All posts by warren

Powerless

July 6, 2012Nature, WVNature, WVwarren

Last Friday, we headed to PA to help celebrate my aunt and uncle’s 50th wedding anniversary. We have always been very close to them so it was a really great time…once we got there.

We left about 3 hours later than I had planned. It’s a 6-7 hour drive so that makes a big difference. Anyhow, about an hour into the trip, my mom called and asked if we were alright. I thought she was nuts but she told me that they were watching the Weather Channel (as all good worried parents tend to do) and that there was a terrible storm in WV. I told her we would be fine and all that. Not ten minutes later the sky became black like I haven’t seen in a long time and it became scary windy. We slowed down to a crawl and kept going. There was no use stopping…WV is pretty un-populated and any place that did have shelter was already without electricity…almost instantly.

Storm clouds rolling in — This doesn’t begin to do it justice…

So we drove through it from Flatwoods, WV to Waynesburg, PA…around 110 miles. It was only really bad for about 50 miles but it was really really bad in that stretch. North of Pittsburgh, it cleared out and we could see stars.

Anyhow, fast forward to our return trip on Sunday. We had been warned to get gas before we got to Charleston so we figured we would get it in PA and then try again about 70 miles outside out Charleston. It turns out that the electric was out from about 100 miles outside of Charleston so there was little gas to be had. We saw some folks who were obviously travelling, just sitting at gas stations presumably waiting for electric to come on so they could fill up and continue their trip.

Luckily, we had plenty of gas because when we got to Charleston, there were lines at the few stations that had both electricity and gas. People were fighting apparently which is not surprising considering some folks were waiting 2 hours for gas in 95-100 degree humid temps. When we arrived home, we found no electricity and some large branches down. Our neighbor had a larger tree come down which brought down a pole and lines. They had the lines propped up with a 2×4 to allow them to get in and out of the house. Lots of people were without water as well as power which made this deal pretty serious for a lot of people.

A car crushed by a tree — Not our house but local…note the crushed roof on that SUV

Not our house but in Charleston...note the crushed roof on that SUV — Check out the size of the tree that mashed the SUV

All-in-all, we are pretty lucky. We still do not have power and may not until Sunday or Monday. Still, we have no damage and are able to stay at Emily’s parents’ house who do have power. I definitely feel bad for folks across the state, though, who have no such escape. Fifty-three of the fifty-five counties in the state have damage and are under a state of emergency (I think that’s what they call it…whatever the technical term is). West Virginians are great folks though and will weather this literal storm just fine…a little more aware of how much we depend on the electric and water.

EDIT: I wrote this a day or so ago before we got power back. Thursday at 4 pm our power was returned so are mostly back to normal aside from cleaning up debris

EDIT: Here is a cool flickr feed of some pics taken by the power company

Home alone

June 26, 2012FamilyFamilywarren

So last week we were on the beach for a week in Topsail Island, NC. We headed home on Saturday morning and it took us 8 or so hours to get home. I drove 7.5 of those hours because I knew Emily would be exhausted. You see, we got home on Saturday afternoon so Emily could pack to head out on her trip to Orlando for a week long conference on Sunday afternoon.

The kids and I are still alive, so Emily, if you are reading us, we are still here and above ground. We have made out pretty well actually. Emily’s grandparents and parents have taken pity on me and have helped to feed us and make sure our hind-ends are where they need to be when they need to be.

I sort of like having some alone time for a day or two but it would be quite a shock for much longer than that. The cats just aren’t that great at conversation although our orange beast (#1) is a great cuddler. Too bad it’s like a thousand degrees. Anyhow, I have been working on some projects and staying up too late but I am ready for Emily to get back home. You see, she needs to pack again because we are headed to PA on Friday, the day after she returns. The kids will probably need to get a bath or something too once she gets home. I guess there are probably lots of things that I have forgotten. Warren Home Alone is just about as dangerous as Macaulay Culkin!

Putting on shoes again

June 22, 2012Awesome, FamilyFamilywarren

It’s been a great week at the beach. When I got here on Saturday afternoon, I took my lace-up shoes off and have not had them on my feet since. It’s a pretty cool metaphor for the beach now that I think of it. When we are at the beach, there are really no rules and nothing tying us down. If we want to eat Oreos for breakfast, we do. If we want to read books all day and doze in and out under the tent on the beach, we do. Shoes are so constraining and sometimes life feels that way too. The beach is just the opposite of all that! I want to marry the beach.

