Showing posts with label Storm King. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Storm King. Show all posts

Friday, December 8, 2023

On The Outs

 

Sangha at Dusk - Parker River Wildlife Refuge
 
 

"Sangha At Dusk"

Canon G7x Mark II
Snapseed



At this late hour, I've finally figured out that I don't (really) belong anywhere except with The Sea Queen, Sister Wind, and the Storm King (speerchully speaking). I'm a life-long outsider and trying to change that is a bootless task. It ends up frustrating everyone else and the denial of who / what I am betrays me.






~




Saturday, September 16, 2023

Dues

 

Waiting For Hurricane Lee - Parker River Wildlife Refuge 

 

"Waiting For Hurricane Lee"

Canon G7x Mark II
Snapseed


I went up to refuge on Friday in hopes of glimpsing some big wave action or some storm-force winds from the onrushing Hurricane Lee. The Sea was riled up to be sure, but the waves were mostly just 6-8 foot shore break. The breeze was nice though... a steady 20mph that blew straight down-island - north to south. An occasional gust got up to about 30mph or so.  

The blue sky was broken up by a scattering of clouds and contrails. The eastern horizon wore the milky white sash of Lee's outer rain bands.. 

By the time Ralphie and I left for home - the wind seemed stronger and it looked like the waves were building.. 

This grey Saturday morning I woke up to a gentle rain shower and some light breezes that only managed to shake loose some dried poison ivy leaves from across the street.  Hurricane Lee, deciding not to visit my troublesome little state, was busy kicking the shit out of Nova Scotia.. 

Next time perhaps.. It's been over 30 years since a hurricane made direct landfall here - Hurricane Bob in August of 1991. 

We're due.




~







Wednesday, April 20, 2022

Jaunty

 

Sandy point

 

"Storm King Leaving Sandy Point"

Canon G7x Mark II
Snapseed
Brushstroke


Yesterday was a jaunty day at The Refuge.
The wind was a steady 15 out of the West
Southwest with gusts to 30. The
ambient temp of around 54F
made walking  around
bearable, although
for me that meant wearing
mittens.. Eight to ten foot rollers
crashed offshore. The Sun was just right
so that the waves nearest the shore glowed a
translucent silky green, like sea glass..
Sand blew sideways at head height
which meant a lot of squinting
and not breathing through my mouth.
Sister Wind blew so hard, she playfully
shoved me off balance on more than
one occasion. I ended up having
to carry my hat so that I
wouldn't have to play
"keep away" with
her. She was a
bit disappointed since
that's one of her
most favorite
games.

Days like yesterday are gifts bestowed
by the Storm King and Sister Wind
when the Storm King leaves a
place - and if you arrive just
at the right time, you can
even see the hem of
his robes as he
disappears
over the
horizon

 

 

 

~

 

 

 

Friday, March 4, 2022

Almost Plenty Warm

 

36 Degrees F, Twenty MPH breeze 

 

"Hi"

Canon G7x Mark II
SnapSeed
Glaze
Stackables


It was 36F with a 20-25 knot northerly breeze yesterday at the Refuge. The Sea was a deep blue. Only a couple other people on the shore besides me - Glorious. 

Had to wear the heavy winter coat, pullover ski mask, a hat, and mittens. Was plenty warm even when I stopped walking.. 

Well - almost plenty warm - I was wearing a couple layers of thin microfiber pants. Sister Wind was not deterred by them.. my legs froze until they warmed up from walking.. 
 
Given the way the planet is headed - days like these - skin-peeling cold, wind - are to be savored - because even here in New England - we will in short order, be lacking days that are truly cold..
 
Even the lobsters know we're fucked.. They have pulled up tent-pegs and have gone to live in more comfy (cold) waters off the coast of Newfoundland and Nova Scotia... 


 

~

 

 

Thursday, February 24, 2022

Front

 

 

Plum Island Airport 

 

 

"Front"

Plum Island Airport

Nikon D800e
Lightroom
Silver F/X



~



Sunday, January 30, 2022

2022 Blizzard Wrap-up

 

 

Blizzard 
 
 


The January blizzard of 2022 has left town. Some parts of my state got the everloving shit kicked out of them - hurricane force winds - over three feet of snow.. power outages... Yikes! 

Our little corner of the state got off lightly by comparison with about twelve inches of powder snow and no power outages. An added bonus - the prevailing Northerly winds kept the roofs free of snow...

This is the first time in many years that my faithful but ugly snow blower "Beast" was not around to help. He finally gave up the ghost after a couple decades of faithful service. 

Since we thought we might be getting over two feet of snow, we signed up for a plow service. It was nice in theory, but less than good in practice. The owner of the plow service apparently had too many customers to help us out in a timely fashion and didn't get around to clearing our driveway.. I mean - he did a half-assed pass during the storm, but then never made it back to really clear the snow away. 
 
Doff texted the plow dude a couple times and got back somewhat vague answers..  I suggested that she tell the plow guy that she lives with a old fuck who is one ham sandwich away from a coronary and wouldn't it be a shame if he keeled over in the front driveway trying to shovel... Doff declined to pass along my message... pffft.
 
So as it turned out, Doff and I got our winter duds on after supper (vegan mexican lentils over jasmin rice) and cleared both driveways.. It was brisk and satisfying work. I felt so virtuous getting exercise, clearing the driveways, and (AND) saving the planet from snow blower exhaust..  (just kidding about that last bit - the planet is fucked - but it's fun to pretend otherwise...)


