Cran Sauce

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The bogs on the S-curve out on route 58 in Carver look a pretty shade of maroon after being picked.

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I worked nine picking seasons for a Bog farmer who's now a Selectman. Not on these particular specimens, but very similar n close by. That was a tough, 7-days-per-week gig, but much was learnt.

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There was an old, large, cranberry shack with a patchworked roof located here a few years back. I drove by it daily when I worked in Plymouth. I'd always wanted to stop to take a pic of it. I was always running to get to the job on time, n so never got the wanted pic.

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It figures on the day I was heading that way n had some time last week, the shack was gone, demolished, n no longer an available pic subject.

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The three species of berries I worked with were fresh picked, not water-picked, n were sold to Ocean Spray in Middleborough as fresh fruit. Small "Early Blacks" ripen first toward the end of September. After about two weeks of picking n processing, it was time to start the mainstay "Howes" berries. These are the ones usually sold in bags at the market.

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Then at the end of November into the first few weeks of December (right about now) we'd start doing the huge "MacFarlan" variety. The white berries of this type from our bogs were shipped all the way to Europe where they're used to make candy.

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Believe it or not, sometimes I can be too quick n co-ordinated! I was responsible for a whole new processing machine design developement because the old method was too slow n boring for me...

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Getting the berries cleaned n into the third-barrel boxes suddenly became a stream-lined process requiring very few people n little time. The berries could be boxed n packed onto the trailer as fast as the bags were picked up n brought in on the Bog-Buggy.

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During my university degree earning years, I'd had to stop working that bog job. But Bog farming developement continued to evolve. Another buggy was developed so even people picking up the bags weren't needed, now down to one operator, besides the machine pickers. Today almost the entire job is automated, sadly.

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Most bogs are cheaper to water-pick these days, n have large-container loads carted off the bog by helicopter. These are the type which end up as canned cranberry sauce. I've been eating alot of it lately, but I'd prefer fresh fruit. Also, I should try to avoid the "high fructose corn syrup" in it.

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I enjoy foods containing cranberries, due to years of having an endless supply to experiment with. I really miss not having an oven for muffins, bread, cran-apple pie, n tarts. I think with raisins added as sweetener, cranberries are delish. These days, I've been missing the berries, themselves.

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Bogs are still part of my daily drive-by scenery...

different job, different day... same thoughts!

Chilly Colors

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Surprizingly, this week there's still a few colors out across the street. It won't be long now, n we'll be back in the grey dingies n fog of winter again. We just did our coldest overnight (early am Sat) so far.
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I've been throwing my customary stale bread offerings out for the squirrels who are nearby hidernating. When they hear my short burst "Food!," they know it's fill-up time. I know there's some small birdies visiting the feeders outside my kitchen window, but although it sounded like a woodpecker chopping away, waking me up, I was unable to see thru the foggy glass today. I hate that. So does Mischief. She misses her window show.
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My location draws in the small avian species. The regular window visitors are Nuthatch, Grey-tufted Titmouse, n Chickadee. Ocassionally Finches n Downy Woodpeckers get brave (hungry) enough to perch close to the house too. I wonder how many generations of their families I've kept alive here for the past 21 years...
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My drive NorthWest this week made me leave the sunny stuff at home behind n head into the mountain mist for almost the entire drive. Heading into the fog seems to be inevitable these days.
On my way back in the lighter, cooling night-air mist near Orange, there was bulldozer removing a poor, departed, heavy critter from the middle of the highway going the opposite direction. I could only see a belly n droopy legs, enough to surmise it was probably a horse, mule, or possibly a moose. Hitting something like that in the fog must be a horror show- The involved vehicle wasn't visible. That'll make ya drive slower...
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Right by the water here, weather can be so totally different than everywhere else, as the top of a Mountain is colder because of higher elevation, right here tends to be warmer than even a mile inland, due to the ocean water still being warmer than the air Temperature.
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When I leave work, just a few miles inland, there'll be ice crystals on the grass, n icy-mist exhale breath walking to the car. When I get home, it's not even frozen yet, until yesterday, that is.
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For today's Day-Off I'm sporting 3 layers n keeping the bottles in this comfy chair refilled often with hot-kettle-water. I'm still trying not to run-up the electric heat bill. As long as it's not freezin the pipes yet, I'll deal with it.
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It was chilly out there snapping these pics of the last, lingering leaves hanging onto their spent support on Friday.
I've noticed it's tougher getting up out of the blankets n waking the fog from my brain.
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The last, lovely, sunny tree colors will be missed from across the road, for a long season, except when I check up on Bloggy here. The Creator makes the best things for me to look at, so even in the fog, I remember nature's beauty.

