And so the seasons change. Wham! Not a gentle ease-you-into-it kind of thing either. It was warm one day with temps in the 60s, blue skies, leaves still hanging on nicely with some color yet to enjoy, and then it turned bitter with wind whipping, temps plummeting to single digits and teens, and now we have seen our first cat tracker of the 2017-2018 snow season.
Let’s turn back to the end of October for that last week was one for the history books.
Instinct/survival skills: We made a trip to close down the camp and thank goodness we did, for when we returned home it was a steady stream of activity and who knows when we’ll get back?
Rain was a welcome event that brought the ponds and streams back up. I recorded about five inches here.
Oct. 28: With the warmth, rain, and sun, I was still picking green beans, salsa peppers, beets, and strawberries. My three large pineapple plants came in for the winter; I’m hoping for at least one fruit next year.
The first day of regular firearms deer-hunting season began. At day’s end, a hunting accident claimed the life of a 34-year-old woman in Hebron. This was the first fatality in four years.
Oct. 29: The sun rose red and the temps were warm. We received a morning phone call from Steve’s brother, Jay, who arrived in Maine yesterday to close up his home for the winter. He paid us a visit later that day and they were off to Georgia on Monday.
Oct. 30: Storm Center music plays on WCSH 6 News for the first time this season. The wind is howling (sustained 35-45 mph and gusts 65-70), rain is falling, 60 degrees, power outages everywhere, tree damage everywhere, roads closed, schools closed. It is a disaster! There are generators humming all over the neighborhood.
At the farm, the cows shed blew off and they tried to huddle near it until it was righted. Here at our house, a window blew into the garage frame and all, and landed without breaking on my husband. We think that it was at the time the wind hit in New Harbor at 74 mph.
1:12 p.m.: Steve’s sister, Cyndi, and her husband, Jerry, had been to her 50th high school reunion and were making their way through New England and visiting with relatives along the way. They had followed the storm to New Hampshire and we were the next destination.
Oct. 31: Happy Halloween! The sky is blue, it’s still breezy, lots of roads and schools are still closed, and the power is still out to 386,000 people, plus or minus, according to CMP.
Some towns are delaying Halloween, but not me, for my wonderful husband hooked up my display so that I would have lights — special ones shaped like flames and they flickered — that I got from my sister. And I did have trick-or-treaters. Thank you for coming!
Nov. 1: It’s now Wednesday and no school again for AOS 93, as too many roads are still impassable for a bus. CMP outage is down by 100,000, as many crews from other states are here to lend a hand — thank you!
Cyndi and Jerry arrive! We visit a little. Still no power, so we decide to eat out at The Harbor Room. They are set up with a generator next door and so they stay.
Nov. 2: Day four of no power. Cyndi, Jerry, Steve, and I take a trip to Camden to visit and have lunch with Aunt Lindy.
Nov. 3: Day five. Generator noise is beginning to aggravate my nervous system, but the refrigerator and freezer are running and we are able to catch up with the news on our antenna TV. Cyndi and Jerry come over for morning coffee and muffins before they head back to complete their journey. It was really nice to have them here at this time of year. It was just too bad about the weather-related conditions. Still glad they stuck it out.
Nov. 4: Day six. As the temperatures are starting to drop, so do the number of power outages. CMP had 33,218 this morning. At 7:14 p.m., the lights came on! Generator shut off, potty flushed, jugs of water refilled, etc. But, alas, it was short-lived and at 8:30, it was out again, as there is so much damage along the side roads that has yet to be repaired.
Nov. 5: Day seven. CMP: 14,469. We are in the three percent still without power. A report out of New Harbor: 40 power-crew trucks were spotted headed to the point! 4:02 p.m.: Steve spots three trucks with poles headed north on Route 32. 5 p.m.: the cavalry has arrived! A half-dozen trucks go by toward Round Pond, and 10 minutes later the power was on. Thank you to the lines crews for all their hard work!
OK, that was my take on the very powerful, very devastating storm. It was a pretty decent test of how we can and are able to cope with what life and Mother Nature throws at us. Myself, I continue to keep my water jugs full – just in case.
Let’s see what else I can come up with after another long break from writing. One of my obstacles was that my keyboard of 20 years decided to give up on me during my last attempt on Oct. 24. There I was typing away and then it started to type things I wasn’t even typing and the next thing I knew, nothing. I ordered a new one and now I’m back in business.
Election Day was on Tuesday, Nov. 7. We voted. Cyndi and Jerry arrived home safe and sound.
Congratulations to Meredith Hughes and Scott Gray as they welcomed to the world Clara Ruby Gray. She weighed in at seven pounds, 11 ounces, and was 20.5 inches long. So happy for you all and look forward to meeting her.
Steven gets to check another item off his “buck”-et list. He tagged out this season with a big doe and then a big buck on Nov. 8 that weighed over 220 pounds, with an eight-point rack, to make the Big Buck Club and earned himself a patch. Congratulations!
Nature notes: On Saturday, Oct. 28, we watched as four bluebirds landed on a wire, sat there for a few minutes, and then flew off. They were beautiful. Ticks are very heavy; stay aware and check for them.
And here it is what you’ve been waiting for — my annual Cat Tracker Prediction for 2017-2018 snow season. The first snow fell on Monday, Nov. 13, enough to track a cat.
As many days as the week is old: two.
As many days as the month is old: 13.
As many days as the moon is old: 23 — for a total of 38.
Time will tell.
The holidays are upon us and I know things are going to stay crazy-busy, so I’m putting out there that I wish you all a safe and happy Thanksgiving!
Have a good one!
