Welcome to my corner of the world where we are waiting to see what Hurricane Sandy will bring with her.  Last year they forecast hell and damnation when Irene was moving up the coast and we ended up with a minor wind storm with winds of maybe 50kph or 31mph as parts of the world would say!  A storm hardly worth mentioning. Sandy, however with its 500 mile radius may be a whole other story.

There are things I notice as I walk around outside today.  We have a tree – two maples and a poplar – within 15 feet or less of our house on the north, west and east sides.  Old, old trees left here when the house was built some 150 years ago.  I treasure them along with the old apple trees near by.

(a carpet of leaves from our guardian maple tree out back)

The pond on the north side of the property will drain under the road into the neighbour’s field. Something he is not too happy about as he thinks we should direct it, underground, across the front of the property and into the river that runs along the southern border of our land! An engineering feat which would cost tens of thousands of dollars.  Not sure why it is an issue for him as there is nothing but mowed grass on his field but, I suppose it will be a concern should he ever decide to sell the property.

(Canada Goose squawking at the thin layer of ice on pond this past spring)

At this time of year many birds have moved south in preparation for the winter.  The Bald Eagles, Mourning Doves, Blue Jays, Chickadees and Evening Grosbeaks are at the feeders on and off throughout the day. Well the Bald Eagles aren’t but they can be seen flying over head looking for small game and also fish in the river. Oh, and crows, amazingly intelligent birds that they are, stay here year round, cleaning up road kill, picking through the compost heap and alerting each other of danger and food in equal measure.  Today, although the jays, doves and chickadees are at the feeders, they are silent.  I always know a storm is coming, whatever the season, when the birds are silent. As the storm gets closer, they will be nowhere to be seen. I often wonder where they go for protection.

(chickadee at feeder by kitchen window)

(bald eagle visiting the back field)

Our house is on high ground, so although the river may rise, anywhere from 5 to 8 feet in the past, the house will stay dry.

(our Mirza loves the river)

 

Sophie has exchanged her perch atop the greenhouse, where she is queen of all she surveys, in favour of the warmth and comfort of the house today. Another sign of the approaching storm as she loves to be outdoors.

(patterns in the mud created by outgoing tide)

Because we live where the world’s highest tides have been recorded and tonight is the full moon,

(view from our back door)

there is concern about the combination of the full moon and the storm. We may break our own record for highest tide:

The Guinness Book of World Records (1975) declared that Burntcoat (just a few miles from us) had the highest tides in the world:“ The greatest tides in the world occur in the Bay of Fundy…. Burntcoat Head in the Minas Basin, Nova Scotia, has the greatest mean spring range with 14.5 metres (47.5 feet) and an extreme range of 16.3 metres (53.5 feet).” Tides at Burntcoat Head average 55.8 feet, with the highest being set during the 1869 Saxby Gale at 70.9 feet.”

(view of the Minas Basin close by)

Wherever we live, whatever our journey, there are times when storms blow through. Sometimes we watch and wait and others, they catch us completely by surprise. Regardless, we weather them, we learn the lessons they bring and our life is changed, enriched, and marked by them.

Walk in beauty, dear friends, regardless of the weather!

 

 

 

 

 

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