Grate

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Hope everyone's day went great!
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Mine was good. Ate alot, n had good people to share company with. The ride there n home went smooth as butter. I found my way to a new location on time, n got home before the expected cold settled back in. The day was unseasonally warm, n only one layer of clothes was needed.
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What am I most grateful for this year?:

- I'm greatful I can still eat the food in the traditional meal. My favs are the fattening parts, mashed potaoes with gravy, stuffing, squash, rolls, n pies.

- I'm grateful my truck drove so well on the two road trips I took this year.
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- I'm grateful to have been blessed with wonderful off-spring, who are fun, grown folks to spend time with.
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- I'm grateful I just had several days off, finally. It wasn't even really cold, n I didn't sleep through all the daylight.
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- Of Course, I'm grateful people come here to keep me company, read, n leave comments, n in turn, give me great stuff they write to read n comment on.
Thankyou Blog Buddies!

Zzzzz

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After three days of trying to sleep n get up earlier, it finally caught up to me today. I couldn't open the eyes when I wanted to, so I just gave in to the fact I need the sleep, n put more erands off.

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I made it to the registry, at least, n have to get up early (for me) tomorrow, too. I have to bite the bullet n get that leaky tire repaired before I go nuts wasting time before leaving every day, putting the itty-bitty air-compressor on, then counting minutes so I don't fry it.

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Talking about fried, I bet the traffic will be challenging for the Turkey Day miles.

So Gobble all you can, n make it safe back to home again! (N watch out for the snow)!

Jus' Set A Spell

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Time to catch my breath! I forgot how good it feels to not have to go to that work building for a few days.

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I'm not much of a slacker, tho- I got up n out in time to see some daylight. I put air in the leaky truck tire, n cleaned out the work gear. In the house I just washed the heater n floor of the kitchen so I can put down the clean scatter rugs to help keep the toes warm. I already wrote some other stuff. I'm waiting for the wet floor to dry now, three hours after waking up already, on this first day of what other people call vacation, but to me is actually just Catch-up Days.

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The people I tried to call are out, but then I got a call unexpectedly from a loved one far away I'm rarely home to be able to chat with. It feels good to get to connect with some one rather than spend the whole day without famliar human contact again.

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Getting only one day off at a time doesn't work out well for me, because I never recover enough from the exhaustion to get to calls when folks are awake. Most days off are hectic chasing business closing dealines, then being awake overnight. This week I'll try to get to sleep before dawn n wake up earlier, so I can get truck work n registry errands done, n be awake for ThanksDay.

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Which reminds me, Leonid Meteor showers begin pre-dawn today for you North/NorthEast Star gazers. I'm still trying to find that newly bright n visible to the naked eye Comet reported to be spotted in the Persius constellation. I look at the stars after work every night, but not this week- I get to not be in a hurry as I look...

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The weather is saying, "winter" finally, in the 30F to 40F range today, n dropping in the teens overnight. I have more plastic n insulation to hang up. The long-johns n flannel shirts are already on. No one can afford to crank the heat anymore with these prices. Glad I thought of the hot-water-filled- bottles a few years back, so I've got staying warm down to a science-

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So between tons of put-offs to do, I'll be relaxing (writing is relaxing, right?) a bit. I'm sure I won't have enough time to get to it all, but it beats the No-Time I've been running on for the past two years- since the last time I had almost a whole free week. Whew!

All Under The Bridge

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Back in the 1970's all the guys in my high school had long hair with the exception of very few clean-cut nerds.

Girls hair ran the gambit from "pixie"-cut to shoulder lengths with short-bangs, put in barretts, rubber-band pony tails, braids, n head-bands. Scrunchies or plastic hair-clips didn't exist. There were no curling irons, n blow-dryers had just entered the styling scene. Old-fashioned curlers were still the main waving tool when you didn't opt for a permanent at the "Beauty Parlor."

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I'm fortunate to have naturally wavy/curly hair n spent a life-time avoiding salons, with the exception of getting made-up for a few stage productions. I just wore two, long braids, or a bandana, n rarely fussed over my hair.

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One guy at school had the nick-name "Doo" because he always had perfect hair. The males seemed obessessed with their stylings, from wild afros ("Zap") to the dipped duck-tailed bangs on my big brothers. This was peer-styles, running wild in a limited-time-only fad.

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When my girls were in high school, peer pressure dictated a particular unique hair-style fad for their gender. Hair was frizzed out, wide, n puffy toward the ends, with long bangs hair-sprayed together to one side, straight out forward, then curled up on the end. The girl with the bangs out n up furthest became the supreme "Alpha Female" of the class. Comically, their yearbook showed almost the whole school sporting the exact same look.

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School has a way of molding style-clones...

Guess I was just good at not obsessing over it while distracted with all my creative hobbies.

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My errand run today revealed another local hair style currently setting in. I was instantly reminded of my old school, n my girls school-hair fad.

