Z the Cat

Z., nearly 17, lover of treats, coffee, corn husks, chili pepper and savory salmon (not all at once) succumbed to liver disease, Sept. 1, 2011.
We miss his comedy routines and unusual tastes, his loud and melodic purrs and I especially will miss the feel and smell of his fur against my neck as he would crash down beside me while we watched Animal Planet, his bouncing meows as he would come scampering down the stairs to greet us as we came through the door. Rest in peace, little one. Those who follow you will have big paws to fill.

Irene Long Gone

Irene is long gone, but in Northern parts of the state, in NC, NJ, upstate NY and many parts of Vermont flooding was severe. In some cases people were cut off due to the new paths of streams, rivers and brooks. Vermont had unprecedented flooding. The governor and congressmen there are pointing fingers at climate change and urge policymakers not to turn a blind eye to all the changes in climate that have occured around the country this year and in globally:
record heat in Southwestern and Southeastern parts of the U.S., huge tornadoes, more frequent flooding in other areas.
In our town we got off relatively mildly with some washing out of roads and small culverts which have been quickly repaired.
For a while the beaver pond flowed across one portion of our driveway like a river, but the morning after Irene it was gone.
More tropical storms etc...on their way now...one to the Gulf states, the other perhaps up the East Coast again.