Thursday, January 29, 2015

SPECIAL EDITION: 2015 JUNO, the Blizzard


View Juno the Blizzard slide show here:

http://youtu.be/x94hXD8UADg


Juno, the Back Story

What is it about being in the middle of a howling blizzard and turning on the television to watch the news about the howling blizzard?  I guess we just wanted to see what other people were seeing about us.  We were receiving emails and calls from Western Massachusetts to as far away as France, including California, Maryland, Virginia and Oregon.  It turned into a pretty busy 24 hours, but I did my best to reassure folks that we were not underwater, and were safe.  I doubt we beat a record, but I'm sure we were right up there with, not only the snowfall, an average of 2-3 feet with mega-drifts, but the winds that sculpted those drifts.  

It all started out very gently Monday afternoon with delicate, blowing flurries, which had only laid down a light coating of white before dark.  We had B&B guests from New Hampshire arrive at noon to help their daughter in Wellfleet, who was moving away.  By 4:00 p.m., they were back to apologize about needing to turn around and go home.  The moving truck had been postponed due to the storm, and the NH department of transportation had called him back to work.  

By dinnertime, the winds had picked up and reached roaring crescendos by bedtime.  We tucked in snugly and let them sing us to sleep.  By morning, we were in a whiteout and I heard a breaker blow seconds before the power went out and the generator chugged itself on.  With well water that needs electricity to work, this is exactly the situation that prompted us to invest in this luxurious convenience.   Dutifully reporting our outage, we began receiving messages that the power company's main equipment that services Boston's South Shore and Cape Cod had been damaged by wind, and outages could last multiple days.  

At that point, I knew we had to check on our elderly neighbor across the street, and Ron confirmed my suspicion that he had not gotten his generator set up outside beforehand and it wasn't going to happen during the blizzard, either.  He and his friend were discussing how they could possible get to the shelter at the high school when we insisted that they sleep in the B&B Studio, which was now available.  The problem was that all the cars were snowed in and the drifts in the street would have made them useless, anyway. So, short of carrying him, how was he going to get here?  The toboggan in our garage, and a lot of muscle, was what ultimately got him to safe haven.  Of course, by then it was dinnertime and we knew they hadn't been able to eat, so out came the wok and I basically stir-fried everything in the refrigerator and filled all the tummies.  I dug out a couple pairs of flannel pants for them and encouraged them to make themselves at home in the Studio.  

But, just as Ron was getting ready to relax from the toboggan adventure, we got a call from our neighbor who lives at the end of our road next to Fort Hill.  She was snowed-in near Boston, and was concerned about her sister, who was not answering her phone at the house in Eastham.  Now, most people know Ron as a laid-back Southern California dude, but what they may not know is that when there's a damsel in distress [or even a 'dude-sel'], he runs on pure adrenaline.  So, he suited up again and made the .4 mile trek through the unplowed drifts in hurricane-force winds to check out the situation.  She was more than a little surprised to have Yeti bang on the door, gasping that he had to drain the water pipes, blow out the candles and take her with him.  Did I mention, they hadn't met before this?  A quick call to her sister explained his appearance a little better, but she chose to rough out the storm there without power, and that just left the trek back home to negotiate.  

Now, we were ready for some serious rest and relaxation.  By morning, all our good karma was returned in the form of an NSTAR power truck restoring electricity to our neighborhood.  But, we still had to engineer a better way to get our neighbor back to his home.  Ron found that the John Deere tractor plow, which has been mounted up and ready since November, was outmatched.  Plan B failed when we were unable to find anyone with a plow who wasn't already up to their wheel wells and tired of digging out.  So, Plan C became people power.  Can't say enough about the tenacity and good will of both our year-round tenants, who grabbed shovels and joined Ron clearing a path from our back door, down the driveway, across the street and to our neighbor's front door.  I could almost hear the inspiring sound track to the movie that would chronicle our big adventure.  The neighbors made it home.  Cars were dug out.  To quote a friend of ours, it was a real "walkin'. talk'in miracle".  Giddy with the accomplishments, we set out for an exploratory journey to Stop and Shop, where we found a celebratory steak to grill.  That's right, I said snow-grilling.  