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At the supermarket a glance around me revealed three young cashiers were sporting the exact same, unmistakable hair look! The flat head-hair was in a loose, spiral bun. The part was on the right side. The thin veil of bangs was long, flat, straight down, n had a downward, toward the edge of the face, steep, slanted-line cut.

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When the bagger looked down packing my goods, she could only see with one eye, the rest of her face covered with slanted bangs almost to the chin. Then when looking up, one swipe with the hand, n the bangs neatly curved, n stayed on the side of the face infront of her ear.

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That style would drive me crazy, because the bangs keep falling back, straight down over most of the face every few minutes. Time for another glamour-hand hand move! N again, n again...

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They stared at my style a bit, too. I wonder what they thought of my long, curly bang locks, n the very long banana-curl tail falling way down the front of my jacket, because they've never seen anyone else with the same look!

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School Style-Clones strike again!

Sunflowers

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So large n pretty, aren't they? The ones I grew this year were so dwarfed, they wouldn't have been visible in this arrangement... These blossoms were picked out by my niece for decorations in the Wedding reception hall.

My seat was right next to the vase. Someday, I'd like to grow a field full of Sunflowers.

Vet's Day '07

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Thankyou Veterans,

past n present,

for defending our honor and freedom.

Bless you all

Write Shop

All the entertainment writer's are on strike, leaving many tv shows to air re-runs. They are picketing to get a cut of DVD sales of the things they worked on, which only seems fair.

Maybe this does me a favor in advance of getting anything published on DVD, so by the time I do, it won't be a rip-off problem for me.
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Rock-on for writer's rights to residuals n copyrights! Good luck to getting your deserved cut soon. I wonder if they'll get anything for the back-sales.

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Luckily I have alot to keep me busy while there's nothing good on tv to watch... I wonder if this'll end up totally getting passed onto consumer product cost as usual. I also wonder about the economic impact of actors, producers, n corporations who are all out of income-producing new material during this Holiday season. (Can you say "resession?")

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If I know writers, they really haven't stopped, just kept new work under wraps for later. A true writer can't shut-off their brain.

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Unfortunately, late-night TV is about to get much more boring, prompting me to do more of my own productivity in the unwinding, wee hours after work.
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As it is, I haven't been getting to sleep before day-break at all anymore. Now with Eastern Daylight Savings Time in effect, I wake up to dusk n leave for work in the dark. I can't wait until that upcoming time off so I'll be able to get some sunshine into my days again.
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The Christmas shopping season is upon us already as Thanksgiving approaches at Warp Speed.

I'm so paranoid while walking down the toy isles I'd begun scoping, wondering if I'll be able to pick out toy gifts that won't get recalled as being a hazard. I was looking at those Aqua Dots in the craft section just a week before the recall. It's such a scary crap-shoot buying toys these days.

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Where will the green ($) show up?

Reflections of...

...The Way Life used to Be...
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In my young childhood mind, the word "vacation'' used to conjure up images of freedom from the restraints of schedule, late wake-up time, no school, extended bedtime deadline, loose TV restrictions, and the ability to choose lunch food besides the usual sandwich. On Summer Vacation, there was always a trip to Vermont to visit maternal relatives n a visit to Maine to visit with paternal relatives.
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All the cousins always hung out on our trips n got along very well. There were trips to parks, camps, hikes, bike riding, digging worms, fishing jaunts, boat rides, water skiing, mini bikes, horseback riding, card games, board games, ping pong matches, chalk drawings, book reading, group prayers, song singing, n performances of sorts.
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No real vacation time was complete without a large family gathering, n the obligtory dinners. some one had to set up extra table space, get chairs, set the table, prepare the food, put the food on the table, clear the dishes, put the leftover food away, and then wash n dry the dishes. This always seemed like alot of work to me.
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My mother always went through alot of trouble to assure these group meals would take place with as many people attending as possible. She was a true catalyst of these extended family get-togethers. I used to take these gatherings, along with Christmas n Thanksgiving vacation dinners for granted.
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I'd bemoan having to go to all the dinners, n doing all the chores associated with producing them. I never actually minded spending time with the people, however. These dinners is probably why I knew my family members so well throughout my life, from childhood to adult. People weren't strangers in a photograph. I remember Uncles Wright, Pete, n Marty, who've been long gone now.
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I can remember many dinners n many people who were there. Although you'd think the food was the main focus, it wasn't. The people were. Decades later you don't remember the dishes or flavors, you remember the familiar faces n voices, n the warm feelings felt as eye-contact, news, stories, words, n laughter were exchanged.
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Lately, I'm greatful I was forced into attending so many of these gatherings over the years, because little did I realize how soon circumstances would change the ability for them to occur. I no longer get to see all my cousins on holidays, nor do my children get to see theirs. These days I rarely get to see both of my grown children at the same time due to distance, lack of funds, n schedules.
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Out of five siblings, only one has the space to hold large gatherings. People both North n South lack travel funds. It's been difficult to even get together at events such as the weddings n funerals. Since my mother has been gone there's been no way to push us all to get to the same place n time.
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I often wish I had a home with a large room to invite people to a dinner. A place with a nice kitchen with new appliances, like an oven that could fit a turkey, n a dishwasher. The money to pay for the food, tableware, furniture, heat, n folks travel fares would help. Someday, I swear to myself, the untold riches I will certainly amass with my talents will lead to the day I'll get on the phone n push every one to attend this gathering. This is my not-so-lofty life goal.
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I believe "If you don't know where you want to go, you can't get there," not "You can't get there from here" (in an old man's Southern Drawl).
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It all may sound like Mission Impossible XXXII from the point I'm at now: Fighting to pay my own way, underpaid, living in a small apartment, wondering how I'll pay the bills this month n still have my truck. Freaking out about not being able to afford the new healthcare law here.
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I'm facing having to work on Christmas Day again, the third in a row I'll spend without any family people. That one gets old fast. I don't want to do it anymore. I want to see little kids open toys n have fun. I'm determined I'll change my circumstances in the near future for the better, so I don't have to keep repeating this depressing way to spend the best day of all.
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In a couple of weeks I'm taking the closest thing I can get to a vaca- 6 days without the day-job. At the end of it I get to travel to see MB n the kids for dinner. During the rest of it, I have such a huge list of things to tackle, it'll be tough to whittle them down to do-able size in the allotted time. Vacation chore number one is sleep!
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Now-a-days, the word "Vacation" conjures images of sleep, n working myself to a frazzle!

