Patricia, they were straight winds, of hurricane force.  My father-in-law used to tell me that you will never have fog and a wind together, like my Dad used to tell me it can get to cold to snow.  Cape Newenham taught me better.  I saw both things occur, fog with lots of wind and snow when it was cold as all get out.

Point I was trying to make was that these winds occurred and taken as normal occurrences and other than maybe the interior papers reporting them no big fuss was made of them.

Hal if it is normal weather, it wouldn't make much of a note here. I too have seen, fog,  blowing wind and 60 below temperatures in Fairbanks. Last time it got below 30 than for more than a couple of days was in the early part of 2006 however.

What your dad probably meant is you need humidity to snow. Which is why we have little snow here due to desert dryness. We even have sagebrush in the hills. There is an old joke here that in the winter time, you don't need to towel off after a shower, just twirl a few times.

I was just wondering what term to use. According to NOAA, when asked if Alaska had hurricanes, again only looking for the correct name, It said this, "In the past, there has been one storm whose remnants of a hurricane hit Alaska from the central Pacific. A typhoon and hurricane are the same types of storm. Storms are called hurricanes over the eastern and central Pacific and typhoons over the western Pacific."

We were told to expect snow on 9/23 and it has been beautiful out, sunny and crisp. Although temperatures dropped about 40 degrees into the mid-forties for a high around mid twenties for a low on the average.

Hi everyone on this Thursday morning.  I have a busy day planned for today but know it probably won't all get done. 

This is coffee day and will pick up my friend to go with me and then take him home and go back to the church for our Wisdom group.  Last week we had about 15 present, which was the biggest group I have seen there since I started attending. 

Yesterday I did get to COSTCO right after they opened and they were already busy.  However, was able to get a riding cart to use and that made the shopping much easier and faster.  Unloading the car when I got home was the big job.  I stocked up on meat and today must get it ready and into the freezer.  I also want to make some more sausage muffins for Pat and perhaps fix my frozen fruit, if there is room in the freezer. 

Yesterday our refrigerator ice maker quit working so I had to get a big bag of ice last evening.  I was surprised as the ice bin held the entire 16 pounds of ice cubes.  I also have to get something planned and ready for dinner tonight. 

The Augusta area is already feeling the impact of the evacuation from the coastal areas.  That added with the fact that there was no school yesterday and won't be today and tomorrow filled up the restaurants and sure the motels are probably fully booked by now.  Our son said they had the biggest business he has ever seen yesterday and one lady at dinner last night said she and her son had gone out to eat yesterday and had to go to three places to find a place to park.

Joy, from the reports the evacuation may be a long process with the road clogged.  I hope your grand daughter doesn't wait too long to start out and that her mobile home comes through the storm without damage.  I did enjoy the time with our son at dinner and then here at the house.  Yesterday was his day off but he was called in to help with the noon rush, as I spoke of above.  He was tired and fell asleep on our divan for some of the time he was here.

deAngel, hope your county fair isn't rained out. 

Patricia, glad you are finally seeing some decent and sunny weather.  Your story about Farrah shows how smart she is.  It looks like plan to get her to exercise to get her food may not be working. 

Hal, your locations in Northern Alaska probably didn't have too much to be destroyed in a storm and also the building were undoubtedly built with the high winds and cold in mind.  Having the window blow out in the middle of your movie must have really cooled off the room. 

Good morning.

Larry, I, too, hope that my grand daughter isn't dragging her feet.  You know the young ones tend to keep putting things off.  Her boyfriend is a very sensible guy and hopefully, he has the situation under control.  I am watching the storm news very carefully.  I talked to my son last night, her dad, and he said he hopes they have their mobile home anchored down or it might not be there when they get back.  They were getting it ready to sell, so I hope all their work won't have been in vain.

But, the most important part, is that they are safe.  You can replace everything except lives.  It does sound pretty bad.

I am sure you are far enough inland not to have any big problems. 

Joy

I have the Weather channel on all day long today.  I don't usually have the telly on between nine in the morning until six at night, but today is different, the news is so constant and dreadful.  It is background to everything I am doing today.
I have a dear cousin living near Charleston (Mt. Pleasant), but the news is that she and her husband have packed up and are heading up to Durham, North Carolina to stay with friends for the duration.  They left this morning, and it is normally a five hour drive.  I expect there will be little normal about their trip, however!

