Winter’s blankets of white, the long-awaited buds of spring
accompanied by the run of maple sap,
summer’s bouquets, and the magnificent palette of autumn:

all are feasts for the senses, and lead to the characteristic New England feeling
of existing in tandem with, and often at the mercy of, the great forces of nature.”
- Tom Shachtman

[did I mention we drove to the top of Mt. Washington? More photos to come...]

In order that man might have the pleasure of caressing the lion.  – Fernand Mery

By the time Irene reached us on Sunday afternoon, she had lost a considerable amount of her power. Though not nearly the worst storm we’ve ever experienced, she still managed to batter us with high winds and churn the ocean into a frenzy.

Of course, our power lines faint at the mere sight of wind, so – powerful or not - we prepared ourselves for the likelihood that Irene would leave us in the dark. She did not disappoint.

But credit must go to Central Maine Power. Before I left for work on Sunday night, before the winds had even died down, our electricity was restored. I’m pretty sure that sets the record for our shortest ever storm-related outtage. Considering that so many people in our area are still without power, I count it as a great blessing.

The extent of the damage that Irene caused wasn’t clear until the next morning.

High winds snapped a large tree right in half, and deposited the top half on the roof of our cabin.

The upside: ready-made kindling.