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Blow Me Down Sandy.

Arriving in Sarnia/Point Edward on Monday afternoon, there was high winds, but the wildest part of the storm came through the night and into Tuesday morning.

 I happened to snap this 'before' picture when we arrived on Monday late. You can see the old vinyl siding on the tallest unit (home of condo corporation president Ron, W45) was beginning to bulge and pucker a bit before it was ripped off a little later. Jim and Barb's Sea Ray is still in the water and didn't seem to sustain any damage. Wendy's brother Doug and his wife Daphne drove down to view the storm on Tuesday morning, so we toured around the area in their car, ending up at the Point Edward Casino for a late breakfast before retuning to London later that day.

When we woke up Tuesday morning the debris in the courtyard told us the wind had done some damage. The wind had done a thorough job of ripping off the siding on our neighbour's condo unit. Apparently there was water damage as well to the interior of the unit.

Sandy tore all the vinyl siding off the windward wall revealing the old, wooden clapboard  siding behind it.

Two young boys lean into the wind and rain at Canatara Park beach. A watercolour, by local artist Tim Carroll. Click to view.

Wendy's brother Doug gets closer to the raging lake for some pictures.

 The waves, although quite large are nowhere near the 20 to 30 feet that the weather service was showing. We figure the reason for this is that the waves lost a lot of their energy as they rolled across the relatively shallow, sandy bottomed area of about 25 feet in depth that extends out for 3 or 4 miles off shore.

The above map shows the Environment Canada wave sensor located 30 or 40 miles out in the lake was reading 23 foot waves, but by the time they arrived at shore, a lot of their energy had dissipated.

The wind however had nothing to slow it down along the shoreline. This big tree may have just fallen on this house in Bright's Grove as we passed. Notice the surprised resident in the window. There were hundreds of fallen trees and the damage is expected to reach over 10 million dollars for Sarnia alone.

The damage might have been much worse if this house hadn't been made of brick.

Just to add to the homeowner's woes, the wind collapsed his privacy screen.

The new gazebos at our marina took a beating. Pictures from Wendy's brother Doug.

 Roof blew off the Holiday Inn in Sarnia during our stay.

Posted by: diane deblaire // October 30, 2012

Sarnia, Ontario // Shot: October 30, 2012

The storm hit Sarnia Monday night into Tuesday morning. The wind blew the roof the Holiday Inn in Sarina that we were staying at. The roof blocked the view from our balcony.

All in all we thankfully escaped with relatively little damage compared to the widespread destruction wrought by Sandy throughout the eastern seaboard of the USA.
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Breaking News - Hey! SLOW DOWN SANDY!

THESE ARE 21 FOOT HIGH WAVES THEY ARE FORECASTING - Wooo-oo! (Click to enlarge) US Coast Guard is saying maximum wave heights could hit 37 feet!

Wendy's brother Doug called me this afternoon and sent me an e-mail with this map so we decided to come down to Point Edward to see how strong those winds really were.  Neither one of us have ever seen a weather map with a wave prediction showing waves this high over such a large area.  You can see that this projection shows that they expect the waves to be 20 to 21 feet high at 9:00 AM Greenwich mean time (GMT) which translates into 5 in the morning. 

Here now but just a roaring wind. Wave height approx 8-10 ft. The seas are building and expected to crest around 6 AM with possible 21 footers. I spoke with the marina manager Mike Miller and he said they were expecting up to 30 ft. Twenty feet would be bad enough given the land is only 10 ft or so above the normal water level. However, US Coast Guard Radio was calling for peak wave heights of 37 feet. Wow!

The condo sea walls of course are only about  6 ft above recent levels and I see that the water is already up about 3 ft. so this is now where the water was when we moved here 15 years ago. We drove along the shore stopped at the various lookout points and the lake is mean looking but no threat yet unles you were out in a boat. All freighter shipments have been stopped with most freighters held in the St Clair and St Mary's rivers according to the local gossip. We didn't see any ships. Here at our marina a surprising number of boats are still in the water but a lot are stored away.

I wonder how this storm will compare with the Great Storm of 1913. I think the main difference is that we have much better warning systems in place so the boats all know the situation and can avoid the area.

READ THIS:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Lakes_Storm_of_1913

Here's some emails:

Re: Fw: Re: Storm watching - WOW!

