Hi All
I started a new thread like I said I would. The other was just getting to long.
Again "Thank You everyone for keeping me and Montserrat in your prayers.
The volcano is still going. You could hear it rumbling all evening. It has been ash venting quite a bit today but luckily just light ash. The winds have been blowing in the wrong direction but the ash that is falling is light, giving us just a dusting. Not to bad just a nuisance.
Still have not been able to get in my home, so I do not know how bad it is. I have resigned myself to the fact all my plants are going to be dead. So I am going to have to start all over again. It is heartbreaking but at least I will have something to do.
I have been trying to get a picture of the volcano glowing at night. But I can't figure out how to change the exposure, Any one have a Canon "Cyber-shot" and can you tell me how to take pictures at night? How do you manually change the exposure? I would really love to get some pictures of the glow. As much as this volcano is a pain in the "you know what" it is also awesome. You can't even describe the vision of it at night. Or even the pyroclastic flows that come down. The raw power of this volcano leaves me speechless at times.
I will post some more pictures later.
Take Care &
God Bless
Tina
Montserrat's Volcano still active
I feel so sorry for you and your home! And perhaps like I couldn't bring myself to leave St Croix after Hurricane Hugo totally destroyed the island, you are staying on Montserrat.
I just wish the breeze wouldn't bring your ash here sometimes... the air was blue with volcanic dust haze yesterday. Terrible for asthmatics, and otherwise making one feel just crummy. Can you see about that for me, please? ;)
Glad to see you still posting here, and keeping the chin up. And counting your blessings and remembering to be grateful for what you can.
Hearing, and feeling?, the rumble must be so absolutely awe inspiring. We are not aware of the size and scope of out Mother Earth most of the time.
Cheers,
Melissa
how very scarey Im new here so I dont know the story but got the jist from this post,
did you have family or friends who are letting you stay with them?
We are here in Florida complaining about the freeze, and there you are scared for your home and property.
Someone needs to make a sacrifice to that volcano and make it stop! ;o)
Best of luck to you stay safe thats whats most important!
Historically, sacrifices haven't stopped volcanoes!
Hi Melissa was out of commission for a while, first the evacuation the got the flu then had to wait for internet to be hooked up. Love my DG friends to much to be gone for long.
CindyLynne: Here is the link for the previous thread of the full story. It just got to long and was loading really slow so I started another.
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1045325/
Dave..I think the sacrifices make the volcano hungry for more.
Am adding a few pictures of todays explosion.
Volcanoes are to be respected. One must keep their distance!
The hill to the right (with NO ash) is the hill my house is on
Dave: after the pyroclastic flow came down the our valley on Jan. 8th..that was a little Too close for comfort, I would have left even had they not evacuated. I have a health respect for the volcano but have more respect for my life!
Tina
still staying behind our hill.
The next few are pictures of how a pyroclastic surge moves across and spreads on water. They are the surge that hit the ocean at Plymouth (the abandoned Capital city).
Another as it spreads
Sometimes the volcano comes to you.
The haze in the sky is vog (volcanic smog) that filled the air in the neighborhood a couple weeks ago. It's not good to breathe this stuff.
Take care Tina, and don't breathe that dust!
Volcanoes can be hazardous, but I wouldn't want to live anywhere else!
Gakk! I don't know how you guys can stand it!!!!! Thanks for the photos, and may things calm down. Tho there are lots of 5.sometning earthquakes all over the Earth since the Haitian earthquake. Maybe it's all just settling in for a while now! Like for the next 100 years.
My Island is a chip off the bottom of the sea that got pushed up a long long time ago.
Tina and dave, take care, and always nice to hear from you!
Melissa
This has been going on since OCTOBER?!
