Nor'easter Weather...

We are having the first Nor’easter of the season. Cold winds from the Northeast ravage the Jersey Coast and cause considerable flooding. In winter, these storms can leave a considerable snow pack in the area. Fortunately for us and thanks to global warming we are only experiencing major rain, wind and flooding. Others may disagree but in my mind, it is better that four feet of snow!

Regardless, we have already seen the first frost which devastates most of the remaining tender plants in the garden. These storms drop the most of the remaining leaves on trees. Our street department has already come three times to vacuum up the massive piles of leaves in the neighborhoods. I think we have two more vacuum visits before they stop for the season. If they didn't do this we would be up to our chin in water from all the plugged street drains.

The last of the Nasturtiums that has survived the frost

Looking out the window of my bedroom it is hard to imagine that ten years ago I started the process of reclaiming what was once a flooded lawn into the garden it is today. Now, it looks somewhat mature and designed with the central walk and the pond and the natural area over to one side behind the garage where Taxi, my Dalmatian, used to do her business as she would not go on the gravel walk. Time has passed indeed. I feel it in my bones, my back and my legs! I somehow wish that didn't, but that too is part of the natural process.

From the garden bench it all looks rather unkempt

The old Garden as I started to layout out the beds with marker flags and laying out of the first major plantings

Taxi surveying her domain and the first pile of dirt that I brought in to raise the plantings beds out of the swamp.

My neighbor Ben who has started the process of gardening in our swamp. It is funny how the process never ends!

A strange thing happened to me this week. I have been nursing ailments which I will spare you but I have come to a decision to get a new dog. How I will manage I don’t know, but I will. It has been almost two years since Taxi passed and I thought I would never in a million years consider another Dalmatian for a variety of reasons but primarily because I did not want to replace my dear beloved Taxi. I was looking at Petfinder and they had listed a Dalmatian that could have been the clone of mine. It is hard to believe that you can match up spots and physical traits but according to the listing and images my Taxi may well have re-incarnated into Molly. Paws Claws and more, the shelter that listed her, has not answered any of my request for information or my adoption application, which is rather rude, if not contrary to the mission of a shelter. I hope they do. On second thought, I will not be replacing my old friend just making a new one.