Monday, October 29, 2012 7:57 PM

From:

"Carroll"

To:

"Erin Carroll"

Uncle Doug  and Daphne are coming down early. You gotta get here and see all these birds trying to fly against the wind. The wind is roaring like a freight train but the best part, with the really high waves isn't expected to start until tomorrow around 6:00 AM and cresting around 2:00 PM with predicted wave rights of 21ft. The water is already up more than a couple of feet and there is truly a high level of wind noise even inside the condo.  We left London around 4 in the afternoon and when we got here we drove along the lake front and stopped in the usual outlooks. The waves were rolling and around 8 to 10ft. Lots of cars in the parking lots, like a summer afternoon when everyone is out watching the water.  Across the river in Port Huron you could see unusually long lineups of cars watching the river and the lake. Parents and kids were having fun on the waterfront playing in the wind and the rain and getting drenched with the blowing surf.  Must be fun in a car up on the Bluewater bridge tonight.

From: Carroll
Subject: Re: Storm watching
To: "Sarah Jane Steele (Taleski)"
Cc: "Doug Taleski"
Date: Monday, October 29, 2012, 6:22 PM

Hi Sarah and Calvin
Here now but just a roaring wind. Wave height approx 8-10 ft. The seas are building and expected to crest around 6 AM with possible 21 footers. I spoke with the marina manager Mike Miller and he said they were expecting up to 30 ft. but I didn't see that predicted anywhere else. Twenty feet would be bad enough given the land is only 10 ft or so above the normal water level.

The condo sea walls of course are only about  6 ft above recent levels and I see that the water is already up about 3 ft. so this is now where the water was when we moved here 15 years ago. We drove along the shore stopped at the various lookout points and the lake is mean looking but no threat yet unles you were out in a boat. All freighter shipments have been stopped with most freighters held in the St Clair and St Mary's rivers according to the local gossip. We didn't see any ships.

I'll keep you up to date tomorrow morning as it's getting dark.

Uncle Tim

--- On Mon, 10/29/12, Sarah Jane Steele (Taleski) wrote:

From: Sarah Jane Steele (Taleski)
Subject: Storm watching
To: "Tim and wendy Carroll"
Date: Monday, October 29, 2012, 4:47 PM

Hi Aunt Wendy and Uncle Tim,

My parents tell me that you are on your way to Sarnia to watch the storm- Calvin and I are jealous.

If you get any good pictures can you send them our way?  Calvin would love to see it!

XO
Sarah 
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Dinner! Did Somebody Say Dinner?

 Wendy and I thoroughly enjoyed our dinner meeting last night at the Bungalow Restaurant here in London, Ontario.  It was so nice to renew acquaintances with Jack and Marian Carroll of Chicken in the Rough from Chicago and Russ and Martha Schultz of the Palms Krystal Bar in Port Huron.  It was also a pleasure to have Scott and Rosemary Crawford, owners of the Bungalow, join us at our table. 

It was Sunday night and the place was packed so the only complaint I had was that it was a little loud and difficult to hear what everyone was saying.  Unfortunately they didn't have the Chicken in the Rough up and running yet but when we got there around 5 pm, Jack had already ordered an appetizer of chicken wings which were excellent and helped make up for the deficiency. 

It was after 8 PM when our dinner meeting wrapped up.  Hard to believe we were talking nonstop for over three hours.  But then I knew going in that there would never be any 'awkward moments' or lulls in the conversation. Jack, with his Carroll/Irish background never has any trouble coming up with things to talk about.

Knowing my shared fascination with Chicken in the Rough, Jack brought with him two authentic tin finger bowls emblazoned with the logo and famous golfing rooster which he presented to Wendy and me.  I'll proudly add them to my collection.

We all departed after making promises to do this again sometime, maybe in Sarnia or Port Huron next summer.
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Zooming Along The River

The weather was absolutely perfect today with the temperature in the mid seventies. Being Thursday we decided to go to our favorite spot for two-for-one chicken wings (Kelsey's) and then for a walk in the park. After all this may be the last day this year to enjoy an Indian summer walk.

Wendy spotted this bird in the middle of the river but it was too far away for her to tell whether it was  a goose or a bald eagle. I was betting it was a goose.

I brought with me  my latest zooming camera (Panasonic ZS20). I am very pleased with this little camera which has an exceptional zoom range. 

Most of the leaves have already fallen but that didn't spoil our enjoyment of the park on this beautiful Fall day. 

From the bridge I had a chance to try out the zoom.  The pictures below really show off the abilities of this compact little point and shoot camera.

Wonderland gardens was a famous venue for the big bands in the thirties and forties .  Although the original buildings have long since disappeared the city has created fairly nice reproductions.

that's Wonderland Gardens off in the distance.  

Click on the map to enlarge.

All in all we walked only about 2 miles but it took us over an hour so you know we weren't running. We stopped to explore, examine and take pictures all along the way, thoroughly enjoying this bright, warm, sunny day.

