[Rhodes22-list] Isabel - impact on Williamsburg, VA

Sat Sep 27 20:41:55 EDT 2003

Thanks, Slim.  The ferns and azaleas are all in good shape.  Had no hostas,
but a similar plant can't think of the name of. And the rosemary "bushes",
basil, mint and parsley are fairing well.  The two Japanese maples look good
too. I used to feel the same way as you about the beautiful BIG trees.
Don't any more.  One of the amazing things to see is just how shallow the
root balls are for these 150' oaks and beeches.  One uprooted oak had a
spring under it we discovered.  There is so much rain here that the trees
don't have to send down roots.  One reason so many came down I'm sure.
Right now they look like killers to me just ready to spring into action.
They just aren't safe in this particular environment.  We have a lot of dog
wood which hopefully will increase now that the canope is gone.  Lots of
native hollies too and a few magnolias.  Those trees are a lot safer to have
near the house and very pretty.  Now they will have a chance.

Aside from the missing porch - still cluttered with debris -- and the triple
oak still lying across the back yard (and some broken parquets here and
there), life is getting more and more back to normal.  Secretly I'm loving
playing with the chain saw - especially now that I have my Stihl back from
my son in AZ, but I'd swear that EVERY muscle in my body is sore.  Going to
arrange for a massage tomorrow.  The market is for shit right now unless
someone can sit and watch the indeces minute by minute, so good time to be
distracted by something else.

I'll be glad to get Pathfinder back into the water.  Going to replace the
mast head light bulb while the mast is down and try to bribe someone to take
her back to the marina next week.  These are the best sailing days and I
don't want to miss them.

Life just ain't that hard in the scheme of things.

Thanks for your good wishes.

Saroj

-----Original Message-----
From: rhodes22-list-bounces at rhodes22.org
[mailto:rhodes22-list-bounces at rhodes22.org]On Behalf Of Steve Alm
Sent: Saturday, September 27, 2003 6:12 PM
To: Rhodes
Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] Isabel - impact on Williamsburg, VA

Saroj,

Sorry to hear about the destruction.  Who wouldn't have a little
post-traumatic shock syndrome after going through something like that?  Hope
your mom and daughter feel better soon.  Roofs and porches can be rebuilt,
but I hate to see those big trees come down.  I'm imagining your shady yard
with hostas and ferns--now, you'll have to go with azaleas and petunias.

Wishing you the best,

Slim

On 9/26/03 7:08 PM, "Saroj - COX" <saroj at pathfind.net> wrote:

> Thanks again to Ed who sent the link advising that marinas are the worst
> place for a boat during a hurricane.  I took the warning and got
Pathfinder
> out and onto high dry land.  She faired very well aside from lots of
leaves
> and mess.
>
> We didn't however.  I came back from my business trip to CA to a house
with
> a lot of damage and 4 tons of oak tree on the roof.  My mother and
daughter,
> who were here throughout the storm were very traumatized as they had JUST
> got out of harms way minutes before the tree fell and unquestionably would
> have been killed had they still been out on the porch which was totally
> demolished.  They jump every time there is a loud noise of any type.
>
> We have 6 large trees (100 feet high generally) down around the house and
> another 5 or 6 down on the property away from the house.  We live on only
an
> acre so that's a lot of trees down in one storm.  Suddenly the canopy over
> the house is gone.  Out of the 10 houses on this street, 7 had serious
> damage due to falling trees.  We just got power back on Wednesday night
and
> still have no land phone.  Phone company says not to expect phone service
> until early October.  The COX cable service -- both TV and broadband --
was
> available as soon as we had power.  Don't think it ever went down.  We
> should have the majority of the outside cleanup done by the end of this
> weekend except for the removal of the large oak that is covering most of
the
> back yard and entangled in the debris of the back screened-in porch.  I'm
> getting very familiar with chain saw use and maintenance. (I'd rather be
> sailing.) As far as the house is concerned, there are 4 tarps on the roof
> and one room totally unusable.  We haven't even seen the insurance
adjuster
> yet and the contractors in the area are either not returning calls or not
> committing to when they can even come out to assess the situation.  There
> are lots of price gougers around - some quoting $3000 to take down one
tree.
>
> I just haven't had time to check the marina.  Doubt I could have got there
> until a day or so ago.  The community where it is has as many trees as we
do
> and I expect the roads were impassable for days.  It is pretty evident
that
> this storm was full of micro-bursts as certain communities were hit a lot
> harder than others nearby.  Also some of the trees are very twisted and
> broken rather than lying there with a root ball pulled out of the ground.
>
> Colonial Williamsburg is still closed down as is William and Mary College.
> The entire parkway from Jamestown to Yorktown is closed indefinitely.
>
> We're grateful no one was hurt and happy to have lights and hot water
again.
> Plus we have found out how wonderful some of our neighbors and friends are
> and our family unit is closer than ever.  Back to sawing logs...
>
> Saroj
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: rhodes22-list-bounces at rhodes22.org
> [mailto:rhodes22-list-bounces at rhodes22.org]On Behalf Of Todd Tavares
> Sent: Friday, September 19, 2003 10:55 PM
> To: The Rhodes 22 mail list
> Subject: RE: [Rhodes22-list] Isabel
>
>
>
>   I'll be down at my buddies house this weekend helping him clean up after
> the storm.  He lost his fishing boat, boat lift, about 10 tons of soil
from
> behind his bulkhead, and his 140' pier.  He lives on the Potomac near the
> Harry Nice bridge.
>
>
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: ellner <ellner at pressenter.com>
> Date: Fri, 19 Sep 2003 14:28:53 -0500
> To: The Rhodes 22 mail list <rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
> Subject: RE: [Rhodes22-list] Isabel
>
>> Thanks, Doug, for the update!  We're having a typical Fall day here in
>> Wisconsin------hoping everyone comes through this as well as Alex and
>> Pamela!  Our best to all of you......Mary & Rod
>>
>>
>> At 02:52 PM 9/19/2003 -0400, you wrote:
>>> I just spoke with Alex in New Bern...
>>>
>>> They came through it just fine.  There are a lot of trees down, the
power
> is
>>> off, and the land-line phones are still out (they went dead yesterday
> when I
>>> was speaking with them), but the boats, the house, the canvas shop, and
> both
>>> Alex and Pamela came through it just fine.
>>>
>>> Alex said that (for them) it was kind of anti-climactic to go through
all
> of
>>> that and to have really no damage at all.  Here is hoping that everyone
> in
>>> our extended Rhodes family is as fortunate!
>>>
>>> Best wishes to all...
>>>
>>> --Doug
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: SVTRITON at aol.com [mailto:SVTRITON at aol.com]
>>> Sent: Friday, September 19, 2003 9:46 AM
>>> To: rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org
>>> Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] Isabel
>>>
>>>
>>> hi all
>>> we have a bad tidal surge in baltimore...my boat is at a floating dock
> which
>>>
>>> is 6 inches from the top of the piling so we're hoping it doesnt go up
> any
>>> further...the next high tide is about 1pm ...most of the inner harbor is
>>> underwater and 600 000 are without power...2 deaths in maryland..i think
> its
>>> 11
>>> overall....chesapeake rhodies in middle river at fixed docks are all
> under
>>> water...a
>>> friend of mine has an 8 ft high deck and has about 2 feet to
go....havent
>>> heard anything about marylou and gil in rock hall but im sure its the
>>> same...see
>>> ya all later
>>> tom
>>> __________________________________________________
>>> Use Rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org, Help? www.rhodes22.org/list
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>>
>>
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