Summer Stock Sunday - 30

My vintage look at summer for Summer Stock Sunday, hosted by Robin at Around the Island.

Here in the Maritimes, September can pretty much be counted on for at least one hurricane to usher out the summer.

Seven years ago, we lived through Hurricane Juan, which really did a number on Halifax.













This is what we woke up to after a really scary night on September 28th/29th, 2003 - shredded leaves plastering the house. We lost four trees, and the power was out for five days.













This is a shot I took at Point Pleasant Park once they let the public in for a two-day mourning period. The park is at the head of Halifax Harbour, and its stately evergreen forest was totally flattened.














Last summer we had a visit from Hurricane Bill, which was thankfully not terribly destructive but did manage to pull an idiotic sightseer into the killing surf out at Peggy's Cove. The guy was rescued, which means Nature is stuck with his fantastic DNA to pass on to future generations. So much for natural selection.














Here's what yesterday's Hurricane Earl looked like from safe inside our cozy house.














My husband and I watched a tree go down in the greenbelt behind our house. Several more trees just behind us went over or were snapped off, but we didn't lose any in our yard this time. My uncle, unfortunately, has one leaning on his roof. The winds were pretty strong - gusting to over 100 km/h or 62 mph.

CLICK BELOW to see footage of Hurricane Earl from our house.



Robin says Yikes. I sure don't miss hurricanes... Double yikes on the idiot in the surf. Darwin award anyone?

Thursday Thirteen - 121 - 13 Views of Hurricane Bill

Last Sunday, Hurricane Bill hit Atlantic shores. Never experienced a hurricane before? Settle in...

1 - Footage taken by cpirie and posted on YouTube. The spot where the camera is positioned is on a road next to the Sou'Wester Restaurant, which is normally a great deal higher than the waterline. The ocean in this footage is scary-high. Beneath all the white froth are rocks which are normally dry where you can walk.





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This is a normal day out at Peggy's Cove, taken by me on the same strip of road. And this is the size of normal wave action.














3 - Footage taken by emacx09 and posted on YouTube. "Around noon August 23rd 2009, just prior to the RCMP asking everyone to leave the beach area, due to safety concerns."





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This is a normal day at Lawrencetown Beach, taken by me from the same vantage point. This is my friend Lisa when she visited here last August, along with my mom. And this is the size of normal wave action.














The rest of the photos were taken by me from the safety of our home. Hurricane Bill turned out to be much, much milder than Hurricane Juan, which hit us six years ago. No complaints here!



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Thomma Lyn Grindstaff says I've never been in a hurricane, but a friend of mine rode one out last year.

Susan Helene Gottfried says We've had remnants of hurricanes pass through, but we're too far inland to have to face a real storm.

Dorothy says When I lived on the Florida and Georgia coastlines we had several. I was younger then and don't remember much about them, just that we had them and mom would get all frantic.

Almost Wordless Wednesday - 114

Akelamalu says It really annoys me when other people have to put their lives at risk for idiots who put themselves in danger!

Brooke says It's sad when people don't think about the ones that might have been left behind...

Kailana says Yep, that's just a prime example of stupidity.

Summer Stock Sunday - 13

This afternoon was spent battening down the hatches for the imminent arrival of Hurricane Bill, due to hit Yarmouth overnight with heavy rainfall and making its way here to Halifax by the early morning hours.













This is a shot of Hurricane Bill taken by NASA. Its immense size gives me the willies.













Winds are expected to gust up to 110-130 kilometers an hour, with rainfall in the Hailfax area of up to 140 millimeters and a storm surge of 3 meters expected.

For my American readers, that translates to wind at 68-80 miles per hour, rainfall of 5-and-a-half inches, with a storm surge of nearly ten feet higher than the normal coastal waterline at high tide.

As we did before Hurricane Juan descended upon us six years ago, my husband, my mom and I cleared drainspouts and secured loose items in the yard.














I tuck away Mom's mirrored garden tripod she made, and which has a base too wide to fit in through the doors.














Mom and I had to make a little train and scoot the four tubs holding her cherry tomatoes, green beans and cucumbers, because the beans and cukes had twined around everything. We stashed them under the deck.














This is where the veggies have been until this afternoon. Along with my phlox which have just blossomed. They're going to be ripped to shreds.














Xena was very happy to supervise. She was also happy to eat the one ripened green bean I'd picked and laid down on the step.














This was the sight that greeted me the morning after Hurricane Juan. Shredded leaf splatter all over the house. Sigh.

I wonder what will remain of the garden by Monday? I took this picture this morning so I could remember it.














Just a note:

The likelihood of a power outtage may keep my blog quiet for a few days.

For more Summer Stock Sunday, visit Robin at Around the Island.

Susan Helene Gottfried says Be safe, my friend.

Apprentice Writer says Hope all is well.

Travis says I know that hurricanes do travel so far north. But I always associate them with ravaging the southern coastal states, islands, and Mexico.