It's days like this that make us really appreciate where we live and wonder why we would need to go anywhere else.
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Go North Young Man, Go North!

I don't usually like to talk politics, especially U.S. politics because I can't really do anything about their sad situation, but more than one of my American friends have said (jokingly or not) that they would move to Canada if Obama were to be re-elected.  Well, on CBC radio yesterday there was an American who did just that a few years ago after Emperor Obama was first elected.  Apparently he's not alone since there is now a small sector of Toronto he calls "Little America".   Here's a clip from the actual radio show aired on Saturday, October 19, 2012:


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Our Unusual Friendship with the Owner/President Of Chicken-in-the-Rough

If you've been following this blog you may remember my encounter with my distant relative Jack Carroll from Chicago back in August 2009 at the Palms Krystal Bar in Port Huron Michigan.  I say 'distant relative' because we both have the same last name so somewhere there must be a connection.  We met Jack and his wife Marian at the Palms Krystal while they were there on Chicken-in-the-Rough business with bar owner/franchisee Russ Schultz and his wife Martha. We have barely kept in touch with Jack over the years by e-mail and we wondered if we'd meet again some day. 

Surprise!  As I mentioned in my August 9 post a couple of months ago, Jack called Wendy and me at the condo and said he was setting up a new Chicken-in-the-Rough at The Bungalow Neighbourhood Hub on Waterloo Street in North London. He said he and his wife Marian would be coming soon and it would be great if we could renew old aquaintances. He mailed some vouchers for free chicken dinners at The Palms Krystal in Port Huron and at Murphy's Chicken-in-the-Rough in Sarnia both of which we have yet to use.

It is an unusual friendship in that we have only met face to face for a few minutes, three years ago, and yet have maintained some email and telephone communications. Wendy and I have since had lunch several times at the Palms Krystal and have, on occasion, talked with Russ Schultz at the bar, but he sees hundreds of people in his work and I wouldn't think he would remember us.

The story continues...

The other day Jack emailed me from Chicago and said he was driving to London on the 28th of October. Russ and Martha Schultz were also coming to London to meet with the owner, Scot Crawford of the new Chicken-in-the-Rough at the Bungalow Restaurant on Waterloo Street in North London. Jack wondered if Wendy and I would join everybody for dinner.

I responded that since they were here on business, it would be inappropriate for us to crash the party but Jack insisted. Here's Jack's response:
"From the bottom of our hearts, we truly hope we will see you Sunday, if possible. We would love to have you and Wendy as our guests."

So.. It would appear that in a couple weeks, Wendy and I will be having dinner with Jack and Marian, Russ and Martha, and Scot and Rosemary Crawford.  Click this link to read about Scott Crawford and the Bungalow Neighbourhood Hub Restaurant. It's an interesting story about how Mr. Crawford used to work for Mike Smith a very well known London restauranteur.  The dinner should be very interesting. I hope they are serving Chicken in the Rough by then. It really is great tasting chicken!

I guess the bottom line is... Hey, I need all the friends I can get. I'll update this in a future post. Stay tuned.
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Isnor's - Weddings Are For Crying?

Back in mid-September we attended a lovely wedding in Niagara Falls. There was nothing to cry about when it came to the weather or the amazing location at a Niagara vineyard, The Ravine Vineyard in St. David's but I did notice tears of emotion in most people's eyes... But that's what weddings are all about isn't it? Aside from the legalities, formalities and ceremony, weddings provide an emotional time for us to reflect on our own pasts and anticipate the future.

The event that we were all attending was the wedding of David and Reenie's daughter Tania and her beloved Clint. The ceremony was outside near the vineyard with the dinner and reception in a huge tent. What a perfect location for the union of this picture perfect young couple 

Tania and Clint seal it with a kiss in a vineyard near Niagara Falls, the romance capital of the world. Click to enlarge

Going through the images I took that day I found a photo that caught the moment when Clint and Tania were declared man and wife. "You may kiss the bride." I was immediately transported back to when I heard those same words at my own wedding over 40 years ago. Seems like only yesterday!  I was somewhat inspired so I did a watercolour which I will mount and send to them.

You can visit Google Photos and see all the pictures I took: CLICK HERE

Below is a sound recording of the speeches:
I hope in the years to come, we will listen to these speeches and fondly remember this lovely wedding of September 15, 2012.Sorry for the poor sound quality but we were sitting too close to the loudspeakers so I got some distortion. Unfortunately I discovered my battery had failed earlier at the vows.

