Sandy's Coming

Yep that artic blast is supposed to sharply drop the temps, so those at higher elevations may see the snow

Picked up gas, hubby tested the generator
I'm doing laundry today and then running dishwasher tomorrow so that's out of the way
Cleared the yard today of anything that may blow away and then had time to get some bulb planting in

The yard is empty, but the garage and barn are not. Everything that wasn't nailed down is either put away, tied down. or nailed The gutters and downspouts are cleaned and in good repair. The wood rack is filled and I may just add some more clips to the greenhouse. I'm hoping we are over prepared. I may be a little OCD, but not sure I want to see the perfect storm. God be with you all and your loved ones. Keep safe. Ric

Morning all,

Here are some images and charts from the Gapital Weather Gang blog
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/capital-weather-gang/post/cause-for-concern-the-7-most-alarming-hurricane-sandy-images/2012/10/28/615bbbfe-210b-11e2-ac85-e669876c6a24_blog.html?fb_xd_fragment#xd_sig=fdee5ee86d23e&xd_action=proxy_ready&data&xd_rel=parent.parent&relation=parent.parent&xd_origin=http%3A%2F%2Fstatic.ak.facebook.com


1) Wind
"winds across the entire northeast I-95 corridor may well be gusting to 45-70 knots Monday evening, or 50-80 mph!"

2)Power outages
"conservatively, 10 million customers along the Eastern seaboard will lose power from Sandy."

3) rain

4) storm surge

Cross posted Ric.
I have yet to tie down, put away or nail every thing yet. Also haven't figured a "protected spot" to park our vehicles that is not "under a tree" (been there done that) and none of our vehicles are new enough to have comprehensive coverage anymore so we are out of luck should one or more be crushed (sigh)

Baking a ham...breakfast/lunch/dinner hot or cold.

I vote more greenhouse clips! Look at what I just posted...I don't think you have over anything!

Am seriously hoping my newspaper, which is owned by the same company as The Weather Channel will get the picture and not abdicate or leave decision to deliver tomorrow during height of storm up to each carrier at risk of route loss.

Love how the Northeast Forum weather thread puts it

"A storm is like crossing a bridge in the fog, you don't know what you will encounter going through it and have no idea what awaits you on the other side."

May all creatures great and small find perfect shelter in this storm.

Judy

Here in Texas I am praying for all of you. Hoping that the preparations will not be needed. We are tormented with tornados here and there is no warning whatsoever. Think that maybe better than days on end of anticipation. God bless you.

Christi

I came by to wish you all the best of luck...LUCK comes from our GOD so we pray that He takes good care of each and every one of you during this storm.

While LouC has to contend with Tornados,the most we have is dust storms, except floods during Monsoon.

Prayers going out for all of you!! Jo

Yea everybody hold tight. I hope that the valley we sit in and woods protect us from the heavy winds. I definitely put a few things away but not all my loose plastic pots, they sit in a nursery pile (mound on the ground).

It'll be over before we know it. Good luck see you all on the other side of this. Cheers.

Amen! Roadrunner

School was canceled for the next 2 days

At least those that control so many things appear to be doing the best they can to avoid disaster. Praying for your safety.

I love our governor

Mandatory evacuations were in effect for the barrier islands...some people want to stay...his comment "don't be an idiot get out!"

People looking for bottled water....just fill your own bottles, buckets, containers, even ziploc bags and freeze them don't really need to go crazy looking for bottled water

That's exactly what I did, Jen. Lots of containers full of ice, now.

Yesterday we cleared movable objects inside, and I finished up a circular patio and transition I had been intermittenly working on of late. Left unfinished, the storm would have eroded the carefully prepared base of soil, stone dust and sand. Today we went up to our property in WV to clean out gutters and such. My car overheated on the way up and we had visions of riding out Sandy at the side of a mountain road. Finally managed to get back home to Lucketts, Virginia. On Interstate 70 there was one convoy of utility trucks after another headed east to help with the storm damage, mighty glad to see them. On the ride back we shared the road with at least a dozen ComEd trucks from Illinois and a number of Asplund tree service trucks from points west. Ready to hunker down for the next two days. Hope everyone stays safe and dry.