It's likely to be awhile before we see the ground again, especially with more snow predicted over the following week.  I won't try to convince anyone who thinks snow is evil that they're not appreciating the beauty and excitement of a big storm.  No, I wouldn't do that...but, I really think we've got enough good karma banked to get us through another, if need be.  

Hope everyone's safe and comfortable.  Now, on to February. 
  


     



           
             








Tuesday, January 27, 2015

January 2015 - Winter Begins


H A P P Y    N E W    Y E A R ! 
Double rainbow over Orleans Town Cove
And, what better way to start than with a double rainbow.  Another reminder to always carry my camera whether it looks nice out, or not.    
December was SO gray for SO long that whenever the sun peeked out of the clouds it was a 'come-see' event.  After three straight weeks of constant clouds and drizzle, two straight days of sunshine was a cosmic holiday gift, but it came with temperatures more suited to Spring than holiday decorations.  Instead of wooly sweaters, T-shirts became our holiday attire and the Yule logs in the fireplace had to wait.  But, not for too long.  With the last of the travelers back home, January's jet stream dipped with a vengeance and we finally began something that felt, looked and sounded a lot like winter.  
Provincetown New Year's sunset - a painter's dream
When most of our family and friends come to visit, they're interested in seeing the sights that make living here unique.  They get the quick block-long tour of Eastham's tiny town center, consisting of a town green with the oldest windmill on Cape Cod, our town hall where lively, local meetings still decide town issues, the side-by-side fire and police departments and the 60+ year old Superette, where aside from groceries, spirits and souvenirs, one can get scrumptious, made-to-order sandwiches from the deli.  They get trips to Coast Guard Beach for a stunning view of the Atlantic Ocean, probably with surfers no matter what time of the year and then a short hop to the west to First Encounter Beach on Cape Cod Bay for amazing sunsets.  Of course, a walk through Fort Hill's nature trails with dazzling water views are a must and we haven't even left Eastham, yet.  But, when my son visits, he's less enamored with the idea of Cape Cod, the resort, than with something more unusual.  Much to our surprise, a visit to a friend with chickens became one of his favorite stops, but sadly, the chickens have all succumbed to hungry hawks.  So this year, we visited another friend with goats and geese to take a bag of compost goodies.  And, score!  I'm happy to report that farm animals still compete with electronics for a good time.   
Doug with Goatie and Baby
This little guy's called a Silkie
While we're on the subject of animals, here's the latest Crosswinds wildlife report:
The bluebirds are back! 

First 2015 feeder siting - January 2nd, but only for a couple of days this time.

