Our gate stopped squeaking

Many visitors come up to the caretaker’s house on Deal Island – to say hello, ask us how we got here, ask about weather reports, walks, fishing. They are announced by our squeaky gate. We don’t have a doorbell but when the gate squeaks, we are forewarned. I don’t believe anyone has oiled it since we were here four years ago and I don’t plan to either.

It won’t be squeaking for at least the next week. Today the wind has gusted to almost 70 knots and similar weather is forecast for the next week. The wind whistles through the house. When we came back from checking the rainfall this morning, my vision was weird. My eyeballs were reacting to bp being pummeled in my head and showed me a central, spinning fan-like image.

Today was rainy and windy. The rain should let up but we can expect gale force winds for the next week. We could watch the pressure fall on the barometer in the radio room. Our anemometer showed sustained wind of 40 knots with gusts to 50. There was a time when I was mildly obsessed with the Beaufort Scale. We have force 6 – 8 winds, walking is extremely difficult. No mention of eyeballs vibrating.

The wind did something to this feather unless there’s a curly raven species.

This was all preceded by another lovely sunset. So much for, “Red sky at night, sailor’s delight”.

Gales keep the visitor count down and the fence quiet.

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Hold onto your hat

Yesterday’s weather was exciting. Top wind speed was 48 knots (55 mph), which classifies it as a Storm on the Beaufort Scale. I couldn’t walk against it. The weather station recorded it as the highest for the year and gave a wind warning and told us to hold onto our hats. It was so loud we couldn’t hear the foghorn.

The rider mower and the weather station are my two favorite gadgets here. The jury is still deciding if the mower is going to remain on island but I think I may have fixed the temperature sensor on the weather station by connecting a wire, which was loose.

We had already boarded up the house and put outdoor furniture, grills and planters away. Our only casualty was a broken oar on the dinghy. We checked the boat during the strong winds and it was secure but there was a new moon and very high tide and it must have been tossed around.

The dinghy was fine, except for sand and seaweed washed into it
 but the working end of paddle broke off and rendered it useless. We had a few extra oars in the boat house and I drilled a hole in one for the oarlock and it looks fine. It’s too rough to test it today because it’still very windy but we should get a chance tomorrow.

Batten down the hatches

The third nor’easter of our stay is passing by today.  A gale with wind and rain. It’s not raining yet but there’s a fresh breeze from the north.

We took advantage of fair weather yesterday to board up the keeper’s house and other buildngs in preparation for our departure this weekend. Now we look though grates in the first floor windows. Nice jail. 

Last night, Tim thought he heard voices, no music, on a couple of occasions and I heard footsteps. Hmmm. Maybe someone’s happy we are getting ready to leave.

Beaufort Wind Scale

 Seguin history and ghosts 

Revised Beaufort Scale

Well we’ve been in Edgartown for a week but for several days we didn’t leave the cabin except to check mooring lines.  The run of bad weather has past and we are taking off  today and will be working our way back to NY.   We are in the process of buying a house in the Adirondacks (getting paperword done from a boat sure is fun) and I am looking forward to settling into it for the winter.    After rationalizing  that I didn’t need and wouldn’t miss my stuff (life’s possessions) that I packed away in storage more than a year ago, I am looking forward to reuniting with it.  Actually, I can’t even remember what is there and, except for old photographs, have found that I certainly don’t need it.   I am looking forward to getting back to  my spinning wheel and working on the fleece I have already scoured from Terhune orchards.

Photos to follow.  I’ve been waking early lately and saw a house alit with yellow with pink skies (not red).  It’s nice to see some blue for a change.  I’ve worked out a new Beaufort scale for wind speed.  At 15 knots the cat litter blows out of the box when it’s on the trampoline.   At 20 knots, Shirley’s ears get pinned back and she can’t walk against it.   At 40 knots I like to sleep or listen to my ipod, loudly.