Larry, our buildings on site were built like the old WWII hospitals, long hallways and wings running off the hallways.  The hallways tended to warp or heave during the freezing weather/thaws.  Things have changed at the site I was on, considerably, there were about 120 personnel when I was there, the whole site now is run by one person.  And they have a modern brick building.   A picture of the old site can be found at: https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/capenewenham/info  On top of the mountain is what we called "top camp" where the RADOME and radio transceivers were located.  About 12 men stayed up there permanently, including 2 of my radio maintenance men.  There was a tram that run from lower camp to top camp.  You could walk to top but I can promise you it was a chore.

Another day with above average temperatures - maybe even into the mid 70's.  But by Saturday the temps will fall ...  and so will the rain.  By then, though, things should be easing off in the path of Mathew.

Meanwhile, my son, Ken, arrived just after noon yesterday and I've been busy keeping him busy.    I think he'll only be here another day so the jobs that need his strength and know-how need to be taken care of. 

Sorry I haven't been keeping you folks up to date as much as I should, but coming home after a week in the hospital there is sooooo much to contend with, including things such as cleaning stuff out of the refrigerator and getting the garbage gathered and ot of the house, etc., etc.  All that fun stuff!   

Jeanne Lee, it's good to have you back.  I've been watching the Weather Channel to keep track of our members living close to the ocean.  Stay safe!

Mary Ann

Welcome back Jeanne, good to see you post!

Good afternoon from another sunshiny Interior day where the air is crisp and clear, the trees free of leaves, except, of course, spruce and fir. Farrah is enjoying her dry kibble trapped in her tube, and I am just waking up again! I need to find a way to reverse this or I will be going to bed at this time eventually! 

I'm so glad to see Jeanne Lee posting again, and Larry, the Cape Hal was at is closer to the south-east on Alaska's lower eastern coast.It is 1780 miles from Seattle and 632 miles southeast of Fairbanks and 456 miles southeast from Anchorage, which is, of course, 359.1 miles south of Fairbanks on the new highway. It is closer to Deadhorse.

Some fall photos of the Interior and of Farrah.

http://www.seniorsandfriends.org/index.php?topic=11.msg53496#msg53496

http://www.seniorsandfriends.org/index.php?topic=11.msg53510#msg53510

Well, it's Friday, and the 7th of October.  Whoosh, Time goes by so much faster these days!  Do you find it so, as well?
We have a dark day.  No sunshine.  No rain, either.
I stayed up late watching the hurricane news on TV and reading.
Will pretty much follow the same pattern today.  Lower Florida seems to have missed the more dire possibilities from Matthew.

Hi everyone on this Friday morning. After a very busy day yesterday I am anticipating a much quieter day today.  The housekeeper just arrived.I fixed up my frozen fruit and may make some coleslaw to go with our ham for dinner unless Pat feels up to going out to eat for our main meal of the day.  She was feeling a little better and called and got an appointment shortly to get a haircut.  This afternoon I may see if I can get a haircut and a pedicure as my toenails are beginning to bother me.

MaryPage, I think Charleston is still awaiting the arrival of the hurricane as is the rest of South Carolina.

Hal, thanks for the link to the Cape Newenham site.  I apparently am remembered incorrectly where it was located. No wonder you live in Texas.  Have you warmed up yet? 

Jeanne, no apology is needed.  We appreciated your being able to let us know you were in the hospital. Hope your son has been able to help you a lot.

Patricia, I guess I was remembering the Bering Sea as being in the far north part of Alaska.  Thanks for the information on its location.  Farrah looks very content in the pictures. I think we had a similar ring with a ball in it for our cat. 

Amy, I sure hope the surgery went well for your husband today. 

Shirley, sorry you are having problems with your computers and monitors.  I know it can be very frustrating. 

Good morning from the Interior and another night of no sleep. My eye appointment, Larry was moved to Saturday and of course, unless I find some sleep soon, I'll scare any small children I encounter. It's been only a few hours per night since Sunday evening, and it always takes forever to get back into a routine.

Alaska confuses many, Larry. But then I understand little more than the basics for the US eastern coast. Most of Alaska is surrounded by water. To the north and northwest, respectively, are the Beaufort Sea and the Chukchi Sea, both of which merge into the Arctic Ocean. To the southeast is the Gulf of Alaska, which blends into the Pacific Ocean. The Bering Sea is to the southwest.

I'm having my first cup of coffee, and Farrah's been fed, so I think I'll stroll around here a bit and then check my emails.