Thank you. That patio looks wonderful! You be safe, too

My thoughts and prayers re with everyone.

That patio is a thing of beauty! I'm glad you got your car moving!!!!

We are just getting a gust every now and then and the wind chimes are going pretty good. I wanted to let all of you know that I am keeping you all ( and your gardens ) in my thoughts and hoping that you stay safe and dry.

Prayers all around. Costco had TONS of water yesterday - picked up plenty - put some the freezer - deep freezer and refrigerator. Tropicals are all safely inside. Tried to assure Chloe as she snuggled with me tonight that, that was simply the trees whispering. Poor thing...she's scared lights will go out. I said have you SEEN all the candles AND we can put on hiking lights (ones you wear on your forehead) on and do shadow puppets - how cool will that be? Poor baby! Anywho....as I said prayers for everyone's protection - please check in if you're able...hugs

We have been busy! My September project of planting my front hill slipped into October. We had hoped to get a lot of work done this weekend on the hill. Instead, we planted a bit but mostly stapled huge tarps across the area that had been planted to keep it from slipping into the road below. We moved one car to my husband's office garage (praying that the garage won't flood), and put the other into our garage at home where no car has been parked in 20 years! There are still lots of potting plants outside. We tried to anchor them as best we could, but our attemps will likely seem feeble in the face of the 75 mile hour winds that are now being forecast. I'm not sure what we can do to anchor them any better. Egads.

Actually, while I should be worried about my little plants, I'm really quite concerned about the MAJOR trees around our house. I'll been very very relieved when this is over. I know we'll lose power-- we always do -- but if we are otherwise unscathed I'll consider us very lucky. We'll be sleeping on the basement floor Monday and Tuesday nights!

Check this out: http://www.wunderground.com/blog/JeffMasters/article.html. It states: "The National Weather Service in New Jersey is begging that people heed warnings, and evacuate if they are asked to. They write, 'If you are reluctant [to evacuate], think about your loved ones, think about the emergency responders who will be unable to reach you when you make the panicked phone call to be rescued, think about the rescue/recovery teams who will rescue you if you are injured or recover your remains if you do not survive.'

I hope and pray that all our friends who have been asked to evacuate in the face of this storm have done so.

Me toooo!!!!!!!! Good Heavens, please everyone, be safe!!!

Got the hatches battened down here. All the babies are under cover, got loads of petrol for the generator, lots of water, food stuffs, got the second-bathroom's bathtub filled with water, along with 2 outdoor trash cans, (for "flushing", just in case).... any fly-aroundables have either been brought indoors or bungee corded down under the deck... flashlights, kerosene heater, hurricane lamps (how ironic, no?). All set.

Poooor DH is an electrician, however, ALAS! he is not a lineman, so while he is at work, his 'on-call' status is iffy at best. An extra prayer or 2 for the Love of my Life's safety would be greatly appreciated, please. =)

Will update as needed, and as possible, but so far so good, just rain and heavily breezy here. You all STAY SAFE!!!!!!!

Just rain here so far and the weather man said this morning that the eye of the storm is predicted to go right over central Pa...that would be me...Sure not looking forward to this... As prepared as I can be..and high winds are to start this afternoon..Stay safe everyone...

Bluepoppy, Nice to see you, been awhile since I have seen you posting. Things are still pretty quiet here. A little rain just slight drizzle from time to time. The wind has picked up but it high and not really moving much around. Funny you can hear the sound of the wind but the trees aren't blowing much at all. Ric started a fire as the house feels pretty damp and the temps are at 52.
Chantell, We use the solar lights that we have stuck all over the yard. They are great to put in bedrooms at night, no fire risk from candles.

Still nothing major to report here. Been raining steadily since about ... probably before 4:00 this morning, (I've only been up since 4:00, so I don't know what it did before then), but it's still only just heavily breezy, no major winds as of yet. The doppler/radar thingy on the news shows my area being in the dark orange "heavy rain" zone, but honestly, it's not falling that hard, just steady.
Mostly I'm just taking advantage of having electricity while I've got it.. running the dishwasher, got a roast in the crock pot (can be re-heated in my cast-iron pot on the barbecue if/when the power goes out), and goofing off on the computer. Hmmmmm, I think I'll bring up the hurricane lamps from downstairs and have them on standby.

