive tool ($32 @ Lowes), and it will improve the quality of my work.

Off for more transformation.