Wednesday, September 1, 2010

What will September bring?

September is here, and with it comes the end of summer.  Oh, that's not for another few weeks or so, but the end of this very strange season is rapidly approaching.  This is probably an understatement of the highest degree, but this has been one of the hottest, driest Maine summers I can remember, and I've lived here for all but a half dozen of my 70 plus years. 

September is starting out right where August ended.  Hot weather with temperatures in the 90s is a definite beginning.  A hurricane, or at least its effects, will also visit us.  Naturally, the super hype by local broadcasters has already begun.  Outside the weather, September begins the election season for me.  I don't recognize it until today, actually Monday, Labor Day.  What else?  We'll know in about 30 days.

Not including the storm that may be approaching for later this week, I've experienced one of the worst thunder storms I've ever seen.  The Gator home was struck by lightning in late July.  Gator Wife and I were in our den watching TV when for my first time, a bolt of lightning flew across the room between us and the TV and striking a phone.  Simulataneously a clap of thunder, perhaps the loudest I've ever heard, sounded as if it were in the middle of the room.

It caught our attention.  It also caught every phone in the house along with my furnace, my heart information tranmisstion device, our irrigation system, Invisible Fence, and garage door opener.  For some reason it skipped right over our TV, the cable box, the phone/internet modem, and all my computer equipment.  Those devices were all being protected by universal surge protection equipment.

There was no damage to the house or garage structures and within 48 hours, fast responding service folk of the various companies had everything back to normal.  It was an expensive ordeal, especially getting the furnace fixed, but my only cost was the deductible of my home owner's insurance.  Even the insurance company was fast resonding as I had my claim paid within two weeks.

But that's all history.  Now I'm joining you in wondering what, if anything, will visit us as the weekend approaches.  I do have my supply of toilet paper in, however.

You'll notice there aren't any pictures of Gator Golden included here.  Last weekend I took my trusty camera outside to get some new pictures.  The sun was high and seeing images in the viewing screen was a total impossibility.  The camera takes beautiful pictures but I will never again buy one that does not have an eye piece view finder.  I was unable to get any new pictures.

GiM

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