I move to FL and where does the hurricane go - up to MD area. What are the odds?
Hope you all get through this w/out damage, or at least nothing major.

Rain here now in western MD. Tasha living in Delmar, DE is getting hit pretty good right now and she is also dealing with a sick baby. Yesterday was my granddaughter's sixth birthday and guess she did too much celebrating with cupcakes and excitement, bless her heart.

We're as prepared as we probably can be. I feel that those subject to flooding are much more entitled to worry than we. And those with big old oak trees in the yard- (happy D and D !)

I love your gov too Jen. And I love you too much to ask that we trade.
; ^)

Hm, yeah might snatch up my solar yard lights. Esp my Royal Sceptre! Great for the 'throne room!'

Grocery store was wiped clean of water yesterday- but I already had my water plan. THe other shelves I noticed semi bare was the snack- yes I DID need to have a bag of my favorite kettle style potato chips to ride out this storm, and so did many of my neighbors. . mmm and at this time I was happy that my small freezer spaces were somewhat open and only stocked with cheap easy to prep food that can go on the grill or propane stove.

Holly -- what solar powered lights do you use outside?

Nothing major going on..yet....just endless slow rain. It has been raining most of the night--
as I lay there and listened half asleep.
The Governor was just on Radio saying the storm has turned and will now spew more
serious rain and winds upon MD. OC has already lost a the public fishing Pier.

On the home front--everything movable has been battened down.
I know the floor in my shed will be all covered with water--it is already lapping at the door sill.
Nothing in there to harm a lot--mostly just pots on the floor.

Being a phone Operator yesterday at the HD was pure Hell. Eight hours of non-stop calls--
everyone asking if we had any Generators. NO! Saturday morning--we got a shippment of 57
Generators. They ALL were sold by noon. It is a total panic! People do not realize they can just
bring home a generator and plug it in somewhere--and it will work!
So--they all bought generators--which ARE NOT returnable!!!

Besides these--we were also totally out of Gas cans, flashlights, Size "D" batteries, back up (electric)
Sump Pumps, bags of sand and tarps.

I am hoping to just sit nervously--and, maybe, find a craft project to work on.

Stay safe---everyone! Gita

Still praying for all of you and more.

Just cheap garden lights that we pick up at Walmart for a few $$ each. We have them tucked around the yard near pathways and steps. Maybe about a dozen scattered around the yard. We let them outside during the day and if we lose power we bring them in at night. A couple of them sitting in a vase will light up the table really nice for a lighted game spot or even reading. Great for bedrooms with out the fire risk of candles. We had a couple of close calls with what we thought were safe burning candles so I am pretty careful. I like these they are unobtrusive in the garden, inexpensive and work for quite a long time. Great to take along camping, too.

Gita: What do mean: "People do not realize they can just bring home a generator and plug it in somewhere--and it will work! So--they all bought generators--which ARE NOT returnable!!!"

We don't have a generator, but periodically I think of getting one. Are you saying they DO work? If so, why would people return them?

Holly -- your solar lights sound great. Do you think they'd work if they were not in direct sun (I guess that's a no-brainer, but I can always hope). Me and my shady lot would love to know. When I take my dogs to the back part of our lot in the middle of the night, it is pitch dark (if the moon isn't out), so these could be a good solution.

Our power went out about 7:30 AM this morning. We had slept in and I hadn't made coffee yet. I thought "Geesh! Its not ever really breezy here yet and the power is out!". Do to our earlier mentioned car trouble yesterday we did not arrive home until after dark. I had planned to clean out the gutters here as my last activity for the day to minimize refill from leaf-fall prior to the storm. So...out I go in the rain this morning to clear the gutters. Ugh! About 9:30 AM Pat had just opined that she wished we had at least managed to get coffee before the storm really hit, when suddenly the lights came on again. I told Pat to wish for greater things...No million dollars, renewed youth or world peace yet. At least we now have a hot breakfast, coffee and internet, so we are fine for now. Hope everyone stays safe and dry.

