THINGS------HURRICANE IRENE-----

OUR BACK YARD A FEW HOURS BEFORE 'IRENE'

WELL IT HAS COME AND GONE AND LEFT RUIN IN HER WAKE..WITH ALL THE SUFFERING AND LOSS THAT PEOPLE HAVE EXPERIENCED I WILL NOT COMPLAIN ABOUT HAVING LOST THE CHANCE TO DO A POST ON ANOTHER MOTORCYCLE RALLY..HOPEFULLY EVERYONE READING THIS BLOG HAS PULLED THROUGH WITH MINIMAL LOSS AND INCONVENIENCE..LAST SPRING WHEN THE UNUSUAL AMOUNT OF SNOW WE HAD STARTED TO MELT DOWN, WE EXPERIENCED THE VERY FIRST BASEMENT FLOOD EVER IN OUR HUMBLE BUT HAPPY HOME..AFTER A LENGTHY AND EXPENSIVE CLEAN-UP ($6000+) WE INVESTED IN A SUMP PUMP SO WE WOULD NEVER BE CAUGHT IN THE SAME SITUATION AGAIN..WE WAITED FOR IRENE FEELING A BIT MORE SECURE..AS IT TURNED OUT THE PLACEMENT OF THE SUMP PUMP WAS IN THE WRONG PLACE.. THE WATER CAME IN FROM THE HIGH END OF OUR CELLAR AND SOAKED THE CARPET (AND WHATEVER ELSE WAS IN THE WAY) AS IT MADE IT’S WAY TO THE LOW END OF OUR BASEMENT--WHERE THE SUMP PUMP WAITED PATIENTLY..AS IT TURNED OUT, BY THE TIME THE WATER HAD SOAKED THE GROUND ENOUGH TO START MAKING ITS WAY INTO OUR CELLAR WE HAD LOST POWER SO THE PUMP SAT IDLY IN A FOOT AND A HALF OF WATER….(NICE)


ONE OF THE HARDEST WORKERS I'VE EVER MET-DAVE W.  MOWING
OUR LAWN IN THE POURING RAIN--THAT'S HIS OWN TRACTOR-

OVER $14G AND HE'S ONLY 19!!



OK—SO NOW IT’S A QUESTION OF WAITING FOR POWER TO BE RESTORED (DONE ON MONDAY EVENING) THEN RESTARTING THE FURNACE (DONE ON TUESDAY).. TOMORROW MORNING THE CLEANING GUYS COME AND DO THEIR BEST TO “MAKE IT LIKE IT NEVER HAPPENED.”  MAYBE BY SATURDAY ALL WILL BE KINDA BACK TO ‘NORMAL’ AGAIN…REALLY NO BIG DEAL HERE-COMPARED TO WHAT SOME HAVE GONE THROUGH AND CONTINUE TO GO THROUGH…

FOR US-ANOTHER SUMP PUMP-A DEPENDABLE GENERATOR-AND MAYBE EVEN A PROFESSIONAL CONSULTATION REGARDING WATERPROOFING BASEMENTS..

 I PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE GONE AROUND TOWN TAKING PICTURES FOR THIS POST BUT YOU’VE SEEN ENOUGH ON THE NEWS AND A COUPLE OF OVERTURNED TREES ON SOME WIRES AND SOME HIGH WATER PROBABLY WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ANYTHING YOU WOULD WANT TO SEE MORE OF ANYWAY..

JUST GOT THE INTERNET BACK AND I REALLY HAVEN’T HAD A CHANCE TO PUT ANYTHING TOGETHER FOR THIS WEEK, BUT I DID HAVE SOME PHOTOS LAYING BACK IN THE FILES THAT I WAS SAVING FOR LATTER, BUT I’LL LAY A COUPLE OUT JUST SO I CAN MAINTAIN A BIT OF CONTINUITY FOR US….

THE GENTLEMAN TO THE RIGHT IS 81 YEARS YOUNG-COULDN'T HOLD THE BIKE UP ANY MORE-HAD A SPECIAL FRAME MADE SO HE COULD CONTINUE RIDING..THREE WHEELS IN BACK.. A KOREAN WAR VETERAN--MAY YOU RIDE FOR MANY MORE YEARS TO COME JEAN, I HOPE YOU RIDE FOR MANY YEARS TO COME.. 

A FRIEND FROM WAY BACK IN THE SIXTIES-LEO G. WITH ONE OF THE MANY HUNDREDS OF BIKES HE'S PAINTED--MINE...

EVEERY ONCE IN A WHILE I CAN'T HELP BUT ADMIRE A FOUR WHEELED VEHICLE AND BELOW IS ONE SUCH EXAMPLE...OF COURSE IT'S A REPLICA BUT IT IS A BEAUTIFUL REPLICA OF ONE OF THE LEGENDARY 'SHELBY COBRAS'--427 CU. IN... NOT SOMETHING YOU SEE EVERYDAY..THERE WERE TWO 'SUPER COBRAS' BUILT.. ONE BELONGED TO BILL COSBY-HE DID A SKIT ABOUT IT...THE CAR SCARED HIM AND HE RETURNED IT..THE OTHER WAS INVOLVED IN A FATAL CRASH..







SCOOTERS FROM MIDDLETOWN RALLY

WELL I KIND OF HAM AND EGGED THIS POST TOGETHER UNDER A BIT OF TIME PRESSURE..(SELF IMPOSED)..HERE ON THE EAST COAST WE'VE HAD KIND OF A TRICKY LAST WEEK.. AN EARTH QUAKE--THEN THE HURRICANE AND ALL THE MESS THAT IS LEFT BEHIND HAS STILL GOT TO BE CLEANED UP..WE'VE BEEN HERE BEFORE BUT IT'S NEVER FUN..IT'S GREAT TO SEE HOW PEOPLE ARE QUICK TO HELP ONE ANOTHER THROUGH THE TRICKY TIMES,,NEIGHBORS HELPING EACH OTHER AND VOLUNTEERS ALWAYS WILLING TO DO WHAT THEY CAN..

HOPE TO SEE YOU NEXT WEEK-AND DON'T BE SHY-LEAVE COMMENTS----------JIM

AS ALWAYS-CLICK TO ENLARGE PHOTOS AND CHECK THINGS OUT A LITTLE BETTER