Ok, so that won’t work and I really don’t like sand in every nook and cranny I carry around on my unshod feet. But I do love being here. Our family loves to read and we have vary varied tastes. We decided to take a picture of the books that we read this week at the beach. Some we read more than once. It was a great bit of fun and they will smell like suntan lotion for months so we will have great reminders of our time here.

We spent a lot of time together as a family just enjoying each other and we talked about a little bit of everything. We didn’t turn on the tv or do anything touristy (there isn’t anything of that sort at Topsail…which is why we love it here). We just sat and bared our soles (well, souls, and that might be a stretch but I am trying to work with the shoe metaphor here…gimme a break). I love my little family and it is so nice to be reminded of just how much on these trips. There are no appointments to make and no chores to do. It’s wonderful!

So, tonight as I pack my bags and try to find my socks and shoes, I am a little sad. Soon we will be back to the grind doing what we always do. I think of these getaways as almost sacred and everyone knows you aren’t supposed to wear shoes on sacred ground!

An oldie but a goodie

June 21, 2012FamilyFamilywarren

Today Emily turns 40. I remember when my Mom turned 40. I can remember that. How can it be possible that Emily is 40?! I am not saying anything bad…afterall, I am 40 also. But still, it is hard to believe all of the years we have spent together…wonderful years!

06_17_2012 200 — My lovely bride…more beautiful than ever at 40!

Emily declared that she did not want a big party for her 40th birthday, but rather, she wanted to spend it at the beach. As you know, we are at the beach and it has been an absolutely wonderful time! I think she is right, when you get to be this old, the heat feels pretty good and there are plenty of restaurants that offer early bird specials!

Shell with a heart shaped mark — I found this shell with a heart…it was a sign!

Oh, just kidding! I love Emily and am so pleased that I get to share her 40th birthday with her and the kids! I look forward to the next 40+ years together as well! Happy birthday wife! Wait, let me type in caps so she can hear…HAPPY BIRTHDAY WIFE!

Not another fancy restaurant!

June 19, 2012FunFunwarren

We have a few traditions at the beach. We eat Oreos and Chips-Ahoy cookies. We eat Lucky Charms cereal for breakfast and sandwiches with pickles at lunch. Most importantly, at supper time, we eat seafood at some local seafood joint. Knowing that they have a captive audience, the seafood places charge way too much but usually dress things up a little just to make people think they are getting something special. I guess that compared to eating at home, it is sort of fancy.

Rules? What rules? Not the enforcer this week!

So the last few nights, we have eaten at some pretty nice places. We spend way too much money on food but it is nice to go wild now and then. Anyhow, the restaurants we have been to must seem pretty fancy to the kids I guess. Yesterday Isaac asked if we had to go to any more fancy restaurants. They were deemed fancy I guess because they set the tables with a salad fork and a dinner fork. Two forks = fancy!

What it really comes down to is that we wouldn’t let the kids burp at the table and hang spoons on their noses. That is all it takes to make a restaurant fancy. I guess it is quite a step up from cattle chutes at the local fast food joints we sometimes endure at home. We were wandering through one of the nearby beach stores after supper one night and the kids identified a sign that more aptly summarizes their views on their type of restaurant.

I guess it isn’t supper until the conversations turns to that subject!

It’s all in your Loggerhead

June 18, 2012Awesome, NatureAwesome, Naturewarren

I have no idea why that title struck me but there we have it. It will make some sense in a minute…bear with me. So, we ate far too much food tonight after a full day of body surfing and skim boarding…with no broken bones! It was still early so we decided to take a stroll on the beach, narrow as it was. Our location on Topsail is strange…at low tide, the beach is quite wide and pretty nice to be upon. At high tide, however, the ocean comes within a few feet of…whatever you call it…where the beach ends.

Part of the walk...hunting for the largest sand crab hole! — Part of the walk…hunting for the largest sand crab hole!

Family picture on the beach — Aren’t we a pretty bunch?

