Monthly Archives: August 2011

Wednesday night – our 25th anniversary !

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25 years ago today Diane and I  got in a car driven by our good friends Dave and Linda and drove to the round church and richmond  and got married….

 

It was a great day.. lots of family and friends. I remember it so well.. It’s amazing to think of all that’s happened in these past 25 years. I’m happy that we’re still very much in love.. I can’t imagine a better partner for this crazy journey..  I love you Diane !

 

(and you still look the same as you did 25 years ago !!! 🙂

 

 

We celebrated the day as we do most of our anniversary’s .. by taking a good long hike. This time we took one of our favorites.. The long trail back from the Notch Road to our house..

 

As we think of all that’s happened.. we think of our freinds. parents and kids.. .. and always bring Sam along. He’s still part of everything we do.

On the way down the hill I slipped on wet rocks and cracked my head pretty hard.. I also broke a water botte in my fanny pack, broke my glasses (my only pari) and damaged my phone..  but.. that was only stuff. It didn’t spoil the hike..

 

After we got down, Diane and I drove up to fetch the other car.. on the way down we saw the most beautiful and huge moose.. it was tall and graceful like a horse.. a huge horse.. with antlers.. I had sto hit the brakes to keep from hitting it..

 

We then drove into town to grab lunch. We stopped by our favorite dining spot.. Bridge street cafe..  All of reichmond is still recovering form the fllods.. no one has water.. hence they were workin on a limited but yummy menu.. and paper plates

 

They even served us on real plates in honor of our anniversary.. !

 

Afterwards we went by to help out our freind Aisha who’s house was damaged in the floood. Aisha and her son were in the basement at 3AM Sunday when two of the basement walls collapsed and the river came in.. they go out in time.. but the basement is a wreck !..

We’re goign to go back over there Saturday to help take down their wrecked deck. if you have time to help, let us know..

 

Everywhere, there were dumpsters full of ruined furnishing. fridges, insulation.. it was a mess !

Nex tstop was the Round Church.. We go there every Anniversary

On the way home we found the fire department helping folks empty their basements..

they sky’s benen full of helicoperts today.. we think they’re heading into soem of the folks still cut off by destroyed roads in central vermont..

we hear that there are parts of the state you still can’t get to.. and some that won’t have power for weeks !

Late this afternoon we went to Gabe’s first practice soccer game. it was great watching the kids all together again

 

We ended the day with a sushi dinner to celibrate our anniverdary.. and the ned of the summer

School starts tomorrow for Gabe.. It’s been a fun and adventure filled summer for all of us

 

 

It’s been a full and adventure filled 25 years for diane and me..

 

just thining of all that adventure makes me sleepy.. so I’m going to say gnite

 

Thanks for marrying me Diane !

 

nite all, nite sam

-me

 

Tuesday night – Noah

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It’s two days since the flood.. the rivers are back in their banks and dry land is starting to show in most of the low spots around our town.. I feel like Noah waiting for the dove.. And I feel like I saw it today.The folks in our town are pulling together to hep out the homes most badly hit.. I love that about our town..

Driving around today, I just could not get over the devastation.. folks soggy belongings are pulled out into their lawns.. or tossed into dumpsters, floor boards are curling.. fences are busted, pigs are missing, cars are ful of silt, , hay bales are scattered through the woods. It really has a post apocalyptic feel in places.. In other places.. .. like here at our house.. you can’t tell anything really happened.. I am guessing that our house was no more than 2 feet higher than the river’s crest on Saturday night

Thanks again to all the folks who’ve written , called , txted or msged today to check on us. We’r efine. please send good vibes to the other folks in town who are still digging out

nite all, nite sam
-me

Monday night – wrong as rain

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I just reread my post from last night and I can’t believe how far off the mark I was.  I’d reported that the storm had basically passed us by

 

I recall speaking to my mom around 11 oclock last night and telling her just how little the storm had effected us.. that was before i walked outside. Around midnight I tried to take a friend home.. and found that the four main roads out of here were under water.. .. Duxbury road, Cochran road and route 2, both north and south were covered by several feet of churning water. in 30 years of living here..

i’ve never seen it that bad.. not even in 1992 when we were evacuated.. I remember that night so clearly.. Diane was very pregnant with Sam. .they woke us around 2 AM and made us head to higher ground..