The sun has come out!  It is not our brightest and best, but it IS the sun, and we are right glad to see it.  This week is the week Annapolis, Sailing Capital of The World, hosts the International Sailboat Show.  Here is our webcam, and it is not what you are USED to seeing.  Remember, be very patient with this one, and you WILL get there!

http://annapolislive.com/annapolis-waterfront-webcam

Larry, Patricia.  The Cape is located on the mainland just above where the chain goes out from the mainland.

We maintained a low frequency beacon navigational aid for aircraft going/coming from the Far east.

Good afternoon, Friends! Gloria from Long Island (DeAngel) called me yesterday to see how we were and I assured her we were going to be OK.  We are located in between Myrtle Beach and North Myrtle Beach which are both mainland beaches and not barrier islands.  The Gov. ordered everything east of Highway 17 business evacuated yesterday and although we are fall in that area, we are three blocks back from the beach and the land rises and goes uphill away from the water so we are about 16 feet above sea level and have never had a problem with the surge in the 50 years we have been here so we plan to stay put.  Our house is very strong and well built.  We evacuated for Hugo in 1989 and Floyd in 1999 but they were projected to  be Cat 4 storms.  No areas west of Hwy 17 business are under evacuation orders.

Our daughter from Charleston is in Seattle until Sunday for a veterinary conference but her husband drove up here today to stay with our son Jim who lives outside the evacuation zone.  The highway patrols would not have let him enter the Evac zone to stay with us and if we leave, we cannot come back to our house until the evacuation order is cancelled.  We are well stocked with all we need to survive and we will be OK.  I think it is significant that none of the rest of Myrtle Beach has been ordered to evacuate.  He lives about ten minutes south of us in Myrtle Beach.

Joy, Pawley's Island is a barrier island and officials are trying to get everyone in trailer parks or "manufactured housing" to go inland.  At this point, I understand all the hotels/motels upstate and even Asheville, NC, are full.  Hope your granddaughter gets along well with securing their trailer and going inland. At this point I'm really glad I don't have an animal to worry about.

I think the evacuations east of Hwy. 17 were designed to get people along the ocean front and visitors to leave and to get out of harm's way.  The beaches south of downtown Myrtle Beach are generally a lower elevation than the ones north of Myrtle Beach where we live.  We are only about ten miles from the NC line.

I really hope nobody is stupid enough to stay to have a hurricane party!  Please don't worry about us.  If things got too bad we could go to Jim's house also! 

Mary Ann, I know Dot is glad she doesn't have a house in Florida to worry about at this point!

Larry, so sorry Pat is having neck pain.  That's really not fun at all when you can't get comfortable to sleep.

Angelface, your cat sounds very entertaining and very intelligent with getting to her food!  Amazing!

Halkel, your Alaska experience is very interesting! 

Mary Page, hope the weather doesn't interfere with the sailing weekend in Baltimore!

Jeanne, glad you are getting back to normal after the hospital stay!

Gotta go!  Bless you all! 

Johann, thanks for stopping in to tell us how things are for you during the hurricane.  I know several of us were (are?) concerned about you and Windell. 

I haven't mentioned it to Dot, but I am sure she is happy to not have the place in Florida now and being October, they would be there. 

We are at the last of our warmer temps and I think there will be no more.  We were at 70 degrees earlier this morning and at 5:35 we are at 60 degrees.

I have been watching TV much of the day.  Information about the hurricane is interesting - as long as I am not in it.

Mary Ann

Good evening.

I just got back here after being out most of the day.  When I got home, I had a nap and never did get around to eating dinner.  I had a big lunch and really wasn't hungry.  But, I might eat a little something before I go to bed.

Johann,  thanks for commenting about my grand daughter.  I finally did hear that they went up to Charlotte to stay with a friend.  I am concerned of what they will find when they get back. But, as I told them, "stuff" can be replaced.  They have an older mobile home, and I know they have been making some improvements getting ready to sell it.  Will just have to wait and see what happens.  I will be watching the Weather Chanel most of the night.  But, thanks for asking.

Glad that you are your family are doing good. 

I am thinking about getting some ice cream.  That should satisfy my sweet tooth.

Have a good night.

Joy

It was so nice to hear from you Johann, we were becoming concerned. And yes Farrah is surprising me with how quickly she learns and adapts!

Hal, I was a little slow to recognize Cape Newenham. Dana Stabenow wrote two series of crime books. Several of those featured Cape Newenham. I think one was centered on the coast at a fishing industry site. There was one that features an air base, but I don't remember if it is the one you talked about.