So, we decided to take a walk on the narrow beach this evening and we happened upon a group of folks who were into something important…well, we figured that a body had washed up on shore. Luckily it wasn’t that. Apparently, last night a momma loggerhead turtle had laid a nest of eggs on the beach and the Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center staff were busy relocating the turtle eggs from the narrow beach location further up on the dune nearby. They had a number of folks present…almost like they had done this before. One guy was there to answer questions. He told us that there are 26 miles of beaches that make up Topsail island and that every quarter mile or so, there is a turtle egg site. That makes just over 100 nesting sites. Volunteers walk the entire beach every day during the laying season to make sure they find all of the nests. They relocate nearly all of those sites to safer locations away from foot traffic and storm surges. In each move, two folks work on digging the eggs and placing them into a bucket to carry to the new site. It is a state law that the eggs be counted and confirmed during the move. Their starting and ending locations are gps mapped and one egg is harvested to maintain a DNA record.

Getting ready to move loggerhead turtle eggs

By collecting and tracking DNA, staff have determined that loggerhead turtles do not necessarily return to the exact same nesting spot each year but that there are apparently a few spots they use. One staff member said they had tracked one DNA signature between Topsail, the Outer Banks and one other place I can’t remember. Pretty cool I’d say!

The Q&A staff member said that 93% of the eggs hatch but that only 1 in 4000 or so live to maturity. Their biggest predator/enemy is humans of course. Between fishing, pollution and stupidity, humans apparently take quite a toll. Fishing vessels are now equipped with turtle escape devices (TEDs) to allow captured turtles to safely escape so steps are being taken to lessen human impact some.

The loggerhead turtle eggs ready to be relocated

So, the staff dug 157 eggs from the nest we observed and gently placed them into a new nest. They covered the site with a welded wire fence to prevent predators from digging and marked the site to prevent human interference. All in all, it was a really great encounter we had on the beach and I have been thinking about the turtles all evening. They are endangered and it makes me sad to think that someday we may not be able to witness such an interesting and truly cool scene. I guess it’s good to see things like this and to take pause now and then. It’s good to get a little loggerhead in your head I think!

I’m in a NC state of mind

June 17, 2012Adventure, Awesome, FamilyAdventure, Awesome, Familywarren

My old pal Billy Joel finds himself in a NY state of mind but I have to tell you, I couldn’t be happier to be in a NC state of mind! We made it to the beach at Topsail Island yesterday and it couldn’t have come soon enough. There has been much chaos in my world lately so this trip is a long desired, much needed get away.

We made it to NC — The distance from the border to the beach is far too far!

The beach...At last! — The beach…At last!

After staying up pretty late reading last night, the kids brought me breakfast in bed this morning…at 6am. It was a great start to a great father’s day celebration. We ate and pretty quickly headed for the beach before it was warm enough for sane people to be in the water. The kids, not being sane of course, jumped right in and didn’t seem the least bit effected by the cold. I stayed under the tent some but mostly played in the surf with the kids. We laid around here and there all afternoon and went out to a really nice meal (before the crowds! I guess we got the early bird specials…oh crap, 40 has changed me!) and then took a walk on the beach. It never did get too warm today by beach standards but any day at the beach beats a great day anywhere else!

I was stupid last weekend and got a sunburn on my back (don’t ask….I told you it was stupid). Of course, here at the beach, we always wear rash guard shirts so we are protected. When I had my shirt off on the porch, my peeling lizard skin grossed Abigail out tremendously. I love grossing her out…and trading jabs with Isaac. He is growing into a great middle school kid. He just doesn’t seem to understand that Abigail will not respond like his buddies do. They are used to trading insults back and forth and trying to out-do each other with “your momma” jokes. Abigail has no tolerance for that! Anyhow, I had a great time messing with the kids and doing my fatherly duty to give them material for therapy when they get older! I love the beach where the rules are few and the junk food is plentiful!

Well friends, a book is calling my name so I will wrap this up. Just know that my mental health is quickly returning to “normal” and that I am in a NC state of mind!

Brother

June 7, 2012Family, ThoughtsFamily, Thoughtswarren

I have a brother…which of course means I am a brother. My brother and I are long time best of friends…as long as he has been alive anyhow. We have fought like wild animals of course (sorry brother…I really do hate how awful I was to you sometimes!), but we also were about as close as can be growing up. I think I “had his back” a few times too.

