Sunday from Shore to Lake

Today I started off on the blustery sea shore and ended at the old family place on the lake. Seemed liked two different days!

Crashing waves, seaglass covered by the night's stormy sands and still finding the remains of Irene wrapped here around a piling. It seemed almost as windy as the hurricane!

So off we went. NEW Fairfield. A little cottage that has been in the family since the 1940's. Mostly unchanged except for absolute necessary improvements! No drinking water, no shower but wonderful views of the lake from the dock and boathouse top.

A pristine, unadorned location. We are lucky to still own a piece of this lake.

Inside, the old croquet mallets, the wall of fame - the original owners, my great uncle and great aunt along with other Hayes family photos and memorabilia. A turtle shell, an old fan, trinkets, feathers, paintbrushes and of course playing cards.

My mother and her siblings (she is the far right beauty with the big white bow). An art project of past...saved with a found feather. We pretty much have a rule - no TV, no internet etc. Just crafts, reading and lots of cooking in the outdoor fire pit.

Sweetcake Mountain hiking trail meanders up a wooded path behind our place. 

And when we reach the top we see our lake. Candlewood is a large man made lake, a valley flooded back in the 40's (I will make sure of the exact time). Islands seen here were tops of hills. Cemetary Island across from our dock was an actual cemetary! The others seen here we call Sand Island and House Island...and beyond are Candlewood Shores.

The woods are so different than my home by the shore. Bird houses, leaves underfoot and the quiet!!!

The cottage is always a work in progress...but not too much! Old paint colors remind us of the past.

A marker by our door that we have never figured out but to us, it is truly the trail end anyways, end of day and time to relax.

A view from the screened porch. Welcome to the Lake. Well said.

During Irene

The storm has subsided...but we did go out again. At the height of the wind, tides and probably danger, we...as well as all of us curious and stupidly fearless Lordship residents gathered to see the storm.

 Storm central....11 a.m. and it is high tide. The storm is at its supposed peak. We walk to the end of our street.  It is a dead end that looks out over a row of mostly summer cottages. We have a tidal basin pond at the end of the street.....flooded with debris. Looks like a cottage may have gone down by the looks of the wood, steps and contents of a house. So sad.

You can see from the end of my road the devastation and the intensity of the surf that there must certainly be damage. The tidal pond is one with the Sound here.

Photo here and below courtesy of my friend Nina K. I think this one wins the BEST PHOTO of IRENE contest hands down. (Not that we have a contest but maybe we should?) This is Russian Beach and a pathway down to the beach. WOW.

Below is a great shot from Colleen, my daughter's friend. Another path to the beach from the "bluffs" along Russian Beach out here in Lordship.

I must say here that I am not completely crazy. I went home, it got a little scary. BUT, I do have a few friends that live closer to other vantage points and they, just as I did, got out to to take some awesome shots of the fury of this storm as you have seen! Did I say we were ALL fearless? It must be something in the drinking water out here. Sort of a long time running joke.

Irene is Here!

Of course I had to venture out...warnings of danger disregarded. Two hours before high tide and before the full force of the storm hit seemed safer than later, but I can't guarantee I won't try again. Trees are down, roads are beginning to flood and the waves are beautiful.

My "driver" Papa D, a.k.a. my husband took me on a short ride through Lordship. I got a little nervous a few times seeing limbs down, remembering last year's tornado!

The sand, whipped into quite a frenzy, stung my legs so the rest of the shots were taken from the safety of the car, or Jeep, thanks Claire! Here the sand is being pushed across the road between the cottages. 

The seawall was inaccessible, barricaded off by our local police. The Bluffs were windswept, a landscape of gray, white capped waves a-crashing in succession, and the wind a-howling!

Lordship has no fear. Of course we don't! So far.