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Tin Can Telephone

I love making art from old post cards. So what about making an old post card from a new photo? (click to enlarge)

My 'Rockwellian' style post card shows our kitten Dash up to his usual tricks as I am trying to place a call to my friend Jack Carroll in Chicago. (very long string)  Unless you are my age you probably never heard of a telephone 'party-line'. No, it doesn't have anything to do with a real party. There used to be 'private lines' (extra cost) and 'party-lines' (basic service). Read about this 'blast from the past' here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Party_line_%28telephony%29

This YouTube video aptly explains the problem with Party-Lines.

That's a young Ron Howard on the right in the group of kids. Jay North as 'Dennis the Menace' in the middle. Click the picture to start the movie.

Detailed do-it-yourself drawing I found on the internet shows how you too can make a tin can telephone. Usually, as you can see in the diagram, tin can phones involve only a private line. Amazing! Hours of fun for you and a friend.
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We Finally Met Jake's Dad

Taken by the 'self timer'... Not my greatest picture. Jake's Dad John, his wife Barb, Me, Wendy, Erin and Jake.

It will be eight years ago come February that Erin first introduced us to Jake. Since his dad lives in BC, we never met him. That is until last night. We knew he was in the area visiting Jake and Erin in Strathroy so when Erin called and said we should meet for dinner we jumped at the chance. We all met at the Keg in London around six last night (Saturday).  We thoroughly enjoyed having dinner and getting to know John and Barb.
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When I Grow Up I Want To Be An Artist

My 'Artist' impression. The hat is part of 'the look'.

I've been working on my 'biography' to insert with my art when I sell it. It seems like the thing artists do. What do you think? My sister says I have a couple of split infinitives [since repaired; thanks Pat] whatever split infinitives are... Is that the 'part' in my teeth? Hey, wait a minute. I said an artist, not a writer.

Tim Carroll was born in London Ontario, but also lived in North Bay and Toronto

Studied industrial design at the Ontario College of Art in Toronto.

Worked as a studio crewman and in the properties department of television station CFPL London.

For several semesters hosted a third year industrial design part-time studio at Fanshawe College, London Ontario

Owned and operated a successful hospital bed manufacturing factory. Carroll Healthcare Inc.

Retired at age 47, and turned more attention to photography and art.

"With a passion for art and a background in industrial design I tend to enjoy the somewhat rigid structure of man-made objects and architecture; often in juxtaposition with nature, in the form of plants, animals or the environment.

In my finished works I invariably start from either a photograph that I have taken or a historical/vintage postcard or photograph that is in the public domain. I have a great love of local history and so the old materials give me the ability go back in time virtually and overlay my modern interpretation which often involves coloring original black and whites. Often I will combine new images with old photographs or postcards in a new composite work.

I maintain a studio and production facility in my home which allows me to produce finished pieces quickly and economically with the ability to customize the final presentation creatively.  With the advent of modern coatings applied to my reproductions, and in light of my industrial design background, I now offer glassless frames and mounts which allow viewing of the artwork without the interference of annoying glare. Mat borders can be printed on to the picture in order to set it off from the background. With no glass covering the art, the resulting colors appear much more vibrant and clear, and the work can actually be wiped clean with a damp cloth."   

For your information: Mats originally had two purposes. One purpose was to keep the picture from touching the glass which, with condensation or extremes in humidity, could ruin the print. The other was to help separate the picture from the background and draw your eye to the work. If I use a mat for the latter reason, I now print it flat, right on the picture since not having any glass, a real mat would just collect dust along the lower edge and be difficult to keep clean. The picture above shows a faux, bevel-cut mat and is actually part of the picture so I can frame it as is, without any glass. Ta da!

Come on! You knew he just HAD to 'Artify' this picture somehow - didn't you?

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A New Coke Poster For Ann

When I saw this postcard I couldn't resist doing another huge 36 x 24 Poster for my friend Ann who collects Coca Cola memorabilia.

My latest poster  Click pic to view.

 I cropped the scene down a bit, added a Coke truck for interest and of course some extra Coke signs around the drug store. I'll print it in the largest poster size and give it to her next time I see her. She is probably running out of wall space if she hung up my two other posters. I've re-posted them for you to compare.

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The Jovers

The Jovers were a husband and wife funny vaudeville-style act that is wonderfully entertaining as it’s witty and Fe Jover’s laugh is contagious. In this clip they are performing live at the MGM in Reno in 1980. Fe is now 83 and lives with her daughter as her husband passed away a short time ago.

That man was no weakling. They both must have been in great physical shape to do that act over 30 years ago. Tim

Happy Thanksgiving!

Hope you stuff yourself this weekend!
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