Our ancestors spoke to storms with magical words, prayed to them, cursed them, and danced for them, dancing to the very edge of what is alien and powerful — the cold power of ocean currents, chaotic winds beyond control and understanding. We may have lost the dances, but we carry with us a need to approach the power of the universe, if only to touch it and race away.
~ Kathleen Dean Moore
(Holdfast: At Home in the Natural World)
Hurricane Arthur is still to the south of us, and is expected to miss us and head northeast and out to sea. But we are experiencing tropical downpours here in Groton as the outer bands of rain brush by southeastern Connecticut. At 3:00 p.m. we already had 1.9 inches of rain and it is still coming down in torrents.
I often say that I love the excitement of storms, as long as they don’t get too exciting. This one fits the bill. We’ve been keeping a wary eye on this storm since it formed off the coast of Florida and are now relieved that it isn’t going to be too bad. Independence Day parades and fireworks have all been cancelled, but the rest of the weekend promises to be sunny and pleasant.
Will be busy this week getting ready for two big events next weekend, a baby shower for Larisa and a wedding for Tim’s cousin. Before those, a trip to IKEA with Janet. A night out at the Amherst Early Music Festival with Tim. This time we will see “Late Medieval sacred motets and secular love songs performed by award-winning women’s vocal quartet Anonymous 4.” A motet is “a short piece of sacred choral music, typically polyphonic and unaccompanied.” I can’t wait!
Glad Arthur skipped by you with minimal damage. He’s due to hit Nova Scotia tomorrow afternoon after he’s been downgraded to a tropical storm. We’re due for loads of rain and big winds …
Hope Arthur skipped by you with minimal damage, too. My blogging friend Jane in New Brunswick was hit pretty hard – they had no electricity for six days due to all the trees down on power lines.
Yes most of the damage has been wind and the canceling or postponing of holiday events.
Glad to hear you guys are doing good!
Happy to hear things weren’t too bad down your way, Jeff!
The quote is beautiful and resonates with me. My ancestors were farmers whose lives were profoundly affected by the weather. They never tired of talking about the weather–and tried, with little success, to tame it.
I’m so happy the quote resonated with you, Sheryl. I can see how farmers would need to pay close attention to the weather, they needed to live in harmony with it as best they could. This is the second Kathleen Dean Moore book I’m reading – I love the way she writes…
So glad to hear Arthur just brushed by your place as he did ours. I love your “Calm before the storm” image. It’s beautiful. 🙂
Thank you, Robin! I’ve been driving myself nuts trying to photograph these egrets – in the evening they all settle down together in the trees on a little island, just a tad too far away for my telephoto lens to get a clear shot. 🙂 There must be about a dozen of them.
Larisa is going to have a baby! How exciting, Barbara. You will be a grandmama. I am so happy for you.
Yes, indeed! (I think you were on your blogging break when the news broke!) We are planning to be in North Carolina to welcome our new little granddaughter when she arrives. 🙂
Love that snowy egret Barbara. I haven’t been over here in a while – I’m having a look around. 🙂
Thank you, Karma! It’s nice to reconnect with you – I’ve been browsing around your blog home, too. 🙂