by weather
Colchicum autumnale or fall crocus now blooming in my garden
A massive windstorm at the end of August seemed like a signal that summer is over. Powerful winds all over southwest BC created havoc with trees blown over and power outages to over 500,OOO homes. We nervously watched our two very tall evergreens shaking wildly but, other than a lot of dry needles, small branches and shredded green bits blown everywhere, they and our house survived. Our own neighbourhood got off lightly except for the internet being down for a day or so. Greatest damage seemed to have been in areas with predominantly very tall leafy trees. The tops acted like giant sails to catch the powerful wind and with dry roots from our summer’s drought, were ripped right out of the ground and onto houses, cars and powerlines. The Hydro workers were out there for several days and nights cleaning up and restoring power – they deserve our deepest thanks.
Lots of rain followed – a blessing! And it’s back to summery weather, with some days like Indian summer. We’ve enjoyed having our almost 15-year-old granddaughter visiting. I continue to be a lazy blogger, and am now also down with a bit of flu, so I continue to enjoy reading books and ignoring housework and studio! Used to be, at the beginning of September I would be going back to the print studio at our nearby university – I still miss that. Fall gardening now beckons as soon as I’m better.
September 12, 2015 in Canada and BC, Home by Marja-Leena
Gosh! Weather in extremis indeed! You poor thing to be suffering with flu too, especially as you must be feeling really mis about not having your beloved printmaking. Do coddle yourself meantime. I wish with all my heart that you could perhaps find another print studio, because I feel your loss. I hope that you get better soon.
Thanks for all your kind words, Olga. I didn’t mean to sound so miserable, really! I think this is a mild flu which with rest and self-coddling should clear in a few days.
I have become used to not going to that second-home of a studio but do note the back-to-school date from a lifetime as student, teacher, mother, and artist working in a university environment. I’m not interested in the two print studios that are in Vancouver, as I have issues with too much traffic to drive through, too little parking, not enough storage space etc. Instead I need to focus on working at home in a different direction. Wish me luck on that one!
That sounds like a pretty rude signal about summer’s end. I remember a very unseasonal ice storm that hit Toronto in a long ago September causing heartbreaking damage to the trees there. It’s good to know your own trees survived the onslaught.
I’m happy to hear your granddaughter has been keeping you company and sorry to hear about your flu. Yes, I agree with Olga that it would be wonderful if you had another print studio available to you. Making art is wonderful but exploring processes with other artists is a delight.
The Autumn Crocus are lovely.
Susan, an ice storm in September!? That would certainly cause a lot of damage. This discussion of storms sent me searching through my blog (try “storm, dear readers, if interested) and I notice we had a lot in 2006 and 2007 winters. One of those years a huge number of trees were blown down in Stanley Park. Will this year give us another winter of many storms after some quiet years?
One of the delights of being in a shared print studio is working with other artists and I do miss that. We were recently at a 75th birthday for one of those artists, a lovely garden party on a gorgeous property on Bowen Island. It was lovely to be with some of our artist friends!
Autumn, here, seems to have crept in suddenly! The sun has disappeared to be replaced by wind and rain. Sorry to hear you are under-the-weather, to extend the current subject. Trust you will be fully recovered soon.
Thanks, Tom, slowly a bit better already! Hope your weather improves again for surely you get ‘Indian summers’ too.
Glad your trees – and your house! – survived the storm. Scary. Feel better soon.
Thanks Leslee
Oh my goodness! The flu is making the rounds here, but so far I’ve managed to dance between the sneezes and coughs. I hope you are feeling chipper again very soon, dear Marja-Leena! Autumn has come to the Ohio Valley and my Cardinal family has hatched chicks. So wonderful! Be well and drink lots of tea! I’ll drink a quality ale in your honour … Prost!
Thank you, dear Rouchswalwe, for the good wishes and the toast! I am getting better and am happy to read lots without guilt. The weather is changeable, rather cool with the odd little shower. The grass is green again and hubby cut it for the first time in many weeks.
We had an enormous ash tree that would drop major branches during storms–once hurling a huge branch through the windshield as I watched from the porch. pausing as I headed to the car. Finally it had to come down, but I miss it. Needles are better than leaves in a windstorm…
Glad you are feeling a little better, judging by your responses!
Thanks, Marly, I am much better!
These events do remind us of the power of nature, don’t they, including earthquakes and tsunamis in the news in Chile. Our recent windstorm media reports were soon followed by articles reminding us about earthquake readiness, living as we do on the edge of a major fault.
The flu is early this year. I hope you are feeling better by now. We seem to have more extreme weather events. The humidity here was brutal for several weeks because of the three hurricanes in our vicinity influencing the weather, and there was a lot of heavy rain, and flooding on the other side of the island.
You are lucky to have your family near you. My grandchildren are all in school now after a late start due to the teachers’ strike. Won’t see them until Christmas,alas.
Thanks, Hattie, I’m over the flu or whatever it was. I’m sorry about your humidity/weather discomforts. I’ve been reading about predictions of a ‘monster’ El Nino year ahead and worries about damage to our coasts.
Yes, our family is closer to us than yours, at most a five hour car journey, another a bit less by car and ferry, and one just 10-15 minutes away by car. We don’t see the grandchildren as often as we’d like but better than when they were in the UK. It was great to have them all here for my nephew’s wedding this summer.