Can't give you any facts on the "WHY"--except, maybe, people bought them on an impulse,
and then did not need them.
Or--they bought one and had no one to connect them to the house power--properly?

One caller I had said he bought one 2 days ago--but it keeps kicking off. I transferred him to Tool Rental.
Those guys maintain all kinds of machines when they are returned. Hope theu could help this customer.

Happy--of course they DO work--but they have to be outside the house--therefore, "installed" properly.
Generators produce CO-2 which can kill you if you try to run one inside your house.

Other that that--I do not know anything much about them. G.

Oh, ok; I think there was a typo in your original post -- a "not" must have been missing.

Yes--you are right, Happy. "not" was missing......OOOPS!!!

People do not realize they can(NOT) just
bring home a generator and plug it in somewhere--and it will work!

Another pitfall of spur-of-the-moment generator purchases is people may not realize that generators are not shipped with oil in the engines. If some person takes one home and doesn't read the mannual, hurriedly puts in gas, and starts it up without putting in oil it will ruin it almost immediately and they will not be able to return it. Makes for an expensive door stop.

Thanks for reminding people of that, David.
Maybe that is why that caller had problems with his Generator not staying "started".

That is why a can of oil comes packed inside the box with each Generator.

Sally, please count me in on those big old oaks cause I have 12 that could effect my house if they come down or throw big old branches my way.

Yes, I am concerned for my own personal safety this time round unlike other storms where I was feeling more secure in my hunker down in place location than this time. Remembered not to park all of our vehicles (4) in the same relatively safe place (not under a tree!) but that has put my (symbolic) means of escape so far away that making it to them could be quite hazardous.

So, personal safety (and DP Wayne and cats) is my primary concern, not power outage or duration. Am giving myself permission to be afraid as this is scary and serious and Sandy is intensifying.

Hope my boat, my 'little blue house', makes it through all this. I remember from my boating and live aboard days how seriously we took the weather and storms cause what we did and how we did it determined much of our odds of survival. Good friends were lost in storms we survived, but no gaurantees. This feels the same ...just sayin', not freaking myself out here as I am much more a realist than panicer!

We have everything we need for this adventure but it would be nice to have a scepter for our throne room! Kudos Sally and Holly great ideas!

Have to go out and feed feral cats hunkered down beneathe a small camping (heavy) trailer. Should have moved our grill to covered patio cause who want to cook in the wind and rain? Oh well, eventually wind and rain will abate...and we'll eat on the ham til power goes out.

Newspaper says "Due to weather, newspaper deliveries may be delayed to certain areas" My point, if newspaper and mail delivery was officially suspended (Starbucks officially closed their New York stores) no one would risk their safety to go out and check if their paper was there yet. Not that there isn't individual freedom, but in this case removing as many reasons for 'stupid' behavior keeps us all safer. Thanks for letting me say that!

Hope to be able to keep checking in here and my best to all.

Judy

David - Thanks for the chuckle on the expensive door stop. Love it!!! Yep, on generators....another wifely complaint. Of course John owns one and has for years. Any time that I have mentioned him getting it near the house, he goes in to a long spiel on how much has to be done in order to hook them up. Some of the things already mentioined, such as being outside and having proper connections and all. Last summer when John inspected his generator he finds that he has a leak and it wouldn't have worked the week we were without power even if it had been near the house.

We decided and started the process of having a whole house generator installed soon after the power outage in July. We are still about three months away from having it actually on property and workable. The company we are purchasing from has a back log of three months due to everyone else having the same thoughts as ourselves after July's big event. Never again do I want to experience anything like that!!! I was about to melt.

I am must like Sally admitted to being and am sitting here waiting it out. The only thing I have done in preparation of the possible arrival of Sandy is to fill about six or eight gallon jugs of water. John is currently out shopping at Walmart and going to the bank. The winde blew quite fiercely during the night but this morning all is very, very quiet.....speak of quiet before the storm.....am truly hoping not.

Schools in the area are all closed today. Not sure what the news about town will be when John returns. I am hoping that all the preparations will be for naught....yep, a girl can wish, can't she? Stay safe everyone.

Ruby