Good Lord I must live in a bubble!! You poor thing you tell that volcano if it doesnt quit Aunt Cindy is gonna come over there and you dont wannt aunt Cindy to come over there! Do Ya?! :o]
Cindy LOL
Yes it has been going on since October, at least this event. The Volcano became active in 1995. The island has been dealing with events like this for the past 15 years. When we moved here 4 years ago we knew about the volcano and we knew that we would be evacuated from time to time. It is not the volcano that is making this event so stressful, it is the way the Government is handling the situation that is making it so stressful.
Dave
No worries..I have my mask and my goggles fro ash clean up and when the ash is coming down I stay in the house. If I have to go somewhere I have a mask for that. Luckily, we have had enough rain between ashings to wash it out of the trees and off the roofs. Public Works has been doing a good job at keeping the ash cleaned off the roads and other public areas.
You are right..even with the troubles the volcano causes I would not live anywhere else.
Melissa
Don't know what is going on this year. All the earthquakes in the Caribbean, record snowstorms in the Northern States, Record rains in the southern States, the drought in some of the Caribbean, this Volcano event is the strangest on record, Winds coming from the wrong direction continuously. Just been a strange year all the way around.
Take Care my Friends
Tina
Thanks, Tina for the absolutely fascinating pictures. I hope this will be over for you soon. You remain in my prayers.
Sylvain.
Eeeeeeeeeeeew do you just hose the ash off? or does it take elbow grease to get it off?
Sylvain Thanks my friend..your prayers are most appreciated.
Melissa- Sorry you are getting some of the ash. Take my advice hose off the plants the best you can. If you leave it it will damage them. Unless you are one of the islands that are having a drought. Get a pair of wrap around sunglasses..they help keep a lot of the ash from getting into your eyes.
Take Care
Tina
The ash forecast is for it to go north and northeast of Montserrat for the next few days.
Aloha Tina,
So sorry to hear that the volcano is still spewing - awesome photos though! Have you been allowed back to pick up some of your belongings yet? You remain in my thoughts.^_^
Jenn
Tina, thanks for the advice. I feel like someone with a painful stubbed toe next to someone who's leg has been amputated.
That was the saddest leaf on a young papaya, the plant is doing fine. Just thought a plant photo would contribute to the conversation here.. But I know any plant photos you would post would look like scenes from Mordor. (a bad place!)
LOL, several years ago there was a good puff of ash that got mixed in with rain, wowee, it got into everything!they don't make a good coctail, ash plus rain.
Melissa
Melissa....... LOL you are so funny! Thanks for being you, I read your post (not just on this thread) and you make me laugh especially when I need to laugh. You are a GEM!
No ash and rain do not make a good cocktail, when they comedown together it turns into a very strong acid rain and it will kill plants. It is better if they do not arrive together. But in the same respect we need the rain to wash the ash out of the trees and off everything else, but it better be a good strong rain otherwise it does more harm then good
Jenn.... Thank You and no we have not been able to get in and get our belongings. I was allowed a little time to go in and get some clothes and other necessities & clean out the refrigerator but an hour is not a lot of time. The Authorities are trying to have day so we can go in and shut up the house and get the rest of our belongings but the volcano is not cooperating. Every time they think it will a good time it acts up. But they are trying.
Take Care
Tina
PS For the other islands being affected by the ash, some advice; Don't try to clean it up until it is over, otherwise you will drive your self NUTS sweeping and dusting all day. If you can't stand walking on ashy floors wear socks. Socks are a life saver (or at least a sanity saver).
Oh Tina, i am so sorry this is all going on. awsome photos though. i think of you often, and my whole family prays for you!!
take care,
isaac
LOL, Tina, very happy here to find someone who understands my humor. I dare not say most things that pop into my mind, people have become very angry! Wowee, I usually file a big disclaimer, " !! I AM !! !! JOKING !!"
But the toe/leg comparison is true. I'm glad STX isn't volcanic, and that I don't live sea-front, tho' I'd love to. Did for a while, rented an apt that was only about twenty feet from the water's edge, and only about seven feet above sea level. Good fun except for the oddballs walking along the rocky shoreline, and then a hurricane sent waves almost into my front door. Hum!