 
 
 
~
 
 
 
 

Blizzard Fashion

 

 

Mingo

 

"Mingo"

 

 

 

~

 

 

 

Blizzard

 

Blizzard


Blizzard 

 

 

 

~

 

 


Friday, October 29, 2021

October Nor'easter

 

 

Nor’easter 2021 

 

"Nor'easter - October 2021"

Nikon D7200
18.0-55.0mm lens
Lightroom
BrushStroke
Stackables
Snapseed




~



Wednesday, October 6, 2021

Exposition

 

 

Parker River Wildlife Refuge 

 

 Carl and I arrived at the Refuge yesterday
at an auspicious moment, when a front
was pushing through. Looking south
towards the bottom of the island,
the horizon was a deep blue
black. Turning around
and looking North
towards New
Hampshire
the sky
looked like
a sunny fall day.
It was a dramatic
display of the First Dharma
Seal - Anicca - Impermanence.
Examples of impermanence abound
but often this mind is fixed on
some obsession, some
memory, some
future prediction, and
so, a central Dharma teaching
goes unnoticed and as a result,this
mind forgets and latches on instead to a truly
damaging thought train - permanence.
Yesterday at the Cathedral of the
Great Wide World, the Storm
King and Sister Wind put on
a Dharma exposition that
couldn't be missed,
even by the most
distracted of
minds.



Parker River Wildlife Refuge 

 

 

~

 

 

 

Thursday, February 18, 2021

The Limits of Dick-Swagger

 

 

February 
 
 
 
"February"
 


February, with the exception of the death of 
Rush Limbaugh, has been a tough month.
There's been a bunch of snow and a bit
of slush. Not like the Great Burial
of 2015, brought on oddly 
enough, by the purchase
of a large bag of 
peanuts, but
still, a 
nuisance all the same. 
And we aren't even in the danger
zone like the Great State of Texas is. Their
entire electrical grid went tits up in the face 
of some cold weather and some modest snowfall. 
Now, millions of Texans are without heat and light 
and water, all the while their elected officials contribute
helpful musings like "only the strong will survive this. The 
weak will parish [sic]." and spread around dubious causes
for the disaster like renewable energy sources. At the same
time, Texans are freezing (some to death) in the energy
capital of the Empire. The state that displays so much
dick-swagger and talk of independence and secession
failed to keep its citizens safe. It is "pride comes
before the fall" incarnate. Normally, I would
not be paying attention to what becomes
of Texas, as I am a callous person
and one given to holding grudges
like all good men of Irish
descent. The fly in the
ointment is that my
daughter, son-in-law,
and grandson
are living out in
the land of sedition
and business-friendly
non-regulation of power
utilities. They have been caught
up like millions of other Texans in the
willful neglect and general abdication of
governance that is the hallmark of the Lone 
Star State these days. I tell you - it makes me 
more cranky than usual - more prone to yell at the 
gelatinous Texas Governor whenever he opens his mouth
on TV. Of course this is not good Buddhist behavior. It lacks 
compassion, equanimity and warm-heartedness. It is, however,
the best I can do under the circumstances.  It boggles the mind
that people like Greg Abbot, John Cornyn, Ted Cruz, Louie Gomert
(AKA "The Stupidest Man in Government)  and that idiot, now-
former mayor of Colorado City TX (what the fuck ever
his name is..), ever got near the levers of power for 
one of the biggest states in the empire. 
This calamity will pass as all do.
More people will die as a direct result
of it, but it will recede into a gauzy past,
spoken of by those that lived through it the way
one speaks of all natural disasters. What will not 
recede is the greed-centric political machine
that has brought the state to its knees. This
will not be the last time Texas will buckle
under the weight of causes and 
conditions not aligned with
orderly daily life. 




~



Monday, February 8, 2021

February Snow

 

 

 
 
 
 
 Around Ten Inches Altogether


 
~
 
 
 

Thursday, January 21, 2021

Reminder of Smallness




Squall Over the Salt Panne


"Snow Squall Over the Salt Panne"

Parker River Wildlife Refuge



~




Forty Minutes Until Sunset



Parker River Wildlife Refuge



Snow Squalls Offshore - Parker River Wildlife Refuge




~



Saturday, December 19, 2020

Named Storm Gail - We Got Lucky



Named storm Gail


"Named Storm Gail"


We got lucky. The winds weren't terrible and the
snow accumulation in our area was a modest
ten inches or so. Some places in New
Hampshire and New York got
over three feet of snow.


~




Thursday, December 17, 2020

Blizzard 2020 - Named Storm Gail


2020 blizzid


"Blizzard 2020"

This was taken last night around midnight. 
The wind had not yet picked up and there was
only one inch of snow on the ground.
This morning it looks like maybe
six to eight inches on the
ground so far. The
wind is still
fairly 
gentle, to the great 
good fortune of everyone,
trees, animals, and
humans.



~



Wednesday, December 2, 2020

Clear View

 


Front - Parker River Wildlife Refuge



On Monday, Storm King and Sister Wind visited our 
area, dumping buckets of rain and knocking over 
trees and shoving some houses off their
foundations. Yesterday, Storm King
had mostly left the scene. As 
always, the hem of his
prodigious cape
trailed behind
him.

We were lucky enough to see it sail past us at
sunset, creating such drama in the sky,
blackness to the east, glowing
blue and golds to the west. 
The scale of the pageantry dwarfed
our daily dramas and petty
concerns, leaving us for
a moment, a clearer
view of our place
in things.




Front - Parker River Wildlife Refuge




~





Friday, October 30, 2020

October Snow

 

Hurricane Zeta Snow


The remnants of Hurricane Zeta, the eleventh
named hurricane in 2020, raced through
our area today. She dragged down 
some cold weather from up
north and blanketed us
with four inches
of snow. 


~




Wednesday, May 15, 2019