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Sunday, March 14, 2010

that was one wicked bad storm

The last measurement I saw before the cable went out was a wind gust of 79 mph with sustained winds of 35 mph at the Maritime Center, which is just under two miles from our house. It was a wild day, but the wind was getting worse and worse and even though the warning was supposed to be over at 1 am, it wasn’t. It was scarier in the dark because even if we heard something crash, we couldn’t see what was going on. The cable was off about 24 hours to the minute. March 13 was wild, the early morning of March 14 was wilder, the daytime wet but not so windy.

This morning, Stanley woke me up to tell me that trees were hanging in our next-door neighbors’ power lines, and we had to figure out what we could do about it. My first thought was to winch them back toward true, but when I saw them, they were wrapped in the wires and there was no way anyone could do anything about them while the power was on. Here are some photos:

Here the austrees are tangled in the power and telecom lines into our neighbor’s house. He said it happened about 3 am when he and his wife heard the branch banging on his roof. (click to enlarge)

austrees in powerlines
The bigger picture of the big problems.

The trees are half uprooted—it won’t take much of a gust to finish the job and take down the wires and shingles off the roof. Fortunately, the trees are relatively light since they are a willow variant and not a dense oak or maple, so hopefully if they come down they don’t damage the structure of the house. (click to enlarge)

We did call the fire department to ask them what we should do (the neighbors called CL&P). NFD said they’d add it to their list of problems for CL&P to handle, and not to, under any circumstances, even try to do anything about it because the wires are live. We waited all day, but the power company didn’t show up. With 18,000 homes without power in Norwalk alone as of Sunday morning, we weren’t surprised. I’m just getting nervous for Reneev and Ashi because it’s supposed to be pretty windy again tonight.

This part of the patio area was relatively protected, so the debris is a sight to behold. I’m glad nothing came through the picture window. (click to enlarge)

The wind flipped the blue glass birdbath bowl out of the ring and about five feet over onto the patio. I’m surprised that we didn’t lose any more huge branches off the pine tree—or that the pine tree itself didn’t topple, though we were told about ten years ago the tree is in great health and very sturdy. (click to enlarge)

One of the trees along the border of our property—fortunately one belonging to the school and not to us—toppled into our beautiful holly tree. So we now have a view of the school, which doesn’t make me very happy, but what are we gonna do? (click to enlarge)

The stump, where it looks like it was just twisted off. Dad said it will probably stay this way for years since it’s the city’s responsibility to clean it up. (click to enlarge)

Most of the shingles off the outbuildings are gone. The garage has been shedding its roof for years. Now we have a shingled driveway! (click to enlarge)

This wasn’t even a hurricane and the damage is appalling. I’ve never been in a hurricane (except for the Blizzard of ‘78, which was a winter hurricane, when I live in Boston), and after yesterday, I hope that’s an experience I never have. We didn’t even get the worst of the damage—far from it. It was much worse in Westport, as you can see on http://www.westportnow.com.

posted by lee on 03/14/10 at 09:10 PM
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Friday, February 26, 2010

chiaroscuro

So far, we have about eight inches of snow. Yesterday, we had 2½ inches of rain. Squirrel Lake appeared at the bottom of the hill until the snow covered it. A lot of H20 this month. Supposedly, it’s not over until tomorrow. Just 22 days until spring ...

Stanley decided to dig out early—hopefully not much more snow will fall. (click to enlarge)

He’s listening to an audiobook while he shovels. (click to enlarge)

snowy yard 2/26/10
It was so weird, to watch it rain hard for an entire day and then watch it snow the next day.

Bingo and Ruby peeking over the edge of the patio. Bingo loves the snow—but Ruby, not so much. She probably needs a coat and booties since she doesn’t have a double coat. Stanley says Bingo would probably rip Ruby’s booties off her feet and destroy them. (click to enlarge)

I love this view of the school side of the yard—it looks like we’re in the snowy woods and isolated. (click to enlarge)

It looks like Bingo and Ruby are singing a duet. The reality is they’re playing at biting each other. (click to enlarge)

I hope it doesn’t get too cold tonight—the roads are clear for the most part, but there is just so much water around the roads will probably get slick. I’m glad we only got the edge of the storm—no blizzard conditions here.

I hope it really is finished everywhere because there are loved ones driving long ways over the next few days—Kelly, Leo, and Dale from Panama City Beach, Florida to Ann Arbor, Michigan and Dad from the same place to Natick, Massachusetts.

posted by lee on 02/26/10 at 05:01 PM
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Wednesday, January 27, 2010

two new sites

A lot of what we’ve been busy with is behind-the-scenes stuff. But we recently launched two new websites.