 

The memory of that night was with me as I turned the car back and drove home. The field across from us was now a lake.. the river was in our neighbors barn..  I sat watching the water until about 1 AM. then I went back inside and tried to sleep.. Strange noises dratted in through the open windows.. wind, splashing, rain.. Around 3 I recall being awakened to the sound of horses whinnying and sloshing  through the water.. They’d been lead to higher ground by our neighbors.

When we woke today.. it was to blue skies and cool temperatures.. from our window.. it looked like nothing had happened.. until we looked across the street. The road out of our house was closed

 

.. our neighbors yard and barn were in the river..

 


and there was a lake where the field belonged

Around 11 I tried to get to work.. Route 2 was still a river .note the boat sailign down the middle of the road.. and the top of the cars parked there..

This is 1 block form our house.. or it would be uf we measured distance in blocks up here..

Lots of folks from our village were up early to survey the damge.. see how hight the water is behidn us >!>!


everywhere thre was huge piles of debree.. trees, tires, all sorts of junk..


this is right across from our house .

here are the horse Id heard last night..

I managed to find a way to work by heading south on dugway road to teh hunting road.. then intowards richmond.. .. Richmond was totally under water as these pictures from freind Jean show..

 

 

I turned back towards hinesburg and headed over east hill road to williston.. Willisotn road was still closed, but that was ok.. I was heading the otehr way.. Overall the flood  added about 10 miles to my commute.. but I got there !

All day long we’ve been getting calls, instant messages, facebook queries and emails asking if we were Ok.. .. I guess the media had relaly played up what had happened here in Vermont like this CNN report . W eappreciate all the well wshes and concern.. we’re fine.. buto our neighbors are not all o lucky

Our friends, Krisata, Austin and Caroline’s house on Cochran road..Timber Hill farm .. or the horse barn as many call it.. was comepleyly flooded there was almost 4 feet of runnign water in their basement last night..  . Krista is askign for help between 9am and noon tomorrow to clear the mess from her basement.. If you have an hour or so to help.. please show up at Timber Hill Farm on Cochran road flats with rok gloves and boots. She’d really appreciate your help !

 

OK.. that’s it for now.. I gotta sleep..

Hopefully things will be drier and clearer tomorrow.

 

Nite all, nite sam

-me

 

 

 

Sunday afternoon – Goodnight Irene

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I woke today dreaming of the huge storm heading our way.. I jumped to the window and was surprised to see that it was just drizzling out.. .. No matter.. I knew the real fury of the storm was still well south of us..  Diane and I ventured outside to secure the yard..Everything like garbage cans  that weren’t  tied down we dragged in to the garage.. We even tarped Max’s pizza oven

I spent the day waiting for the storm to hit.. but.. it really never did.. It rained steadily through the day.. but nothing remarkable. The river by our house is up.. but no more so than during the spring thaws.   I only recall a few blustery moments.. but even no big wind to speak off…

I guess I should have been relieved.. but somehow I couldn’t help feeling like we’d been short changed. All od the prep, all of the hype.. for naught.. On the other hand.. I guess I really should be more appreciative.. I do know other parts of the state got hit really hard.. I  was very saddened to hear that a woman got swept away by a swollen river in Southern Vermont and presumably drowned…. (I have to sit here a minute after writing that.. how do I keep writing after relating soemthing like that.. ?)

Bennington and Rutland had major flooding.. I even think nearby Waterbury and Motnpellier had problems… My mom and dad called from Massachusetts to say that a huge tree blew down in their front yard .. it barely missed their house..

So.. I’l count us as  very lucky.. Our thoughts go out to all on the east coast who did get damage..

It will be nice to see the sun tomorrow..

I’ll leave you with one of my favorite Ledbelly songs.. “Goodnight Irene”.. been on my mind all day..

 

 

Last Saturday night I got married
We went and settled down
Now me and my wife are parted
I think I’ll take a little walk downtown

Irene good-night, Irene good-night
Good-night Irene, good-night Irene
I’ll see, I’ll see you in my dreams

Sometimes I live in the country
Sometimes I live in the town
Sometimes I take a fool notion
I think I’ll jump in the river and drown

Irene good-night, Irene good-night
Good-night Irene, good-night Irene
I’ll see, I’ll see you in my dreams
I’ll see, I’ll see you in my dreams

Now fellas stop your gamblin’
Stop stayin’ out late every night
Stay home with your wife and children
Stay by the fireside light

Irene good-night, Irene good-night
Good-night Irene, good-night Irene
I’ll see, I’ll see you in my dreams
I’ll see, I’ll see you in my dreams
I’ll see, I’ll see you in my dreams…

nite all, nite sam

-me