We have “got all growed up” and moved apart which makes it harder to be as close as we were but when we do get together, it’s like we were never apart. Oh yeah, he has a backhoe…that makes it easier. He has a firetruck too. It’s not hard to go back to being kids with toys like that!

Anyhow, my brother had a birthday a few days ago and I plum forgot to call him. We don’t send cards in our house as I would rather express my sentiments in a conversation rather than with an overpriced card that someone else wrote. You would think that the ease of calling the day of the special event would be easy…no need to plan ahead to account for the postal service, etc. Still, I forgot.

In addition to not sending cards, we also have a tradition of singing “Happy Birthday” in a manner we call “Loud and Proud”. If you have ever heard the camp song that includes the line, “a little bit louder and a whole lot worse”, you get the idea of how it progresses. So, we called my brother and left him a message with an extra helping of “a whole lot worse”. I hope my brother had a happy birthday and that he will forgive his older brother for nearly forgetting…no age jokes here please…

Deeper than a holler

May 30, 2012Family, Fun, ThoughtsFamily, Fun, Thoughtswarren

The kids are staying with my parents in PA this week. They finished school a week earlier than Emily so it was a perfect opportunity for them to visit up in Yankee-land. So we delivered them over the weekend and spent some time with family. I always think back to my roots when I “go back home”. I live in a city now, albeit a small one. I have lived in a big city and several places in between. Cities can be fun and all but I am and always will be a country boy.

Sitting on the front porch...just catching up

Ok, so when I go back home, I get to pondering. I don’t want to sound all sappy and stuff, but it’s so simple to enjoy the simple things. It’s dark and quiet where I grew up. Most nights you can hear the whippoorwills and see more stars than you can count. Most days there is nothing better than riding around the yard on a lawn tractor doing whatever you feel like and playing in the hose (does anyone else say it like that?) or sitting on the front porch talking and napping. It is pretty hard to beat living like that I think.

Kids on the garden tractor — Abigail isn't heavy enough to keep the seat sensor depressed!

Anyhow dear friends, it occurs to me that some of you may not have ever heard a whippoorwill’s song. It’s simple but sort of an anthem to country living and you simply must hear its call. My mom and I walked around one night until we got pretty close to one singing so I could record it. Have a listen:

Being kid-less this week also makes me remember back to when Emily and I first met and fell in love (we still are of course, but those first years are so special). Anyhow, as much as I love country living, I love Emily deeper than any holler and taller than any pine tree, tall upon the hill…so, since I can’t sing with a durn, let’s all enjoy a little Randy Travis singing my thoughts to Emily

You should see the other guy!

May 21, 2012Family, NatureNaturewarren

Isaac got into a fight this weekend. His eye got all messed up but you should see his nemesis…dead.

But let’s back up a second. Sunday was a beautiful day so we decided to head out to the country to work on some things. We planted several fruit trees and blueberry bushes over the last few weeks. We needed to water them and also to surround them with fences to keep the deer and other critters out. The weeds had also gotten sort of out of control a bit too so I need to run the trimmer. It seemed like a perfect time to head out and enjoy some time together.

So, I ran the weed trimmer all over the place even trimming up against the beehives. I figured that I would be met with a few angry bees but I ran the trimmer within 20 feet of the hives for around a half an hour. I didn’t get so much as a single sting.

Poor kid got stung in the eyelid by a bee

We dug and set 7 fence posts in concrete and then I broke out the tiller to break up some new ground to plant a few green beans. The kids were sitting in the shade somewhat nearby reading their books. So, I started tilling and the bees started in on me. I got 3-4 stings pretty quickly on but I decided to push on through. The kids and Emily were not having any trouble so I figured they didn’t like the tiller motor. I got maybe a dozen stings all together but no one else had trouble. Now why on earth I could run a trimmer right up against their hives without a problem baffles me since the tiller was a fair distance away. Anyhow, Isaac got a sting in the lower eyelid. It looked sort of ugly pretty quickly and went down hill from there. He was feeling pretty miserable and just needed to lay down and rest some I think. Poor kid…but you should see his attacker…she’s dead.

My Home Among The Hills

Life in WV!