Hurricane Fiona - Don’t wear your best shoes!

oatsoda

oatsoda

Puck of Paradox
Gold Supporting Member
Jul 10, 2011
9,304
The Shack, Nova Scotia
Alive and well with the shack still standing. No power, no internet signal, only data. May be several days or a week before it is back. Big Acacia tree nearly hit the car. Looks like the majority of our old growth Eastern White Pines in the forest are blown down which greatly saddens me. Always felt like those giants held the soul of the place. The longer I live, the less it feels like is still here. I guess that bodes well for my own eventual crossover to whatever does or does not come next

But since I am still here and still standing, hope the rest of you and yours came through as well, having learned another song of the wind.
 
ThreeChordWonder

ThreeChordWonder

Senior Stratmaster
Dec 2, 2020
4,514
Cypress TX
Houston hurricane preparations:
1. Don't bother with the grocery stores. The shelves have already been stripped bare.
2. Go to the liquor store instead.
3. Grab three carts.
4. Fill one cart with beer, the second with hard liquor, the third with mixers and sodas for the kiddywinks.
5. If you can handle a fourth cart, and if there's any left, ice.
6. Go home.
7. Get hammered. Stay hammered til the lights come back on.
 
Bowmap

Bowmap

I nose a thang or two.
Platinum Supporting Member
Dec 23, 2017
12,865
Third Door Down
oatsoda said:
sucks down gas like a 1971 Dodge!
Click to expand...

Indeed...

1971 Charger.jpg

Not mine... but similar to what I had in high school.


Glad you were able to pop back in and have weathered through. I have a 2KW Invertor that runs 6 hrs on a gallon and half. My 7.5KW will consume 3.5 gallons in 8 hrs.
 
D

dspellman

Senior Stratmaster
Mar 24, 2013
1,387
Los Angeles
oatsoda said:
Shout out to anybody else in the path of the storm, with wishes for a safe and non eventful ride. Time to unplug the amps and get ready if you have not.

Spending the rest of the day in the last details of prep. Dragging the generator from the shop over to the house so we wont have to do it in the blow. Gathering up the extension cords to go to the pump, the fridge, a few lights, maybe the wifi thingy. Have to tie down the bbq and furniture out on the deck. Making sure the chainsaw is gassed up, sharpened, and ready for action. Going to check the tires and the battery on the quad too. making sur the kids know where their flashlights are, that their devices are charged, and letting them download a few movies whole we still have the internet. Making sire the fridge is crammed with beer,(thermal mass of course for if the outages last longer than we have gas for the generator).

Lost power here for six days after Juan 15ish years ago, and was not so well prepared as I thought. Learned some lessons, and and am involving the kids as much as possible so they are empowered to act safely, and decisively.

So prayers and best wishes to all you storm riders, now get out and double check whatever you have to.
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Houston is an idiot city -- they've cemented over all of the areas that soaked up water during a hurricane. I have relatives there whose first floor was under water the last big blow, and who will likely deal with that again. They noted that it was only slightly more humidity than they have to deal with on a daily basis.

We were told not to call them if it wasn't an emergency because they had no power and couldn't charge their phones. The next Christmas netted them a barrage of external phone batteries and a generator, but I don't know that they know how to use either. We sent them camping gear and Mountain House-type freeze dried food, but we had to make sure they knew to put it on the SECOND story rather than in the garage.

One big hit was a compact fishing rod. They were delighted with the thought that they might be able to snag dinner from their bedrooms.
 
oatsoda

oatsoda

Puck of Paradox
Gold Supporting Member
Jul 10, 2011
9,304
The Shack, Nova Scotia
Now been given Wednesday as an estimate for power back on. Played cards with the kids and ate like we were camping. Reminded me of when they were little and we had a pop up trailer. Was pretty fun, and of course their mama was a lot of fun. Lying here alone in the dark it’s hard not miss her.

Figured out I’ve had my Husqvarna 51 since 1995. Probably cut 3 cords a year with it since new and it’s never let me down Probably time to replace the bar and chain again. That Acacia is nasty stuff to cut, and it doesn’t matter how long you season it, never seems to burn well. Will put the trailer on the 4 wheeler tomorrow and haul s few loads up over the hill to dump on the edge of the woods, or where the woods was before it blew down.