I can understand why you stay on your little island. Probably the same thing (whatever it is!!) keeps you there that kept me on St. Croix after hurricane Hugo totally wrecked every inch of the island.
OK, good luck and best wishes to you!
Melissa
Morning Melissa..After my DH weird sense of humor I can understand anyone's humor LOL.
There is something about the islands, like you, I don't know what it is but it gets into your soul.
Thanks Isaac & Thank your family your prayers are greatly appreciated.. This volcano is not good for anything but it does put out some worthwhile photo opportunities LOL.
Have a great day!
Tina
lol, i definitely don't think the photo opportunities are really worth all the trouble!!!
I agree with you Isaac but I have to find SOMETHING good about it.
It is looking as though the only way we are going to get any relief is if the dome collapses. My goodness that is going to be a mess' but if it is going to collapse, letit and get it over with.
Take Care
Tina
I have a meeting at the MVO this afternoon, I should be able to get some good pictures.
Major event at our volcano..Partial Dome collapse. It collapsed to the east so no inabited areas got ash. On the satellite on NOAA you could see the Ash cloud moving east between Antigua and Guadalupe.
Hopefully enough came down that they will allow us to go home. WOOOHOO.
Thanks for all the prayers.
Oh yeah..my house was not ashed at all. the ash cloud went east so no inhabited areas got any ash.
I went and looked at the sat loop, that's impressive. I hope this is what it takes for it to quiet down and you to be able to go home.
Oh i so hope you can go home soon, Tina!! please keep us all up todate!
take care,
isaac
Hi Everyone
We finally got to move back home last week, WOOHOO. It was a mess. A lot of ash but not as much as I was expecting, thank goodness. Thanks to my daughter and her friends it only took us a week to clean it up. the upper levels still have ash but that will get cleaned up with time.
The volcano has been really quiet since the it collapsed hopefully it will stay quiet for awhile. Now if it would only rain for a few days to get the ash off the roads and out of the trees. I have been praying or some rain.
Bad news is I lost over half of my plants, mostly my palms. It was due to no water. Since I could not get over here to water them, all the potted plants under cover were not watered for almost 2 months. I was surprised that any of the plants survived. My Desert Rose seemed to thrive, I only lost about 6 out of 200 so that was good. Most of my plants that don't like a lot of water did ok. But I was saddened that most of my palms died. I had a wide variety of palms that I grew from seed so I was heartbroken. Plus I lost my heliconias and most of my ginger plants. Out of about 200 plants (not counting my desert rose) I have about 50 left. Most of the plants in the ground did pretty good. My pineapple plants never looked better, I think they like the ash.
Well, looking on the bright side I now get the thrill of watching everything germinate and sprout again. DH isn't going to like that I will be ordering a bunch of seeds again LOL.
Any way all is well here on Montserrat, the dome collapse could have been a lot worse. God was looking out for us, the day it collapse the winds were strong and coming from the west so the ash blew away from us. It was an amazing sight. I just sorry some of the other islands got the ash we did not get.
I want to Thank everyone for their prayers and support through out this whole ordeal. Ya'll are the BEST!!!! May God bless you the way He has bless me!
Take Care
Tina
Here a few pictures of when we got home.
Of the Pool
More ash
This was a pleasant surprise, I walked up and they were in bloom. What a Welcome Home!
What a heartbreaking sight to see everything covered in ash - but I am so glad you are home safe and sound, and things seem to have quietened down with the volcano. I hope it is not too bad inside your house but I expect that fine ash would get though any crack or crevice.
I can imagine how wonderful it must feel to be back.
Oh Tina, i am soooooo glad you are home!!!! What a joy!!!!
i am truly sorry you lost so many plants, but thankfully some survived. i hope that volcano continues to be quiet, and i wish you only the best in your garden! would you perhaps like some giant sterlitzia seeds?
isaac