Buildings, Floods and Risk Tolerance

Our first house was on the Passaic river. We purchased it knowing it was likely we'd have water in the basement on occasion and that we'd need to have flood insurance. We were young and felt quite invulnerable.

In the 17 years we lived in that house, we had 2 floods where between 1 and 2 feet of water filled the basement. By the second flood, we kept nothing of value down there. Flood insurance costs over the period more than tripled from around $800/year to more than $2500/year. We made only one claim for $1600 after the first flood in all that time.

When buying our second house, we made sure we were not in a flood zone. The Sudbury river runs through the town, however, and cut off parts of the town for over a week in April 2010.

I told this history to explain why I was so amazed at the destruction and rebuilding happening on the Outer Banks in North Carolina, where we spent our recent vacation.

We stayed in a lovely house with 4 other families. It was just across the road from the beach. From the top floor we could see the ocean out the front windows and the bay out the back.

The house we stayed in sat in a swamp near where there had been an ocean breakthrough in a recent storm.

The house 2 doors down to the right was tilted and condemned. The third house to the left had no ground left underneath it. The supports that held it up were in a swamp. Its pool sat unevenly and was filled with swampy water. Surprisingly, there was a FOR SALE sign in front of that house.

Notice the swampy pool and house standing in water.

Across the road on the beach, a family camped in their house with no water or electricity that had lost its first floor. Each day the owner worked to replace it. The stairs to the house were not complete. The inhabitants carried up their supplies on a ladder to the first stair platform.

Notice the ladders up to the stair landing.

When I took my morning walks I saw many damaged, abandoned houses. I also saw many that had been rebuilt even though water came up under them at high tide.

The orange and white sign on this house gave spa rules, but the hot tub was gone.

My husband found this video that showed the storm damage that had occurred in August 2011. The area we stayed last week is shown starting at 4 mins 50 seconds. The house that I show above without stairs is currently the last house on the this section of beach. In the video there are 2 more houses farther along that no longer exist. You can see one of them very well in its precarious position at 7 mins 30 seconds.





As I walked along the beach early each morning I pondered, "How do people buy here? Why do they rebuild when they've watched houses next to theirs fall into the surf?" I thought about the rising sea level and stronger storms expected as our climate changes. It made me so anxious.

Then I thought about how much my family enjoyed coming to these Outer Banks beaches, how the kids (and adults) loved playing in the warm surf. I thought about how much fun we have spending time here with a large group of friends. What if I were willing to take more risks? There are owners here who take the risk and get to live in this vacation paradise. They don't vacation here for a week. They get to walk the beach any day of the year. But they take great chances.

In my life, I often feel like I'm preparing for the worst. I'm insuring against a dangerous future rather than living well in the present. I doubt I could change so much that I could buy a flood prone beach house, but I'd like to take more chances, fret less, and have more fun. Seeing how people in precarious situations move forward is an example to challenge me.

Back from NC

written yesterday, posted this morning

We got back this afternoon from our 3rd trip to North Carolina. It's a wonderful vacation with friends of Doug's from college days and their families. Each time we have rented a big house and stuffed it full of kids, snacks and boogie boards, game boards, and fun fun fun. There's lots of activity, noise, sand, alcoholic beverages, freedom for kids, bobbing in warm waves, hot tubbing and renewing friendships.

But for this evening, I'm glad to be back in my quiet comfortable home.

All the doors and windows are open to cool off the house and clear the stale air. I hear the constant noise of crickets and the occasional car go by.

I'm noticing that all of a sudden the dark of night is coming earlier.

I see that the garden is overgrown with weeds, but there were lots of purple green beans hidden among them. They became part of dinner.

The majority of unpacking is done, and I'm looking forward to doing some organizing tomorrow when R is at camp and J is sailing. I do like my alone time, and that is rare on the NC vacation... only during 6am sunrise walks.

 

 It was amazing and intense spending the past month in close quarters with my hubby and kids for the majority of our days. The kids are growing so fast, learning new skills, becoming so independent.





Time with my hubby is sweet, no rush, no fuss. Instead, relaxing walks and silly talks.

 

A Vacation Full of Physical Challenges

Here are some special moments from one of the best vacations we've ever taken. It was a "deluxe" camping trip with Backroads. "Deluxe" means that after we hiked, biked or walked up the Narrows at Zion National Park, we would come to our campground to cold drinks and appetizers. The tents would be set up and dinner would be cooking. All the preparation, shopping and lugging was done for us. In addition, the wonderful group leaders guided us to wonderful experiences, encouraged us to try new things, and were supportive as we challenged ourselves.

