02-SEP-2006
A mess
Bonfire. That's what we'll have to do. One massive, or better yet, many bonfires.
02-SEP-2006
A heartache
The catamaran was once nestled in the reeds and grasses. Now it's out in the open and sand covers where the reeds and grasses once grew. The boat suffered only minor damage, the trailer a bit more. We'll do what we can - plant more sea grasses - so that we can shore up this point of marsh.
02-SEP-2006
The Wind in the Willows, by Kenneth Grahame
It is a classic children's book but not a happy reality when gale-force winds of 40-45 mph rage out through your Willows for more than ten hours. Then the Willows had to suffer gusts that must have been close to 70 mph, compounded by many inches of rain! (I have to say our house was rather sound. It didn’t tilt or shudder like the trees did; however, it did present us with some leaks.)
02-SEP-2006
No entry
With no power and much curiosity, we set out in the car to tour our neighborhood and those of our friends. First stop: the public boat launch and neighboring road. At the boat launch, not only had debris washed up and covered the parking lot, it extended maybe 20 yards from the parking lot up onto the road! No photos there but when we left to go down a neighboring road to see how some homes lining the river fared (and the homes are barely 25 feet above water level, but very far off the river), our entry was blocked immediately. Plan B: into town we go!
02-SEP-2006
Scenic byway
A few years ago the road leading down to our home was named one of Virginia's Scenic Byways. The curving, tree-lined road and one ancient Tulip Tree in particular, were awe inspiring. This is how it looked today - looking out the back window of our car - as we made our way up the hill.
02-SEP-2006
Root ball
"Objects in the mirror" may be closer than they appear but they are not bigger and let me tell you, that root ball is huge!
02-SEP-2006
A path
Yes, a path does exist through the tree limbs and leaves, although it makes you wish you were driving a narrow Mini Cooper instead of an SUV.
02-SEP-2006
I feel lucky
We are okay and our house is still standing but I am not sure if I want to test my luck, and test this supporting tree’s strength, by driving under the fallen tree. (But we do because there's so much more to see.)
02-SEP-2006
Marina mash
Next stop: the marina at Stratford Harbour where we used to live. Ernesto was not expected to pack such a punch so many people did not think to pull their boats out of the marina or off the boat lifts on their docks. As you can see, a lot of boats were damaged. The fellow that owns the Boston Whaler (resting on the piling) just bought a new boat and was going to sell this boat - he won't get as much for it now.
02-SEP-2006
Calm waters
The calm waters now belie how they were just a day earlier, but the condition of this boat tells the story and tells it well.
02-SEP-2006
More evidence
More visuals on how strong the storm was and how high the water came up...
02-SEP-2006
No insurance
This is the dock at our former home. We repaired it in 1998, the new owner repaired it after Hurricane Isabel in 2003, and now he has to repair it again. Dock repair is not covered by insurance; the cost is all out-of-the-pocket money, as is the repair of seawalls/bulkheads or riprap (huge rocks) protecting your shoreline.