The first, Cerulean Advisors, is for a company that provides capital markets advice as well as unbiased financial and strategic guidance to emerging public and privately held healthcare companies. It’s an elegant site that will expand as the company does. This site, as well as the one below, are built with the Expression Engine content management system, which we like more and more as they polish and improve it.

The second site, which is in a soft launch as we fine-tune things, is Robin’s Resources, a site that reviews Fairfield County, Connecticut stores, restaurants, bars, coffee shops, charities, and more, and is geared to busy women. It features succinct reviews and tips on what to look for or to order or why to give your money to a particular charity. Eventually it will have a full directory and be supported by advertising.

posted by lee on 01/27/10 at 07:41 PM
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Saturday, October 31, 2009

welcome breanna marie & alexandria

Breanna Marie McCaskey, born Saturday, October 24, 2009 at 8pmish, at Wyandotte Henry Ford Hospital in Wyandotte, Michigan. Six pounds, eight ounces according to Granny Carolyn.

Breanna Marie McCaskey (click to enlarge)

Amber, Brian, and Breanna Marie (click to enlarge)

Daddy Brian meets baby Breanna (click to enlarge)

Also, Alexandria LaPorte met the world on October 16, in Chicago I think. I don’t have any details, have to ask, but I know Bob LaPorte is thrilled (thank you to Wendy for sending on the photos!)

Alexandria LaPorte a few minutes after she was born on October 16, 2009 (click to enlarge)

As soon as I get some more details and photos, I’ll make a gallery for the October babies!

posted by lee on 10/31/09 at 05:43 PM
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Saturday, August 01, 2009

paint the house: check

One of Dad’s entries on his summer To-Do list was getting the house painted. After getting his color choice approved by the homeowners’ association (don’t get me started on these little pockets of fascism), he had Darryl and Scott do the work (Darryl is brother Scott’s friend from at least high school, if not earlier) and they did a great job.

Scott (l.) and Darryl (r) pose next to their handiwork, August 1, 2009. (click to enlarge)

From all directions:

The front, which faces East. (click to enlarge)

The South side. (click to enlarge)

The back of the house, which faces the sunset. (click to enlarge)

The North side. (click to enlarge)

Wow! What a difference! See the original color in this entry: painting begins. I’m looking forward to seeing it later this month (and seeing Dad, too!)

posted by lee on 08/01/09 at 05:53 PM
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Friday, June 05, 2009

off to bermuda

Dad left on his cruise for Bermuda this afternoon. Maureen, Stanley, and I saw him off from the Black Falcon Cruise Terminal. He wanted to take a cruise (a leisure cruise—his stints in the Navy and as a merchant seaman don’t count!) and took the plunge and booked this cruise to Bermuda via Norwegian Cruise Lines out of Boston.

We arrived at the cruise terminal shortly after 1 p.m. and Stanley and I waited with Dad while Maureen dropped the car off. The line was astonishing, at least two city blocks long, and that’s the line to get through security.

Stanley and Dad, the outside line, June 5, 2009. (click to enlarge)

Maureen caught up with us after parking—and the line moved surprisingly fast. We’d already moved up a block by the time Maureen found us. I found out later that, when fully booked, the ship Dad is on, the Norwegian Spirit, carries 2,000 passengers. The lines were intimidating if you’re not used to that sort of thing, and it can get pretty confusing trying to figure out where to go once past security, but we kind of followed the crowd and got directions from the women who seemed to be in charge of keeping the queue in order and moving. Security was no hassle except Stanley set off the alarm and had to be hand-wanded—turns out it was the staples from his heart surgery that the scanner didn’t like. He showed the guard his chest and was waved through.

Looking through the window at the Norwegian Spirit while waiting to check in, June 5, 2009. (click to enlarge)

Dad was both nervous and excited, but the line continued to move fairly fast. To look at the crowd in the terminal you would think the din would be overwhelming, but it wasn’t, and the flooring was made of the stuff, the rubbery layer, that makes standing for a while bearable—and the entire line to checkout took just an hour. I guess we shouldn’t have been so surprised that it went so fast—NCL has been doing this for quite some time now.

Jim Fleming, getting ready to embark, June 5, 2009. (click to enlarge)

We got to stay with Dad until he reached the gangplank. We waved good-bye and then drove around the wharf areas to see what was there and stopped at, I think it was Yankee Lobster Market, for a late lunch—lobster rolls for Maureen and Stanley and I got a scallop roll. The clam chowder is nothing special, but the scallops and cole slaw are really good.