1937

I'm sorry Madam, your reservations have been cancelled.


The Fire Monster checked in early n ate the whole place up with the main dining room as the main course. Landmark no more, the business passed down through generations is due for a massive extreme makeover...





The owner, the original owner's grandson, has vowed to rebuild ASAP. No one was hurt in the blaze on Main Street in Buzzards Bay, because it took place early that Saturday a couple weeks back. The local weekly paper reported the cause was electrical.
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The restaurant was a favorite hangout for many locals over many decades, n would have been packed full that night, had it still stood.
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I'd just happened to be driving by on my way to Ocean State Job Lot that afternoon of the day after, to pick up a few more pairs of those $3 reading specs. This wasn't an easy drive-by. Alot of people stopped in the parking lot to stare in disbelief. There was a cop stationed there n it was roped off to the point where these were shot from.
I'd been working at the time of this event, but my old friend Buddy was there n got awesome pics of the fire-fighting.
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The Fire Monster has been paying visits to many of my blog buddies recently. What ever you do, don't send any invitations for this rude guest, he'll eat you out of house n restaurant-

Wind-Day

We skipped Saturday to have Wind-Day this week!
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For the few minutes I was out doors, I hung close to buildings n trees seeking out the Leeward side of things (out of the wind). The rain flew sideways, stung , n I got instantly drenched. But the storm drain got cleared again!
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Also it was in the lower 40F temp range, n the wind-chill on wet hands took just a few seconds to turn them into icicles wishing for gloves. I skipped all planned errands, n stayed in.
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The power was out for awhile, then the phone was still out after that. I did some writing on paper by candlelight after I figured out where all the broken flash-lights n dead batteries were. It's been some time since my last drill. The old C batteries needed for my portable, Blk&Wht, tiny TV hadn't been replaced yet. I remembered the little portable radio was out in the truck, n decided I wasn't going back out there after already changing out of drenched duds.
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Well, at least it was quiet... Also, I had some hot kettle water in bottles to keep warm n make hot chocolate with. (or I would've been freezin inside, too).
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N now, back to our regular programing-

Noel

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N it isin't even Xmas season yet!
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Looks like we're bracing for another big-time X-hurricane turned NorEaster heading up to the North Atlantic.
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My village faces South Cape waters n usually does alright in these storms, while the North facing water areas get slammed hard.
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Before work last night I went out n moved all my deck stuff up against the side of the building in hopes my little trees won't get tossed about too badly. The two larger ones planted in barrels usually end up laying sideways in high winds no matter what I do tho- Some of the plants got moved inside last week already to avoid the frost temps we got overnight last week.
I got most of the leaves out of the gutters n raked the storm drain before work Thursday, when I didn't even realize the storm was coming this way so soon.
Well, at least I didn't get all the raking done just so it gets wrecked again with the nasty winds. Can't rake in a storm, either so no yard work today.
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The coves showed a bit of storm surge height already at high tide Friday at sunset. I just wonder if the power will fail, n if the new house across the hill will block wind gusts better than it's predecessor. Noel is comin to pay a visit...