A Winter Storm Hits the Maine Coast

Southern coastal Maine escaped the most recent snowstorm that buried much of New England, New York and Pennsylvania AGAIN. But we did experience high winds and tons of rain triggering flooding and power outages. My house lost power for about 20 hours and since I do not have a generator the sump pump sat silent and the water covered the basement floor but fortunately only about a half inch before the power returned. The ground was still generally frozen so both gardens flooded as the pictures below indicate.  Camp Ellis suffered a lot of damage from the high seas and powerful waves rolling down its coastal streets.

In my immediate area there were few trees knocked down but enough fell overall to impact the power lines. A tree in front of the rectory at St. Margaret Church in Old Orchard Beach was uprooted.  Since I have a good “connection” there, namely my brother David, the acting pastor, I was given permission to remove the tree for my firewood use.  It has been a four day chain sawing effort and four pickup truck loads of wood but I now have nearly a full cord of wood I can burn next winter in my wood stove.  The wood is all here but a lot of sawing and splitting remains to complete the job.  When those tasks are done it will be stacked and then season nicely by next winter.

As previously reported, gardening work has yet to begin so my focus continues to be on wood gathering and cutting so that I have three cords or more all set for next winter. I am getting organized though for some indoor seed starting in the basement under grow lights.  My seeds are order and arriving in the mail. My garden layouts are taking shape as well.

The first three months of the new year is a time for me to do some traveling as well since the demands of the garden are minimal. I recently went to New York to do another babysitting stint with grandson Cotton and will return in the third week of March for further duties. Cotton loves playing with his trucks and wooden train set…endlessly! I will also fly to Washington DC for the Annual Consumer Federation of America Consumer Assembly next week. I wonder if there will be signs of spring in DC after their challenging winter. I will take a three day side trip before returning from DC to visit the Coplan clan in Richmond.