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Now why did I go and assure people that no trees would fall on the house.

It's tempting fate, and I should know better.

Have I learned nothing from my father?  

The storm ripped out two of the three top spires of the pine tree and threw them down.

But no one was hurt and the roof looks more or less waterproof.

Though José was startled to find pine branches so suddenly outside his window.

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Rhode Island is being dealt a glancing blow by this "hurricane wrapped in a nor'easter" as the governor of Pennsylvania called it.  She's enough to flood the coastlines and drive most people inland.  So far, she packs enough wind to rattle the windows and cause the trees to dance, drunk and dangerous.  I don't expect the power to stay on much longer.

But we keep a hurricane pantry in the cellar, with a good supply of food and fresh water.  The rain barrel has forty gallons or so -- another barrel of 25 gallons in the basement.  The freezer is packed with frozen bottles of ice to coast a ways through any power outage.  If it gets cold, the wood stove will supply warmth, the camp stove will heat our coffee, and we have solar lanterns, candles and oil lamps for the light.

As long as no trees tumble down upon us, we should come through fine to the other side.  (And for any anxious friends,  stop worrying! no trees are going to tumble onto us.)  Our thoughts are with those who are really in the direct path of this thing.

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