One of the things I like to do when reading a book is to look up the places described in the books. Maps are especially great for following the action. Try following Oliver Twist through London or Richard Henry Dana in his Two Years Before the Mast. I did the same for the Stabenow series, roaming all over Alaska via maps.

Oh, BTW, Good Morning to all. Hope everyone along the southern East Coast, including my sister and her husband, will fare well through the storm.

Hi everyone on a very rainy morning here in South Carolina.  My rain gauge shows we had almost 2 inches of rain since late yesterday afternoon but it appears the impact of the Hurricane is moving away from our area although a lot of the State is still being battered with heavy rains and winds that will go on for quite awhile today.  There was no wind damage in this area as far as I have heard.  The forecast shows a zero chance of rain tomorrow.

Mary Ann, it sounds like you are well into fall up your way. 

Yesterday didn't turn out as I had thought it might.  It was a very good day as Pat finally showed some significant signs of improvement.  She was able to get her hair cut and then about 2:30 we went out for a nice lunch/dinner at Texas Roadhouse.  She was so glad to get out of the house for awhile.  This morning she didn't feel the need to use the walker when she got up for the first time.  She still has a long ways to go but it is encouraging to her and to me.  I didn't have to cook anything yesterday although did fix my frozen fruit.  I plan on staying in today and will get the pedicure and haircut on Monday.

Patricia, I hope your eye appointment today goes well.   So sorry you are not able to get the sleep you need.

Johann, sure hope you are OK as see on the weather the storm is right over your area although it looks like it is probably past North Myrtle Beach.  I guess I didn't realize North Myrtle Beach and Myrtle Beach were two distinct areas.  South Carolina is sure getting pounded. 

Joy, I know you were glad to learn that your granddaughter had safely evacuated. 

MarsGal, I read two or three of Dana Stabenow books and really enjoyed them.  Do hope your sister and BIL fare well through the Hurricane. 

Mornin all.  Noticed some leaves on the grass this morning when I opened the shades.  Guess Fall is officially here in my little corner of the world.  LOL

Hope you all have a great day and Hugs all around,

Larry, my sister and BIL are in Wilmington, NC, not on "higher" ground a few miles inland. They're all set after stocking up and with an emergency generator to at least keep their fridge going.

Good afternoon, It's plus 52 here on a crisp, beautiful sunny day. We are to remain so at least through the 15th. It's quite a change from those wet summer days! I left early this morning to catch the bus for my eye appointment and just recently returned.

The appointment went well. Apparently,  the cataract they first noticed a few years back has only grown a small bit, so he thought no surgery for another five years if it stays at such a slow rate. I did get a new prescription, but no significant changes. Thanks to Medicare, it was an inexpensive outing!

I met a friend, and we drove out to her place in North Pole for lunch and a visit. We gave her daughter and daughter's friend a ride as well. The daughter's friend, an Army wife, has been here going on her second winter, works at a mall and since she enters the highway, off the base to go to her work, has never been in town. Yet, she says there's nothing to do in Fairbanks, no huge malls, clubs or water parks!

So we have five rivers, several store anchored malls and a number of events but only two dance clubs,(Nothing like outside with doorkeepers!); and a whole slew of University events, community and museum events as well as several dance troops, theatrical and musical groups, chamber music, and concerts, sports and other bars. Yet there is nothing to do in a place she has not even bothered to investigate!

A couple of surprises about the small city of North Pole. Fairbanks is situated at a higher elevation, and we are partially on the foothills as well as the valley floor. We are surrounded by forests and five rivers with the accompanying sloughs, creeks, ponds, lakes and hot springs. This week has been in the early fifties, going down to plus 21 to plus 23 after midnight. We have a small amount of frost in the mornings that quickly burns off.

North Pole, 26 miles to the south, is on flat ground, part of a flood plain with fox tails and tussocks and a river running on the north side and the south side. The city and surrounding area are on the average, about 20 degrees cooler and some of their smaller creeks remain frozen at one in the afternoon. Their grocery store, parking lot, had a large puddle in one corner, that had apparently been frozen at one time, and there were ice chunks from where cars had driven over or through it.

Now, why is a town 26 miles south of us colder by ten or more degrees? Is it the higher elevation, more buildings or something else I don't understand? I would think we would be colder because of the amount of water in and around Fairbanks. One of life's little mysteries.

MaryPage, the lady that left me at Walmart and then swore up and down that I had abandoned her, is moving out! Apparently, our residents aren't  that friendly.

