Hail and other Near Misses

[Foiled Again]

Well folks I'm back from my Conference in Portland Maine. Let's see, what did I learn? First, the mosquito grows to huge size in Maine and is very ferocious. I am unusually attractive to the beasties, so I came back looking like measles in spite of deet and skin so soft. Second, I didn't expect to see a sign warning to be on the lookout for Moose on I-95... but yep you really do have to watch out for them. There were two moose which visited Portland proper while I was there. Next, there is actually such a thing as "too much lobstah".... burp. I'm lobstered out.

I came back last weekend and traveled through that whole monsoon. Every time I stopped for a break, the rain stopped, so I'd start up again and, sure enough, so would the rain. I finally got to the eastern shore with the thought of napping in a Wal-mart parking lot on the left... Looked over there before turning in and saw cars with water up to the windows. No sleep for me. Route 13 is on fairly high ground, much of the land on the sides is lower. I was afraid to sleep for a couple of hours and wake up damp, so I just kept puttering southward, stopping for gas and coffee... Got home exhausted but safe and parked Foiled Again behind our business.

Next day, went to take it to my local campground only to have to get some more practice backing up.... most of the camp was under a foot of water! Boondocked for 2 nights, then checked into Holiday Trav-all Park for two nights (couldn't stay longer, they were booked up for the 4th weekend.) I was sleeping peacefully after a LONG shower in blissful air conditioned comfort when I heard the dreaded sound of HAIL hitting the roof. Thankfully it was very small and only lasted a few seconds.

I'm falling back to sleep when I decide to watch the news for a few minutes. I then find out that some parts of Virginia Beach have been hit by hail the size of golf balls! Whew! I'd just moved it onto the campground, and if it had been behind the business, I might have gotten seriously dimpled.

Oh well, that's my week, now I'm looking forward to a better one. Whew. I need another nap.

Paula

Finally checked and Indian Cove has dried out, so I went "home"

[pmclemore]

Welcome back to Virginia, Paula.

Congrats also for all the bullets dodged. We were watching the news about all the rain and flooding up north - you seemed to have made the right choices as you came home.

Pat

[swebster]

Next, there is actually such a thing as "too much lobstah"....

Paula,
We used to live in Maine (Rockport then Portland). Locals would tell stories about how lobsters were so plentiful back in the early 1900's that you could grab them from the shallows. Apparently, prisoners and servants at the time revolted against eating lobster dinner every night. After all, who would eat what was commonly ground up as fertilizer?

I for one, miss biking down to Commercial Street and buying "poundah's" right off the boat for about $2.50 a lb. Pick up some "cahn on the cawb" from the farmer's market on the way home for a nice cookout with friends. Those were good days.