Powerless.

10-31-12 VERMONT: Sandy turned out to be a true horror and a killer. The storm surge, 14 feet in NYC, was the worst yet recorded and caused most of the damage, especially to shore front communities in NJ, along the Hudson River, on the Long Island south shore as well as the Sound shores. The high winds contributed to the shore damage and did much mischief in towns like Short Hills where hundreds of trees came down, bringing down all the wires as well. Most of New Jersey is without power, as were we. NYC below 42nd Street and Long Island are also black. Val’s family in Brooklyn Heights never lost power. There was probably no more than a half inch of rain, our sump pump never ran, even before we lost power.

We spent two days in the dark, literally and figuratively, using candles, flashlights, the fireplace, listening to news on the car radio and using the cell phone. We had no TV, Internet, home phone, power, but did have hot and cold running water, like 1950’s motels used to advertise. Cell phones were unreliable because of damage to their towers. The experience was a taste of post-apocalyptic life.

Kings Super Market, open on Tuesday morning [!], had a sign in the window this morning saying, ‘No Ice, Batteries, Bread or Matches’. We saw gas lines with 20 or 30 cars, and decided to flee the scene. Feeling a bit like traitors, we drove to Vermont, which we had just left on Sunday. North of Hartford there was no sign of storm damage. Here there was rain, but no power outages, in a place where one outage a week is good electric service. So, we are orphans of the storm, but must return by Tuesday to exercise another type of power, voting.


Still some nice color in VT.

Sandy Scare.

10-29-12 SHORT HILLS: We drove down yesterday morning under overcast skies, but with no more than an occasional drizzle and no wind. After getting here, Judy went food shopping, and I closed all the storm windows and switched the outer doors from screens to glass, and brought in the light weight outdoor furniture. This morning we have wind gusts, moderate at worst and a few showers. I cleared all the driveway drains and the gutters that face the driveway on the first story. They were full and so are all the others, but I’m not comfortable enough on an extension ladder any more to do the higher gutters.

I’ve been watching the TV networks this morning, seeing all the reporters on various beaches getting wet and wind blown, the weather people in front of the maps and the anchors at their desks all saying how horrible it’s going to get, worse than ever before, and scolding all the locals who refuse to evacuate. The locals are there mugging in the camera shots from the remote sites. The newsfolk all seem so pleased to be getting all that air time and are barely able to contain their glee while telling us this will be the worst disaster in all of human history.

Here are a few more pix from the VT clean-up.


The bed below the deck before and after the clean-up.



The beds in front of the house before and after cleanup. Judy's help cut the time needed for the clean-up in half.

Ready for Snow.

10-27-12 VERMONT: Yesterday Judy and I both put in a full day on the flower beds, cutting down the stalks, raking up the dead leaves and hauling it all away. We did the whole front of the house, the north terrace beds and some of the beds behind the pond. We both did about six hours with the tools and dumped about eight cart and tarp loads. Today we did another hours worth to finish up for the season—let it snow.

Alison and Dan arrived yesterday. We spent the evening in Hanover with them and the girls and were back in town for the tailgate party at midday, even though the football game is at night.

Tomorrow we all head back to the NY metro area to be home before Sandy the Frankenstorm arrives.


The beds all tidied up, even Gus is impressed.

The terrace beds are ready for snow. The only times we get to see the walls are for a while in the fall before the snow and for a while in the spring before the gardens pop.

Vermont Clean-up.

10-25-12 VERMONT: We came up yesterday, driving through rain and fog until we crossed the border from Massachusetts to the Holy Land and then the sun came out. The beds are all pretty much dormant, and so it’s time to cut everything to the ground except the biennials which need to be saved for next years flowers.

Last night we had dinner with Anna and Lily and two of Lily’s friends, Caitlin and Stefani, [I hope those spellings are OK, but it would be a lucky guess.]

Today I started on the beds and had some help from Judy after she took care of her stuff. I did the driveway and the driveway beds, the beds behind the new house, the bed below the deck and the beds below the apple tree. That took about six hours and generated four cart loads of stalks and leaves that now cover muddy spots in the pasture.

All the leaves have been cleared by the yard guys, who also mowed the pasture. Everything looks neat and tidy. I have to remind myself that everything is dormant, but not dead.


There is some color, these burning bushes are showing redness.

Bed waiting to be groomed. If it's not done, all these stalks will be flattened by the snow cover and, in the spring, will be a tangled snarl and impossible to clear without destroying the new plants.

Early Fog.

10-20-12 SHORT HILLS: We had an all day rain yesterday, but today it’s going to be sunny. Now, in the early morning, it’s foggy, all the rain is evaporating and saturating the air. The effect of the fog changes the familiar into the exotic, the expected into the alien. The color is pretty good, but dimmed and diffused by the fog, and, at the same time, lit up by the rising sun. I braved the wet grass and leaves to try and capture the effect.


Burning bush starting to ignite.

Sweet Gum.

Sugar Maple.

Fall Color.

10-16-12 SHORT HILLS: We’re back to seasonal weather, today is breezy, sunny, fifties, and the only precip is leaves. Next week, we will be a month past the autumnal equinox and the sun will be halfway between the Equator and the southern-most point of its journey.

The new grass is coming in well where the oak tree was removed. I’m pretty much caught up on chores here, but plenty of work remains in Vermont for next week.


Beauty Berry, aptly named, neon purple and enjoyed by the birds.

Dogwood showing nice color.

Leaf Season Continues.

10-13-12 SHORT HILLS: We’ve been catching up on chores and errands and time slips by. Sorry about the five day silence. We almost had a frost last night. It was in the low thirties. We have had another half inch of rain. The ash trees are almost completely leafless, but the usual holdouts are still green. Maples are beginning to color.

Our Vermont correspondent reported snow flurries yesterday afternoon. I think the changes are happening earlier than last year, but tomorrow afternoon is supposed to be back in the seventies.


Some maple color, but not peak here yet.

Ash tree leaves are down, but won't be raked up.