Hurricane Update

In the aftermath of Hurricane Mathew, we have seen piles and piles of debris on the sides of our roads and then we have seen those piles disappear only to reappear again as the work continues on our beautiful island.  The first pass was removing the debris that had originally blocked all the roads on the island from the causeway to the Marina and in-between.  Massive piles of tree limbs, trunks and stumps.  Once this was cleared and made into Mt Dataw (pictured in last week’s blog) by the gigantic chipper, then the work on individual lots and the golf course began.  Brush-hogging took care of a lot of it but then more trees were taken down that had been damaged during the storm and their carcasses were moved into the spaces that had just been cleared.  We were cleared for FEMA to come in and continue this massive effort so our private contractors left and we waited a week before the FEMA trucks showed up.  This was not bad.  It gave crews time to clear even more tree debris and to make bigger and better piles on the sides of the roads so the equipment could pick them up with their gigantic claw contraption.  The people are really nice that are working for FEMA.  They have passed our house twice and we have had an opportunity to talk with them while tree limbs that were hanging were trimmed before the big trucks came through.  Last weekend our daughter and friends tried valiantly to take down a badly damaged tree on our lot.  The tree was caught against another tree and it didn’t come down it just got jammed against another tree.  While John and I were chatting with the tree trimmers and thanking them for all their hard work on our behalf, we mentioned that we had unsuccessfully tried to take down a tree last weekend.  The supervisor saw it and said maybe the guys with the big machine could knock it down for us.  He also said, with a big smile, that one needs to be careful when taking down trees.  We continued to watch the goings on and while we were standing in our driveway we noticed that smile man had gotten his chainsaw out of the truck, started it up and we assumed was going to cutup some of the limbs his colleague had taken down.  Not so.  He marched right over to our tree and proceeded to take it down in five minutes with three or four expert cuts in just the right places.  We were stunned.  We had not asked, nor did we expect, that he would do that.  He just smiled that big old smile of his as we thanked him and said how much we appreciated it and how amazed we were he got it done so quickly.  He just said “I’ve had a lot of practice”.  There are so many good people out there and he is certainly one of them.

Puppy Update

It has been a week of ups and downs with Winchester the puppy.  He had wonderful days, great walks and started eating great amounts of food.  He slept through the night for four nights in a row from 9:30 or 10 until 6:15 the next morning without a peep.  He seemed to love his new, bigger crate and sleeping on the porch with Miss Q.  We thought we were home free.  NOT!  Our great friends from North Hatley, Paul and Sherry, arrived on Friday afternoon and we had a lovely evening together.  Winchester decided to eat something sketchy I think and thus had an upset tummy which meant a 2:30am wakeup bark session.  He would not go back to bed.  I came out and tried to sleep on the couch and to comfort him but he was very restless.  Once he got rid of whatever was bothering him it was morning and I was cranky and had a sore back from being on the couch.  The good thing was there was a great breeze and the wind chimes were pleasant to listen to.  We thought that was it, he had a great day Saturday and good walks, ate well and we put him to bed around 10 after a good walk.  He made it until 4:11am.  Better but not what we were hoping for.  He did have to go outside when he woke up so that is fair but I think he will have to learn that it is not morning and that yes, you can go out and do what needs to be done but then you go back to bed until 6 at least.  We will see how it goes tonight!  In the meantime, I have seen some beautiful sunrises, yes, still looking for the silver lining.  Winchester had his second set of vaccinations this week and weighed in at a whopping 19.5lbs.  He is growing very quickly.  Overall he is settling in very well and gets along with Miss Q.  She is not necessarily a model for behavior but he does follow her lead and in some ways that has been very helpful.

The State of Things

I can’t let it go by that this week has brought about a significant change in this country.  I continue to believe in the good in people and in the “system” for what it’s worth.  I was not happy at the outcome of the election but I refuse to let it get me down too much.  We have survived all kinds of things over the years and I certainly remember people’s reactions when President Reagan was running and then elected, no one could believe an actor was President.  He did have one thing going for him he had been Governor of California. Before that, when I was a youngster in Canada, John Kennedy and Richard Nixon were running against each other.  I didn’t know much about politics but I certainly overheard the adults talking about it.  Back then the idea of a person of the Roman Catholic faith being elected President was horrifying.   We didn’t have Social Media then, just newspapers and radio and the television for our news.  Try and imagine if we had Facebook and Twitter back them – hmmm, not necessarily a good thought.

A new trend.   I like the subtlety of the safety pin movement.  Wearing one shows you are a safe haven in a harsh world and if you need support, we who wear them are there for you.  I will wear my safety pin and do my best to be a safe place for anyone who needs it.  I will support the good in people, no matter which side of the election you are on.  There is good in everyone and everything.  I will help whenever I can, I will hope and pray that the progress we have made will not be wiped out by negative thinking and actions, and I will pray for the future of this country.  I also think I will stop reading anything on Facebook that has anything to do with Washington, DC. or the election.  I will post puppy pictures and nature pictures and send love to all my friends and family.  Will I march on January 21st – it’s anyone’s guess but I am considering it in solidarity with all the women in this country and around the world.  Besides, I have a friend who I think just might encourage me strongly to do it.

A quick eye update:  I met with the Pre-Op folks this week and with their consultation have decided to postpone the surgery until February and then have both eyes done at that time.  There was a potential issue with Medicare and a 90 day rule and I was very close to getting into a fix because of my trip back to Canada.  I am relieved as I think this is the right decision under the circumstances.

Recipe of the week

I discovered a wonderful recipe this week for Moroccan Beef Stew.  I made it in the slow cooker and it was absolutely delicious.  A note here:  I did not use beef tenderloin I used beef stew meat but it was grass fed.  Very tender and tasty.  Otherwise the recipe stands.  Served over Carolina brown rice, with a big Caesar Salad and it was a meal everyone enjoyed plus I got to freeze some for future use.  Enjoy it with good friends and family and remember to smile!!!!

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So my friends, have a great week.  Smile at all you meet, hug those you love and maybe even those you don’t, call those you miss, meditate, go to Yoga, do a dance, say a prayer if that is what gives you comfort and enjoy every minute of being here and being alive.