She's a Beotch and her name is: HURRICANE IRENE!

Greetings Readers,
Well we made the choice to weather the storm and decided to stay in our little home in Maryland. We are about 2 hours west of Ocean City. Right now we have wind gusts that are reasonable if compared to my time when I was station on the small and windy island of Adak, Alaska.  The eye of the storm is just about making land fall in North Carolina, so we have not even begun to fell the effects of an angry woman call Hurricane Irene.  We have taken all the necessary precautions, batteries, toilet paper, can goods, propane for the gas grill and so on and so fourth.  We know that in a matter of hours, ourselves and millions of other people up and down the east coast will be without power.  It is usually when the lights go out, my family and I realized just how much we take electricity for granted.


This reminds me of a conversation that my husband and I have every time we anticipate loosing our power. I have asked him, if we could have lived in a different time and place, when and where would it be?  His answer, out on the prairie during the days of the ole' West. Your car was a horse, not a lot of people, no traffic, fresh air, crops and livestock you managed yourself to take care of your family. (He smiles ear to ear as he tells of this image of a simple life he has created.)  Now me, I always ask him, if you lived back then, you'd be plowing your fields with two four legged friends named Clive and Curtis.  By living in the now, you can have 255 horses doing the job for you and they go by one name - Case International.  I'm always trying to find a way to make my sweetheart show me his addicting smile.


My husband is a very strong man, and even if he is worried, nervous or scared about something, he is one smooth operator...no pun intended, you see he is the most skilled equipment operator I have ever seen. He is the only one I know that can make operating an excavator look like a smooth ballet move. Such grace and consistency. I tell him this all the time, but he won't give himself the credit that is do.


So OK, where am I going with all of this.  In about three hours or so, we are about to feel the full effects of Hurricane Irene. A family member called and asked if I had seen the current weather reports, all I can say if these new reports are accurate (it's heading straight for our location), it could spell big trouble for us and one heck of an assault on our homeowners insurance. You see, behind us on our neighbors property are several very old and very oversized oak trees that are in dire need of being taken down.  With all the rain we have had this year and now the additional rain and high winds, we fear that the only thing coming down in relation to these trees are my kitchen and/or dining room of our house. I know my husband is concerned, as so am I, but for our kids, we have our game faces on and have them safely in the basement with our generator in the garage and provisions downstairs ready to go at a moments notice for what ever the situation may be. Yikes, speaking of conditions, I do believe that our hours of power are about to be few and far between, days between.

Irene has given us her cue that she is gaining grown with a few warning flickers of the electricity, usually after three we are in the dark. I've enjoyed writing to you all and I will finish this when we are back on line, until then stay safe and stay dry. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxdmw4tJJ1Y&ob=av3e

This video was done at 5:21pm EST.

The storm is still about 3.5 hours from our location.

Got a lot of rain and wind gusts,

 but I think I can safely say, we haven't seen anything yet.

In the yard beside my husbands truck, our new
neighbors just lost a tree.

A dragon Fly is frozen in time
on my window by Hurrican Irene, 2011
pictures and video above by: Stacey L. Bolin

This is a picture of the parking lot in

Ocean City on Aug 27, 2011.

This is the effect of Hurrican Irene on it's way.

This was the same place where Reese, Nikki and I were

about two weeks ago when we went there for the day. 

Photographer: Unknown found this on the internet.

"Bellows in the Mist" Sneak peak - Due out 2012

Play music link below for full effect. ENJOY!
Please note that the title: Bellows in the Mist" has had a title change to "Deemed Crazy" due out 2012.
"Bellows in the Mist" By Stacey L. Bolin
 Copyright August 2011 All rights reserved

                                              PROLOGUE

“What is wrong with me” she thought. With each cautious step she took around the room, she kept hearing his voice in her mind.  She knew what he told her and she heard him loud and clear – She was never to go there alone, it wasn’t safe.  Her breathing became labored as she tried to anticipate what was lurking within the mist that was slowly entombing the cabin.  Something or someone was out there walking around, and her instinct was screaming for her to get out of there - fast!  Suddenly there was a loud crack, like the sound of a limb breaking from the old oak tree near the front porch that sent a cold, bitter chill of uneasiness through her body. Fear had certainly gotten its grips on her and it had no intentions of letting her go. 

“How can a person with such a passion for horror movies and haunted houses, be such a scaredy-cat?” She muttered to herself.  “Hiding in this place won’t be easy with such an extremely open concept, and hiding in one of the three bedrooms, I’ll be found for sure.” The sound of her breathing, and the endless tick, tick, tick, of the clock was all that filled the air.  Feeling crazed and wanting to protect herself, she grabbed a fire poker from the utensil display on the hearth. Whatever and whoever it was, was going to get a big surprise.