Dad called Maureen about an hour after the ship left the dock, which he said happened around 4:15 p.m. He told her he likes his cabin, had already met some people, and was off to grab some dinner. Maureen said he sounded pretty happy. We think he’s going to have a great time and I’m looking forward to his reports from shipboard—I hope he can send at least a photo or two if he wants to. Ah, a cruise ...

posted by lee on 06/05/09 at 10:53 PM
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Friday, May 15, 2009

starting a ticket pool

Well Dad went and got himself a muscle car. It’s sweet:

Dad and his cherry red Dodge Charger Photo by Lee Fleming Thompson (click to enlarge)

Sitting in his brand new car (trying to figure out how to use the satellite radio) Photo by Lee Fleming Thompson (click to enlarge)

I love the color.

Scott says we should set up a pool for when Dad gets his first speeding ticket. I think we should! We can each kick in a coupla bucks ... I’ll send email around and collect picks!

It’s a nice ride. We put almost 800 miles on it driving from Oscoda to Wyandotte, Dearborn, Ann Arbor, and back again. Satellite radio is really cool—you can get NPR all the time!

Now if gas doesn’t skyrocket, he should be happy with his new car for quite a while!

posted by lee on 05/15/09 at 04:47 PM
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Tuesday, May 12, 2009

david allen mccaskey, may 1, 2009

Meet David Allen McCaskey, born May 1, 2009 at 10 a.m. in Dearborn, Michigan at Oakwood Hospital:

David Allen McCaskey Photo by James Fleming. (click to enlarge)

I know I’m way behind getting things blogged—blame it on a horrific deadline (two deadlines). But we made it to Michigan and we made it to Dearborn to meet Riley and then to Wyandotte to meet David (aka Baby DAM) and Sunday we have to leave Oscoda and head back to Connecticut.

Here are some more photos, all taken by Dad (he’s pretty good with the camera!):

David Allen McCaskey, mom Tammy, and dad Aaron Photo by James Fleming. (click to enlarge)

David Allen McCaskey and Grandma Carolyn Photo by James Fleming. (click to enlarge)

Leo (in the background), and Aunt Kelly holding David Photo by James Fleming. (click to enlarge)

And one more—Leo took this one and I love it:

PapaJim holding great grandchild number two! Photo by Leo Robertson (click to enlarge)

Much more to upload, such as photos from our baby meets and hopefully some images from our trip to Ann Arbor to see the play Leo was prop manager for—have to process them first.

posted by lee on 05/12/09 at 12:36 PM
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Thursday, April 23, 2009

i’ll post more tomorrow, i promise

Great PapaJim sent several photos today, and so did Grandma Diana, from Aunt Michele. Tonight I am posting ~~two~~ ~~three~~ four of them, and tomorrow I will gather as many as I can up and make another gallery so people can get access to the high resolution versions in case they want to make prints. Riley is at home now.

First, Dad sent some photos of his and Carolyn’s trip to the People’s Market at University of Massachusetts in Amherst—the store that Kate has been working at since she started college in September 2007.

Kate, PapaJim, and Carolyn at People’s Market, U-Mass Amherst, April 2, 2009. Photo by Jeff Silverstein. (click to enlarge)

Okay, now on to the Riley photos. By the way, the photo in the previous post was sent to me by Matt. I’m not sure who took this next photo, but I love it.

Great PapaJim holds Riley, April 21, 2009. Photo by ? (click to enlarge)

And one more tonight, this excellent one taken by Dad:

Matt, Kristine, and Riley Downey, April 21, 2009. Photo by James Fleming (click to enlarge)

Okay, one more, because I really like this one too: Grandma Jamie and her first grandbaby:

Grandma Jamie holding Riley, April 21, 2009. Photo by James Fleming (click to enlarge)

Grandma Diana and Grandpa Pete have news and photos posted on the Downey family website as well. A lot of really nice photos.

posted by lee on 04/23/09 at 11:59 PM
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Tuesday, April 21, 2009

riley rose downey finally met her great grandfather

Just got the news—she was born at 1:31 a.m. on April 21, 2009, weighing 8 pounds. Dad didn’t remember how many inches when he called to tell me. So, Stanley and I are Great Uncle and Great Aunt. Of course we are. Dad said Kristine is doing well, but very tired—understandable after many, many hours of labor.

And she shares April 21 with her Great Great Grandfather John Dunn Jr.—my mother’s father—don’t know why that pleases me so, but it does.

I’ve been promised photos after Dad gets some sleep. Dad said she’s gorgeous. Can’t wait to meet her!

UPDATE: 21 inches! And here is the first photo I’ve received—not sure who it’s from since I don’t recognize the cellphone number, but she’s so beautiful! Click the image to enlarge it:

posted by lee on 04/21/09 at 02:10 AM
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