One of the guys mentioned that he toured the apartments she's moving to. The building is smaller, no inside common rooms or trash slots in the walls, or any 24/7 coffee and baked goods in their common room. The three-story building has only the one lobby based common room compared to our one on each of the five floors plus extra with kitchen on the first floor. But then ours is privately owned and where she's moving is a state provided senior living building.

The lady who was babysitting her eight grandkids, on my floor has been moved to a nursing home. Is it wrong of me to think all those grandkids and her daughters' dumping them on her free of charge five to six days a week probably had something to do with it?

Also, the religious group has not been seen since Sunday. I guess sharing the room with guys having coffee and a large group assembled for Bingo twice weekly didn't appeal to them?

Now before you think I'm sitting around with the girls gossiping, I'll have you know I joined the guys sitting out front gabbing, and heard all this and more from them!   

Good morning everyone!

I see I goofed on my last post. My sister says she is on higher ground, out of the flood zone, but not by much. She will call us after the storm passes, but I am not expecting to hear from her at least until tomorrow.

Angel, guys are just as big on gossiping as the gals. Their focus is sometimes different than ours though.

Hi everyone on a beautiful cool and sunny Sunday morning here in South Carolina.  A lot of our State has been adversely affected by the Hurricane and now some areas are facing flooding as the recovery period starts.  Today will be my usual Sunday with Sunday School and Church and then picking up something to bring home for lunch. 

Yesterday Pat had a very good day, which made two in a row, and wasn't even using her walker.  She helped me with a couple of things in the kitchen, including stuffing the peppers that I made the filling for using cauliflower rather than rice with the meat, sauce and spices.  They cooked on low all afternoon and were very good. She was able to sleep in her own bed last night rather than the easy chair but she isn't up yet so haven't had a report on how well she slept during the night.

I will limit comments today as have less than an hour before needing to leave for Church and still have to fix Pat's breakfast.

Oh, Patricia, that is interesting news.  And yes, I would harbor no doubts that being the adult in charge of 8 grandchildren daily would be a killer for one old lady.  Nature made us strong to raise up our young when WE are still young, but then we grow frailer and less able to cope, and they are meant to cater to OUR needs!  Well, her family is discovering these truths, probably with some chagrin, one would hope, but SHE is paying the price.
As for that really weird woman, I fear she may be needing to downsize due to her financial situation, and is covering up the facts with criticism of the place you live in.  Typical.  I would sum up by guessing she has probably led a pretty difficult life and has survived by telling one lie after another.
There are so many Billions of human beings living lives of great deprivation on this planet, I find myself being utterly selfish and ungrateful when I enumerate my own miseries!

Good morning from a still dark morning Interior! Farrah has had breakfast and is on her table alert to any new outside happenings. While I have had my morning ablutions and now enjoying my first of many cups of coffee. After yesterday, today will be mainly spent with only the usual chores and enjoying visiting everyone on my computer!

I know that gossiping is typical, but I feel somewhat guilty doing it as I never used to resort to that in my working life and I just feel it is such a generalisation of older ladies. I feel somewhat embarrassed to be a gossip! 

And yes, Larry, it is indeed nice to have the "North Pole," so close at hand! 

MaryPage, please see my earlier remarks per my gossiping. And yes, those kids did irritate, running in the hallways and taking over our floor's common room with children's videos on the monitor, I feel guilty that I'm enjoying the quiet but perhaps she is too. As for that woman, her many "excuses and explanations" turned off many here that would have been good friends with her!

I know the public homes for seniors, those with families or disabilities are probably nice and that we are paying for the small and large conveniences here that we do enjoy, but I am still glad that after a lifetime of working, that I get to enjoy them! And I feel guilty for feeling that way too!  ::

Hello, my name is Patricia and I have an addiction, I'm a typical old lady....

Hi everyone on a chilly morning for us here in South Carolina.  It was 58 this morning with a high of 72 predicted for the next couple of days with clear skies.  So this week is starting out great. 

I did get to Sunday School and Church but we decided to eat somethings we had here rather than to bring something in.  I listened to some of Don's radio program and then turned on the TV and watched Georgia beat South Carolina in the make up game that had been cancelled on Saturday due to the storm.  I then watched the Atlanta Falcons game as they beat Denver without too much difficulty.  Pat had another good day yesterday, which is so encouraging.  While she is not without pain she at least is not crying out in pain when she moves a certain way. 

Patricia, you don't need a watch dog since you have a watch cat.    There are some very interesting people everywhere and I guess that is what keeps life interesting.