AND, our first red fox siting in the yard, ever, but sadly, no pictures, yet.  
With New England's football team on the way to the Superbowl this year, January has been rife with Patriots fever.  On weekends especially, Patriots fever is evident everywhere one goes; bank tellers in drive-through windows sport their favorite player's jerseys, electronic bus messages endlessly cycle GO PATS! and Stop & Shop check-out lines look like an ad for lucky Patriots shirts, hats and hoodies as fans gather their favorite game snacks.  Game details are rehashed on sidewalks, at the dump and in store aisles, and anyone who has missed it can get play-by-play details from friends or even total strangers.  Even people who aren't big football fans say they've been tuning in to the play-off games to see what all the fuss is about.  Like the weather, it's a topic that connects people whether it pleases them or not.
  GO PATS!   
Ron's 2014 valentine
Cape Cod teems with artists of every kind, including many photographers.  While I consider myself more of a hobbyist, The Sparrow Gift Shop in Orleans calls me one of their local artisans.  It's a flattering title that carries more prestige than 'hobbyist', but I still shy away from entering juried exhibits.  A friend has been after me for years to apply for an exhibit at his friend's local gallery in Orleans, but after viewing a few of their featured photographers, their techniques seem a lot more high-tech and expensive than I care to compete with.  Last month, I noticed Orlean's Camera's invitation to ALL photographers to participate in a month-long exhibit called, Your Favorite Photo of 2014, stressing that this was to be a celebration of the joy and magic of photography and the stories that go with the photos.  No fee; no judging; just FUN.  I can certainly do fun, so I chose my Valentine snow hearts because they represent to me the serendipity of a fresh snowfall on Valentine's Day and the whimsical idea that came to me just before my shovel cleared the palette away.  The exhibit proved to be a rich mixture of styles and skill and choosing a favorite was definitely fun. 
Almost as good as a blizzard - The Chandler Travis Three-O
Just when it became apparent that a predicted Nor'easter was going to be just another dreary rain event while the rest of New England got all our snow, our Eastham neighbor, Chandler Travis saved the day with a concert at the Truro Library.  Score 1-we'd never been there before.  Score 2-we needed to go to the Atlantic Spice store in Truro to restock on nutmeg for lattes, anyway.  Score 3-it would be difficult to find a more fun and talented group of musicians anywhere, and I seriously mean ANYWHERE.  So, we thumbed our noses at the weather, asked Siri how to get to the Truro Library [she told us that "reading was good"] and spent a wonderful hour, or so, hearing old favorites made new again.  Thanks, guys!  
Chatham Cloud Show
Just before the holidays, I arrived earlier than I'd meant to at an appointment in Chatham and rather than sit in a parking lot for twenty minutes, I decided to drive down the street to the Coast Guard Station to park overlooking the beach for awhile.  I was so glad I did.  In the span of about five minutes in a dramatic weather display, a menacing black cloud approached and overtook the brilliant sunny sky, releasing slanted sheets of steely-gray rain across the water.  Within a few minutes, the quick squall disappeared into the horizon and the sun transformed the wet town into shimmering crystal.  Checking the time, I was just getting ready to return to my appointment when a good friend pulled into the space right next to mine.  We rolled down windows to chat and he told me that any time he was close to a scenic area, he made himself stop for a few moments to appreciate why he loved living here.  It was a good reminder, and while I don't do new year resolutions anymore, I vowed to myself that I would do better about stopping to smell the roses and the ocean this year.   
A favorite Truro vantage point
And, then along came "Juno"
From the kitchen window because it's still too windy and deep to go out!
Did I say winter was slow to come this year?  Well, there is no doubt in anyone's mind that it arrived for sure on January 26th in the form of a super-storm named Juno.  That would be Juno, the Roman goddess, wife of Jupiter, daughter of Saturn and mother of Mars and Vulcan, that is, not the internet service.  She apparently makes a pretty good Nor'easter, too.  This being only my sixth winter here on the Cape, I can't say this with a real old-timer's status, but in my own experience [and many will agree], this is definitely the most enormous, fiercest and most enduring blizzard we've seen, yet.  As I write, it's been snowing and blowing for about 24 hours and the forecast expects it to continue through part of tomorrow.  There is a one day break and then more snow predicted.  The power went out this morning, prompting another round of self-congratulatory praise for investing in an automatic generator.  According to NSTAR's overly-polite robot caller, their equipment that services Cape Cod and the South Shore of Boston has been wind-damaged and power is not likely to be restored for days.  I wished she had not sounded quite so happy about it, but we not only get to enjoy this frozen tempest from the comfort of our warm, bright home, we also get to extend a safe haven to our neighbor, who wasn't quite prepared for the intensity of Juno.  Thanks to this wonderful convenience, our storm preparation is mostly about making sure the bird feeders are full and keeping the water in the birdbaths unfrozen.  Without having to worry about the freezer defrosting, there's usually plenty of sustenance to keep us well-fed for an extended period of time.  Worth every penny, that generator!   


The top of the fence is over my head, so...
What possesses people to visit Cape Cod during the winter?  Mostly, a desire to get away from whatever "it all" is for them and a quiet place to decompress.  A recent guest told us that they googled "fireplaces" and that's how they chose our Cottage for their respite this month.  Whatever the reason, there are still breathtaking views, delicious year-round restaurants, a live music scene, no crowds, and yes, a warm gas fireplace waiting to melt the chill.  Meanwhile, guests this month came from Milwaukee, WI, Austin, TX, Pittsfield, New Hampshire, and Boston and Medford, MA.