FIINALLY HOMESICK

OK, I admit it, I became homesick this morning.

And you will never guess what caused it...remember the song by Gordon Lightfoot, THE WRECK OF THE EDMOND FITZGERALD??? It was on the radio this morning, and for the first time SINCE the wreck, I had NOT remembered that important date of November 10th. I always commemorate that date in my heart and mind. I have no reason to, other than my love for the Great Lakes, my respect for shipping crews and love forLake Superior.

For my readers not familiar with the Fitz, you can go to
http://www.shipwreckmuseum.com/fitz.phtml

All kinds of info there, and for the song, you can go to;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6U219P_zs7w


You really need to listen to the song; it is a haunting song. Some people will understand how this song can affect a person to the point of making them homesick...or even feeling guilty that you forgot the anniversary date.

ALLIGATOR RIVER STORM CLOUDS

It was raining hard to the west of us last night but the clouds were magnificent to watch. This morning, we received a hard rain, complete with thunder and flashes of lightening.

THE PERFECT STORM

THE TOP PHOTO SHOWS WHERE A HUGE DUNE USE TO BE. THE BOTTOM ONE IS A MINOR EXAMPLE OF THE ROAD CLEARING THAT HAS BEEN GOING ON. THIS PHOTO IS NOT OF THE AREA OUTSIDE RODANTHE...IMAGINE THIS PHOTO 10 TIMES "WORSE" AND THAT IS THE ROAD TO RODANTHE.



Yoopers are a proud people. We are proud to know we have the right stuff to live in “da U.P.” How many other people would be able to go ice fishing 9 months out of the year, or install snow chains in September? Men of the U.P. are excited by a woman who can field dress a deer. Sometimes the 4th of July picnic has to be moved indoors due to frost. Let’s face it; living in our neck of da woods is a different way of life (and lingo).

Yoopers would not really get too excited about a blizzard or a lake effect snowstorm that dropped 4’ of heavy, wet snow overnight. We’re prepared for that, right? That is something we assume is going to happen; it will drop from the sky and blow around a day or two before things settle down.

What Dan and I saw yesterday does not even begin to compare with some of the snowstorms that we have seen in our 17 years in da U.P. There is really no way I can describe it and I didn’t take my camera yesterday because of the work we were doing, and I didn’t think I would be seeing something like I’m about to TRY to describe to you.

All of us “broke for lunch” and headed off to Rodanthe for a bite to eat. The road was finally cleared off enough so more than just 4 WD vehicles could pass through, but it still was just one lane. The heavy equipment operators were still very busy trying to clear out what had to have been 5’depth of rain soaked sand. The sand had totally obliterated the road way and you know how wide a road is. It had covered the shoulders. Where there had been dunes between the beach houses and the ocean was now flat as a pancake. Even making a dent in this wall of sand was not something that happened overnight….and they still were not finished.

For a while the ferry services were running , at no charge, for the residents who were basically cut off from the “mainland”.

Our snow drops from the sky, the wind howls from the north and west (normally) and we know that our snow storms aren’t usually going to occur till November through April. For these people, sand is there all the time, as is the force of the ocean and the Nor’easters that push it inland. I can’t recall any time where the snow storms have changed the face of the earth, but these dunes are GONE. The landscape is flattened.

What I had referred to as “the remnants of Hurricane Ida” was totally wrong. This WAS a serious Nor’easter and meteorologists referred to it as “the perfect storm”.
The Pea Island office most likely will crumble into the ocean if another strong storm occurs. Between all of us working there the past two days, we managed to get out all the important items and info but there is not a lot of room to store all the things that were in that building. The office quarters for Cindy and Abbey are very cramped, but at least they can work. We moved all of the office equipment, etc into what is actually the interns housing and the interns will still be here till December. No one knows what will happen from here.

The force of Mother Nature still amazes both Dan and I and we are VERY glad that we had chosen to stay at the Alligator River refuge instead of Pea Island. While the ocean is very beautiful and I could sit and watch it for hours on end, we still prefer the ‘wilds’ of Nature, the quietness of early mornings and the smell of the pines.

BODIE LIGHTHOUSE

Dan and I are a bit on the tired side, but a good kind of tired. It has nothing to do with the lighthouse, but rather what we've been doing for the past couple of days which I hope to be able to post about soon. I've been waking up about 3:30 a.m. and having a hard time staying in bed till 5 a.m....so I am tired. My eyes are more tired than anything.

The name of this lighthouse is pronounced Body. I thought it was a long O sound but it isn't.

More later!!

COMING OUT OF MY SHELL

I couldn't resist this little guy. He's a lot better than a 6' long snake!!! Isn't he cute???