Maybe this hurricane is what I need for my sanity, have to slow down, accept what I can’t change, and to be patient with myself and the situation. Or maybe I’m just full of $h!+.
 
Baelzebub

Baelzebub

Dr. Stratster
Nov 1, 2019
16,288
State of Disbelief
oatsoda said:
Alive and well with the shack still standing. No power, no internet signal, only data. May be several days or a week before it is back. Big Acacia tree nearly hit the car. Looks like the majority of our old growth Eastern White Pines in the forest are blown down which greatly saddens me. Always felt like those giants held the soul of the place. The longer I live, the less it feels like is still here. I guess that bodes well for my own eventual crossover to whatever does or does not come next

But since I am still here and still standing, hope the rest of you and yours came through as well, having learned another song of the wind.
Click to expand...
Was checking in to find out how you fared. Reports said you got slammed good. Glad to see you're okay and the homestead is still standing.

Now the cleanup begins....
 
crankmeister

crankmeister

Most Honored Senior Member
Jul 9, 2020
7,175
Republic of Gilead
oatsoda said:
Now been given Wednesday as an estimate for power back on. Played cards with the kids and ate like we were camping. Reminded me of when they were little and we had a pop up trailer. Was pretty fun, and of course their mama was a lot of fun. Lying here alone in the dark it’s hard not miss her.

Figured out I’ve had my Husqvarna 51 since 1995. Probably cut 3 cords a year with it since new and it’s never let me down Probably time to replace the bar and chain again. That Acacia is nasty stuff to cut, and it doesn’t matter how long you season it, never seems to burn well. Will put the trailer on the 4 wheeler tomorrow and haul s few loads up over the hill to dump on the edge of the woods, or where the woods was before it blew down.

Maybe this hurricane is what I need for my sanity, have to slow down, accept what I can’t change, and to be patient with myself and the situation. Or maybe I’m just full of $h!+.
Click to expand...
Sounds like you’re making the best of it.

I love a good slow-down myself. But you sure sped things up to prepare for it! So good on you. Hope y’all stay safe and sane and make the best of the rebuild.
 
oatsoda

oatsoda

Puck of Paradox
Gold Supporting Member
Jul 10, 2011
9,304
The Shack, Nova Scotia
Yeah, never been so glad not to own beachfront property. Went into town and waited 2 hours in line for gas. When I finally got to the front of the line all they had left was super. Filled up the car which was down to a half a tank, and had 4 jerrycans with the tops off to fill and I heard the woman directing traffic in and out shout for everyone to stop because they were out. I quickly got one filled and a second almost to half when I hot yelled at, so got enough to keep the fridge cold and the toilets flushed for another day. Feel bad for all those people in line behind me, waiting just as long and got nothing.
Trying to upload a pic of a big spruce tree leaning on the power lines up the road. Maybe a dozen of these within a couple miles of the shack. They say maybe Wednesday for power back on, but that seems very optimistic.

Anyway still have cold beer, and my daughter is making chicken soup for tonight, so I got nothing to complain about E927610F-3EF9-4BC0-A500-66F24F3F8777.jpeg
 
Eric_G

Eric_G

Senior Stratmaster
Jan 10, 2021
3,915
Quebec
oatsoda said:
Yeah, never been so glad not to own beachfront property. Went into town and waited 2 hours in line for gas. When I finally got to the front of the line all they had left was super. Filled up the car which was down to a half a tank, and had 4 jerrycans with the tops off to fill and I heard the woman directing traffic in and out shout for everyone to stop because they were out. I quickly got one filled and a second almost to half when I hot yelled at, so got enough to keep the fridge cold and the toilets flushed for another day. Feel bad for all those people in line behind me, waiting just as long and got nothing.
Trying to upload a pic of a big spruce tree leaning on the power lines up the road. Maybe a dozen of these within a couple miles of the shack. They say maybe Wednesday for power back on, but that seems very optimistic.

Anyway still have cold beer, and my daughter is making chicken soup for tonight, so I got nothing to complain about View attachment 594997
Click to expand...
Not sure where you're at, but one of my team members lives in Halifax (suburb I guess) and got power back today. Only problem, he's the only one on the street with no power, a branch seems to have broken his connection to the grid !!!

What surprised me the most is that he has to turn off his generator at 9pm because of the noise... I would have thought that in a crisis like that noise regulation would be lifted...
 
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