“Maybe it was Jon, maybe he had followed her up here, or someone told him she was going to Bellow Falls.” She wanted so much to think it was Jon and this would be the one and only time she’d be looking forward to an argument.  Heavy footsteps slowly made their way to the front door. She stood there, paralyzed with the horror of what was on the other side of the door. The knob was tried, but she had been smart enough to lock it.

“They can’t get in without a key.” She thought with a small sense of relief, until she heard the sound of metal rattling in the key hole and then a click - the door was unlocked. “Please go away, please, God, make them go away.” She whispered and whimpered.

She’d seen horror movies when zombies and murderers had been bludgeoned to death by a fire poker, so why can’t she do the same, especially if her life was in danger. “I’ve got to hide.”

Trying to make her body smaller and undetectable as possible, she crouched into a fetal position on her legs as close to the floor as she could, but stayed in the dark shadow down by the edge of the couch, while constantly keeping a firm grip on her make shift weapon. The door slowly opened letting the rays of pale light from the full moon filter in through the mist silhouetting the image that stood in the doorway.

“Hello? Is anyone in here?  I saw a light on earlier.  You can’t fool me anymore. Hello?”

She knew the voice, but still feared revealing herself. “I am such an idiot.” She thought. “I’m told never to come up here alone, that it wasn’t safe, but what do I do? I do it anyways, and now I’m hiding, in total fear, in a place that doesn’t belong to me.  What the blazes was I thinking?”

“Look I know someone is in here, I suggest you show yourself!  RIGHT NOW!  I have a gun and I am not afraid to use it!”

Against her better judgment, but knowing she was going to be found sooner or later, she pulled herself up and stood near the couch.

“So, it is you.” The tone of voice was filled with sheer disgust and agitation. Do you know how much trouble you have caused!  What kind of person does this to people! WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?!”

Sweat began to bead across her forehead as she watched the moonlight dance across the polished barrel of the gun. Something told her, that her wrought iron poker was the wrong choice of protection.

“I should have done this a long time ago! I must have been out of my mind to think you’d just fade away on your own. But no you kept on, phone calls, letters, and text messages! The lies…all the LIES! You didn’t know when to quit! Hurting everyone! Including ME!”  The voice had changed it was different, almost sinister and she knew that she needed to do something, anything or someone was going to get hurt.

“Why are you treating me this way?” She screamed as her heart began to pound deep and hard inside her chest as she watched the barrel of the gun begin to rise up towards her. “We both wanted this!” “It was not just me! Please NO! PLEASE!  I PROMISE! I’LL GO AWAY…PLEASE!”

***

The lake was still as the moon cast its reflection upon the partially misty covered water. The forest would have seemed frozen in time if not for the occasional sounds of an owl that would fill the late night air. All was peaceful and serene as it has always been in Bellow Falls. Suddenly the sound of a single gunshot filled the air and echoed repeatedly across the water towards the water fall. Birds screeched as they flew briskly out of their nests, while the sounds of unknown animals running frantically through the forest indicated they were trying to flee the unknown danger.  The forest was crazy for a few short moments, then just as quickly as it had become chaotic; things once again, became tranquil.

           

Photo by: Allison "Nikki" Greever  Pasadena, Maryland
This photo and the music below was my inspiration.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nfj3EG1qZRU&feature=related

Earthquake Felt in Annapolis Maryland

Wow, I have lived in California and felt their earthquakes. I lived in Adak, Alaska, and really felt their earthquakes. But have to say for a 5.9 with the epicenter in VA, wow what a punch. I was walking in a Five Below store in Annapolis, Maryland with my oldest son and his girlfriend Sarah Temple. I felt a movement under my feet that was strange at first, then was all to familar when we were suddenly hit with the jolt. My son, never experiencing this before, questioned to his girlfriend "Why is someone moving the wall?" I stood in the middle of the store, then my instinct kicked in, probably due to my prior address, "Get into a door jam, don't run outside." I thought as my heart was pounding in my chest. 
in about 15 seconds it was over. That was the longest 15 minutes I have faced in a long time. It is very humbling to know that even when you think you
have control, this makes you realize how much you really don't and how small one really is in this massive thing called a universe. 

I am happy to report my husband and boys are fine. I hope this blog finds all of you and your families fine too. Below are some news reports to mark this event and then local information from our home town too.


http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44245009/ns/us_news-life/t/congress-pentagon-other-dc-areas-evacuate-after-quake/?GT1=43001

http://www.annapolis.gov/Residents/News/11-08-23/Earthquake_Shakes_Annapolis.aspx