Heading out on a beautiful hike through the "hoodoos" at Bryce.

 

 

 

 

On the bike trail though Red Canyon.

Canyoneering near Zion National Park

This was taken about half way up a 1500 ft elevating 4 mile hike. Up and up the switchbacks.

Kicking back on Mexican Fiesta night in camp.

Sharing the Share

I'm making an effort to describe how we use the CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) share we get each week. I showed pictures of the farm during our end of season party last year in this post. This CSA and others work by having a farmer paid early and up front to buy his seeds and employ his workers with the promise that shareholder will receive a portion of the crop each week. What you receive is based on what is growing well. Shareholders benefit in wonderful years and take the risks with the farmer in times of drought or blight.

 This is our 5th year of doing a CSA with 2 different farmers and we've never been disappointed. It has really expanded the kinds of vegetables we eat. I had to do quite a bit of cookbook and recipe searching the first time I got fennel and turnips and so many greens. But now I can whip up so many different things no matter what arrives. I've become very experimental and capable.

Here is a photo of last week's box unpacked. It includes fava beans, turnips, lettuces, cucumbers, beets, carrots, chard, summer squashes, fennel, cilantro, fresh garlic and some other herbs. This is a typical early summer box. But it will be very different in a few weeks in full summer with tomato and eggplant. Fall brings other root crops and winter squashes. The produce changes week by week throughout the season.



My lunches for much of the week looked like this perhaps with a cheese or egg sandwich added if I was very hungry. There are veggies from the share, peas from our own garden, blue cheese crumbles. I dress it lightly with balsamic vinegar.



One of the first nights I made veggie pancakes with squashes, carrots, garlic, cilantro with potatoes, onion, eggs, flour, salt and pepper added from the pantry.

Ingredients are shredded by hand with a box shredder.

 

Frying about 5 minutes per side in vegetable oil. I drain them on paper towels and they are great served with apple sauce, salsa or sour cream.

 

Another night was greens with pasta and sausage. Sadly, I was too anxious to eat, and forgot to take a photo of the completed dish. But here are the chopped ingredients: turnip greens, beet greens and chard. In the glass pot are onions and fennel sliced. I saute 1/2 lb sausage from the farm across the street, add the onions and fennel when there is no pink left in the sausage. When those are soft I add the greens and steam for just a few minutes. While all that's going on, I boil a pound of pasta. It gets added to the veggie/sausage mix along with romano cheese. YUM! This is a common and flexible recipe for us. This feeds our family of 4.



Here's a salad night finishing up what's left before today's share comes. Three salads plus eggs with cheese.  There's shredded carrot salad with raisins soaked with a little orange juice and honey. Squash sauteed with a few peas and green beans from our garden, and green mix with roasted beets.

City Outing (Fleet Week)

The last post showed one of our recent outings to natural places. We often go to local beaches, woods, and gardens. Soon, we'll be off to our summer vacation in some of the most striking landscapes in the United States  But we live near one of the greatest cities, Boston. As a transplant to the area, I've fallen in love with the history, the charm, the Atheneaum, old bookstores, Beacon Hill, the Harbor, and more. July 4th celebrations here are living history.

This year the July 4th celebrations coincided with Fleet Week and the 200th anniversary of the war of 1812. The war was won largely because of the USS Constitution, a Navy frigate built in Boston that defeated 5 British ships. The Constitution is now a Boston museum. It makes a yearly trip from Charlestown to Castle Island, where it explodes its cannons, and sails back (it doesn't really go by sail now).

USS Constitution closeup

Those sailors on the sidearms give you an idea of the size of this ship.

 The photos that follow are from both Saturday June 30th when a number of international ships came into the Harbor and Wednesday July 4th when there were flyovers and water parades. Thanks D, I used some of your photos.

The Coast Guard Eagle

I love seeing the sailors on the yardarms.

The sailors on the top yardarms are women.

Tug boats helped the boats park along a wharf.

Boston's World Trade Center is not very tall or showy.

A Blue Angel flyover

What's a flyover without parachutists jumping out of planes?

Colorful Flags were everywhere

A fireboat welcomes the tall ships.

