Once again, we got lucky at our home in the woods. Because the hurricane moved west, Maine got scraped rather than directly hit. But it was a hard scrape, and over 91,000 customers lost their electricity as trees came down across power lines.
Although plenty of people in Winthrop lost their power, we did not. The lights flickered several times, but that was it, and I awoke to the comforting hum of the refrigerator. Such a relief. We have two freezers—one upstairs and one down cellar—and it would have been hard to lose all that food if the power had been knocked out for days and days, the way it often is on our rural road.
In a little while, Clif and I will head outside to put the patio back in order. The birds really depend on the bird bath for water, and yesterday they couldn’t figure out why the bowl was on the ground. They just sat on the pedestal and looked around, wondering where the water had gone. I felt bad for the birds.
Here’s a picture of our lonely patio. Soon the table and chairs will be back, and the bird bath will be put together so that there will be plenty of water for the birds.
Other parts of the United States weren’t as lucky as Maine. In particular, the hurricane hammered North Carolina, New Jersey, and other states on the Eastern Seaboard. I’ve heard from one New Jersey blogging friend, and all is well with her. I hope the same is true for other blogging friends whose homes were in the path of the storm.
And for all those who were hit by the hurricane, may the recovery be swift.
So glad you missed the worst of the weather, look forward to seeing patio back in order again.
Thanks, Susan!
I thought of you last evening while we sat in the dark reading on our tablets. We lost power for about 9.5 hours, but there are many thousands still out here in NH. We are so dependent on electricity that it is truly scary when it goes out. Glad yours stayed on. I spent almost two hours picking up downed branches and limbs. I’m glad that’s done because it is wicked hot out there today. Stay cool. 🙂
I have been thinking about you, too. It seems that New Hampshire got hit harder than central Maine. Southern Maine, which is near you, got hit pretty hard. You are so right about electricity and how dependent we are on it. If we didn’t live in the woods, I would seriously consider getting solar panels. If the climate predictions are correct, these storms are only going to get worse. Anyway, so glad your power is back. Holy cats!
Afternoon, Laurie. The Philadelphia region got hit hard. The storm raged here for a few hours.
So very sorry to learn this. Hope your power is on and the storm didn’t do too much damage to your neighborhood.
We lost quite a big branch from our maple tree in the backyard, but our power stayed on. Glad that you also faired well.
Phew! Glad the branch didn’t do any damage and so glad your power stayed on.
Glad it skipped you!
Thanks, Dawn! Such a relief.
I’m glad you and yours are safe!
Many thanks!
Hi, Laurie – I’m glad that you were spared from most of the hurricane. I 💘 the great care that you give to the nearby birds.
I am glad about the freezers. They must have been a worry.
A big worry, right up there with falling trees. This time we got lucky in both regards.
Just found your blog. I am home in New York, Long Island going on 20 hours with no power. lots of trees down on Long Island and power out everywhere! I do have a generator and have wifi and tv, a fan and refrigerator going. Learned our lesson after 11 days with no power after hurricane sandy!
Oh, no! Hope the power comes back on soon. Yes, a generator is very helpful. We talk about getting one, but so far we haven’t.
Yes – the generator is nice but soooo noisy
The whole neighborhood is noisy now.
Happy to hear it wasn’t too bad for you and Clif
Thanks, June!
Glad to hear you guys are safe and have power!🙂 So scary for so many states and people already dealing with stressful situations.
Many thanks! And, yes, hard enough to be dealing with pandemic without having a hurricane thrown in.
Glad you were spared the worst of the storm,
Thanks very much! A big relief.
We were so lucky. It moved through here very fast, with little wind (20 mph, but as a former midwesterner, that’s nothing). It had moved east of us for the most part. We did get a lot of rain. I’m glad you took your patio furniture in and that you never lost power. I live in dread of that, though I always am fairly well prepared. Still, it’s nice to cook a meal, rather than scavenge one.
I had been thinking of you and wondering if the storm would hit you hard. So glad it didn’t. I, too, live in dread of losing power. For us, it means no water. And I always worry about the food in the freezer.
Yup I grew up on a well with an electric pump. I know what that’s like. I’ve never lost food since my adulthood, but I tend to prep before storms and make a lot of ice and buy ice to make sure I can keep things cool. At least when I was a kid, we could cook in the fireplace, but now I rely on my grill and Sterno.
I’m not sure we could make enough ice for the food in our chest freezer. We should buy a generator, but so far we have not.
You know a few years ago some friends of mine were having the furnace/hvac replaced and the contractor mentioned a generator. They said no and I remember saying, man if it were my decision, I’d have said yes. They rethought and included it, and boy were they glad. We had two storms in the next year that knocked out power for several days and that generator kept the fridge running!
Good decision!
I am glad you, Clif and Miss Watson were spared the worst of the storm. Relatives back on the east coast were without power, but regained it fairly quickly..
Thanks, Lavinia! Glad to read that your relatives got their power back fairly quickly.
Glad we got through that one rather unscathed. Glad your freezers and fridge still hum! The power companies seem to be getting folks back online pretty quickly. It is hard not to have refrigeration in this heat!
A great big Yay!!
Hi Laurie,
I’m glad you and Clif survived relatively unscathed and share your wishes for a swift recovery for those not so lucky.
Best,
Tanja
Thanks, Tanja! A big relief.
Glad to hear all is well with you and yours.
Many thanks!
Thanks for the updates, Laurie.
So good that we kept our power and there was no damage.
Good to hear this Laurie. Covid has already given enough troubles 😀
A friend of mine lives in Edison, New Jersey. On 4th there was no electricity for quite sometime and they were on generators. They are fine. Hush!
Good news for you, Laurie and Clif
Very good news!
So glad you and Clif got through the storm unscathed Laurie and that the refrigerator is still humming. May the recovery for all who were affected be swift 💖🙏
Yes, yes! Thanks, Xenia!
So glad you and your garden are ok.
Many thanks!
A light brush and a temporary loss of lights isn’t so bad. I’m glad you weren’t more seriously affected. I presume that by now your birdies have their water back, and I don’t doubt that they’re appreciative.
It’s a bit of an irony that parts of Manhattan lost power early this morning. Apparently it’s back on, but it’s a good reminder that more than storms can disrupt our routines.
We were very lucky. I hadn’t heard about Manhattan losing its power. Anytime we lose our power, for whatever reason, it’s a huge disruption. In Manhattan. In the Maine Hinterlands.
Hurricane I, pass just east of us. We got a few showers. However, one or two valleys east of us got 3 – 6 inches of rain. We are waiting for the tomatoes to turn red. Lots of mushrooms up with the rain and hot, summer days. – Oscar
Glad it passed you! Those fresh tomatoes are something to forward to, that’s for sure.
Glad the storm skated around you. We tend to get power outages in the winter, not as bad as it used to be because the utility company works hard to make the lines more secure. We are planning to buy a generator, one that is a little more expensive because said to be quiet. On the other hand, maybe it’s not worth the money to be quiet because our Neighbor of the Bright Lights has, of course, a super loud generator for power outages. We would hate to lose a freezer full of food in pandemic times.
A big relief!
It shows how insular I have now become – this is the first I have heard of a hurricane. Glad to hear it passed without trouble for you.
Very relieved!
Yes, it must be quite wearing waiting for the electricity to go out. 🙂
It really is.
Laurie, you know by now, how it was on the rabbitpatch. Without power, I could only wonder how it was elsewhere. I thought of you and hoped for the best. I love you and your home in the woods. x Michele
Oh, gosh!