I’m back finally. The lights went on last night. The house was down to the 50’s by yesterday afternoon. I snuggled under the down comforter and read under the blankets. My friends invited me to dinner, a hot meal!! When I got home, the lights were on, and the house was warm.

The storm on Tuesday night was horrific, the worst storm I’ve ever see. Branches hit the windows, and a thud from somewhere got the dogs’ attention. The wind never stopped. It got as high as 83 mph. It wasn’t just a freight train. It was several freight trains roaring down the tracks. When I woke up Wednesday morning, I asked Alexa the time, and she didn’t answer. I knew the electricity was off, and it wasn’t an Alexa huff. I checked the stove clock and saw the electricity had gone off at 2:10 am. 

Gwen had to be at the vet’s by nine, and on the ride, I got to see the damage. Limbs were down all over. I saw the two foot remnant of a telephone pole sticking out of the ground. A hanging yellow light was lying twisted on the road. Up the street a large pine tree sits on the hood of a car. Electric trucks from all over were working on restoring power. I even saw a truck from North Carolina.

The only lights working were near me so I got coffee but not until 3 when the crowds died down.

Part of my fence is down as is my mailbox. Except for a few weird pockets of light the cape had no electricity. I was Diogenes walking around with my Coleman lantern looking for an honest man or an electrician. On my deck, my covered furniture, four chairs, a table and an umbrella, were blown halfway across the deck. The yard and deck are covered in wet leaves and small branches. One of my neighbors lost three trees in her back yard. Two other neighbors lost fence sections.

The good news is about Gwen. Though her numbers are still up, she did not lose any weight so the vet said we are getting close to the right insulin dosage. I had to up the dosage starting last night. I was told it was okay to add some of her old food with the diabetic food. I had already been mixing the two so I was glad to hear that. Gwen does eat some it. I told the vet I give her a few treats so I can sneak in her shot. The vet said it was okay. I’m sure Gwen would be relieved to know that. 

Today is cloudy and dark. It is in the 50’s. Rain is predicted for tomorrow. Strangely enough, after all the blustering, everything is still. The leaves at the ends of the branches are barely moving. They stir once and a while in the bit of a breeze. Many of the oak trees have bare branches. Before the storm, the oak tree by the deck had some bright yellow leaves. They are now brown and shriveled.

It is no longer fall and not yet winter. We are in between seasons, in a season of wind and rain.

The storm last night was tremendous with thunder and lightning which seemed to last forever. Henry stayed close. Nala slept through most of the thunder except for a couple of boomers which cracked by the den window. The cats were quiet. I liked the storm.

With the nor’easter coming mostly tonight, we are already under a wind advisory. Gusts could get as high as 70 mph. The rainfall could be around 3 inches or more. Right now it is dark but not yet raining. The air is fairly warm at 64˚. The wind is gusting. Leaves are falling. Already, the oak branches are bare.

Last night I was entertained by watching the Halloween episodes of old shows. I laughed through Cheers and Frasier, especially Frasier. I was never good at guessing who his callers were. I had to read the list in the credits.

I’m going out today to do a bit of grocery shopping. I need milk and bananas for my cereal. I also need a bit of chocolate. I’m thinking a Milky Way.

When I was a kid, I always dunked my Graham crackers in my cocoa. I knew exactly when to pull the cracker out of the cocoa before it sort of dissolved into the cup. It was a remarkable feat.

Saltines were my go to snack cracker. I’d butter them or sometimes I’d use peanut butter instead. I don’t know how I did it, but I used to eat sardines out of the tin on Saltines. The ideas of it now makes me gag a bit. My father loved sardines, and he was the one who introduced me to them.

My father loved to fish for smelt which ran in the winter. He and my uncle who owned a fish market would go out in their small boat together. My father would keep some of the fish and give my uncle the rest to sell. When he got home, my father cleaned the fish, meaning he took off their heads and removed their entrails, and my mother cooked them. First she coated the fish in flour then she fried them in oil. I really liked smelt.

Friday suppers were my favorites. We couldn’t eat meat back then, but I didn’t care. My mother’s Friday night suppers were renowned. I remember the fish sticks and fries. I used to open the oven to sneak a peek and steal a French fry if nobody was looking. Fried dough was one of my favorites. My mother would buy frozen dough, and once it was defrosted, she’d stretch pieces of the dough and cook it in her cast iron frying pan. We all stood by the counter waiting. We used to put butter and salt on the fried dough. I remember the butter sometimes puddled in the little troughs, the uneven spots on the dough. We devoured every piece of that dough.