The kids no longer like getting their picture taken, especially in the hot sun.

R found a shady spot.

These guys were on their way to set up a recruiting tent. The ICA's shady bleachers are in the backround.

Here's the view from the windows of the ICA above those bleachers. Awesome!

We headed into the Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA) to see a new exhibit and cool off. We primarily wanted to see the art of Josiah McElheny. His favorite medium is glass. He explores the properties of mirrors, art and the universe with his sparkling, reflective works.

one of McElheny's universes

Another wonderful day in the city. Such days can alter your perspective.

Father's Day Outings

Happy Father's Day and Hello Summer!

Helpful dads hold your kite.

A Father's Day tradition is forming for us. It seems to have taken a while since the kids are 16 and 11, but since we've come to MA, we head out to gorgeous, nearby nature spots each year. Last year we visited World's End, and this year, Crane Beach. Both are properties of the Trustees of Reservations, a wonderful group that preserves historical and natural places around the state.

Doug, looking very cool with those glasses

They certainly look like Dad and son.

I bet great brothers become great dads.

The afternoon celebration began at Woodman's, a famous clam shack (In fact, their founder invented fried clams!). The line for their steamed lobsters, fried clams and fish, corn and chowder spreads down the road even though there are many other nearby restaurants featuring fish that have no lines. Is it that everyone likes the outdoor dining on those great red and white checked picnic tables by the marsh? Is it the ice cream shack selling Gifford's terrific ice cream on the property? Is it the relatively low prices for great food in a relaxed atmosphere? I like all those things, but I can't compare it to them to the other local restaurants because I haven't been in them. Rather we join the line, lasting about an hour, for Woodman's. Does the line create the demand... or the demand create the line?

Filled with our delicious lobster, fish, corn, and the greatest onion rings... we head for the beach. We arrive as most people are leaving or have gone to dinner. The sand is cooling, the sun's strength is waning, and warmed water fills the tide pools. For me, late afternoon is the best time to hit the beach. When is your favorite time to go to the beach? What is your favorite beach?

Endings, Beginnings

Firstly, a big thank you to all who read this blog. It passed 10,000 views between the last post and this one. If you enjoy the blog please comment. It's nice to know people are out there.
 

Our church had a retirement ceremony and party yesterday for the minister who is retiring after 38 years. I am so glad to have gotten to hear his sermons for about 2 1/2 of those years. His preaching and this church community have opened my eyes to what religious practice can be. It took over 40 years to find a congregation and message from a church or temple that didn't sound like hypocrisy to me. (One might say I had been wandering in a religious desert.) The message here is that everyone is valuable, that our Earth is a gift we need to protect for the future, and that hope and love are here now in this life.

Ken speaking at his retirement celebration

The message at church over the last few weeks is that the congregation is this church. While this minister (and our wonderful ministerial intern) are leaving, the community will continue. Over the next two years a very experienced interim minister will guide us in finding a new minister to fit our community. New staff will bring new ideas and fresh talent into our midst, while keeping some lovely traditions like flower Sunday. For that last service of the year, everyone brings a flower and takes another flower home to share the beauty and friendship of our community. Also, everyone writes their favorite church memory of the year on a post-it flower petal, and they are read by the staff to the congregation drawing cheers and applause.

Ken, Kevin and Lisa Maria read and post this year's petals.

Sermons are thoughtful and fun with such engaged ministers

Many of us are hoping that Kevin, our musical, ministerial intern, will finish school and return to us. He has been such a gentle, thoughtful presence. One of the highlights of this church year was a musical celebration he organized in May. I have been amazed by all the great musical talent in this church since I started attending, but this evening brought out the best in everyone: Will and Beth on guitar, Jennie on the violin, Kevin, Lisa Maria and Polly on piano, Becky on flute, the amazing vocal talents of Samantha and Maddie. Kevin also joined us in the bell choir that evening and included us in a piece with violin, piano, bells and the voices of the audience performing Blue Boat Home. The whole evening was magical. That evening and many Sunday church services truly fill my heart.

Polly the music director introduces the choir at Ken's celebration

Bells in sinc at our final performance of the year

The postlude to the service right before the party was our bell choir performance of Ashokan Farewell, The Civil War anthem. It had a tenderness that we'd been trying to get in practice for weeks. But it took the moment of farewell and the tender hearts of the full sanctuary to bring it out.