Category Archives: Nature

Tropical Storm Isaias Slams Long Island

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From LONG ISLAND – by Ann Parry (annparry.com)
August 5, 2020

My neighborhood hasn’t had power since early yesterday afternoon, shortly after Tropical Storm Isaias crashed into Long Island, so I used my iPhone 11 Pro to create and publish this post.

My daughters – one in Seaford, one in Merrick – lost power very briefly or not at all, so my family’s experience was typical, since one in three L.I. electricity customers lost power.

A tree in my backyard snapped in two several feet from the ground, with the top toppling over the fence behind it:

North Merrick, New York, U.S. August 4, 2020. Tropical Storm Isaias slams into Long Island, causing widespread tree damage and power outages. (© 2020 Ann Parry/Ann-Parry.com)

North Merrick, New York, U.S. August 4, 2020. Tropical Storm Isaias slams into Long Island, causing widespread tree damage and power outages. (© 2020 Ann Parry/AnnParry.com)

At dusk, I captured the above photo of the tree most severely damaged in my backyard. Just the bottom few feet of the trunk were still on my side of the white fence; the rest of the tree had fallen on the other side.  (You can see my shadow on the left side of image.)

When my daughter Sue’s power returned, I drove to her home a mile away. On my way, I passed a huge tree near the curb toppled down across the front yard onto the roof of the house, which had to be evacuated.

  • Click on below photo to see alternate version:
North Merrick, New York, U.S. August 4, 2020. Tropical Storm Isaias slams into Long Island, causing widespread tree damage and power outages. (© 2020 Ann Parry/Ann-Parry.com)

North Merrick, New York, U.S. August 4, 2020. Tropical Storm Isaias slams into Long Island, causing widespread tree damage and power outages. (© 2020 Ann Parry/AnnParry.com)

That night, while returning to Sue’s home to drop off some cheese and eggs to store in her refrigerator, I slowly navigated a dark maze blocked by trees felled by wind gusts up to 70 mph. All was dark until I reached her street.

Cars and pedestrians made their way by moonlight – and headlights & flashlight – on Camp Avenue in North Merrick, as seen in the below short VIDEO:

Governor Andrew Cuomo, Nassau County Executive Laura Curran and Town of Hempstead Supervisor Tom Clavin are among the officials calling for an investigation into PSEG power company’s poor to non-existent communication with customers experiencing power outages, downed power lines….

Tropical Storm Isaias:  my PHOTO GALLERY

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Garden City Park, New York, U.S. May 2, 2020. Dusk falls on suburban street on Long Island.

Turning an Obstacle into a Sweet Tool

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From LONG ISLAND – by Ann Parry (ann-parry.com)
May 7, 2020

reflecting on an essential errand

Last weekend I drove to my fiancé Bob’s home to drop off a banker’s dozen of blueberry hazelnut oatmeal cups. Because Long Island is a hot spot of the Coronavirus pandemic, I hoped the box of breakfasts would help delay his next trip to the supermarket.

Earlier that week, when trying my first and only cup, I was unpleasantly surprised how the sugar overpowered the grain-fruit-nut combo, but Bob famously enjoys eating any food that isn’t a hard boiled egg.

“Garden City Park, New York, U.S. May 2, 2020. Behind Bob Stuhmer, social distancing in his front yard, is box of food, on Long Island. (© 2020 Ann Parry/Ann-Parry.com)

Garden City Park, New York, U.S. May 2, 2020. Bob Stuhmer, social distancing in his front yard, has box of Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Blueberry Hazelnut Oatmeal Cups on his stoop. (© 2020 Ann Parry/Ann-Parry.com)

After I parked across from Bob’s house, our social distancing swap-dance began:

I carried the oatmeal box to his front stoop, where I left it, and then walked back to the curb.

Then Bob came outside, walked to a curb area far from me, and left a bag with two bottles of chardonnay he picked up from outside the entrance of a nearby liquor store.

He went back by his stoop, and I picked up the bag, put it in my car trunk, and returned to the curb.

“Garden City Park, New York, U.S. May 2, 2020. Dusk falls on suburban street in Long Island. (© 2020 Ann Parry/Ann-Parry.com)

Garden City Park, New York, U.S. May 2, 2020. Dusk falls on suburban street in Long Island. (© 2020 Ann Parry/Ann-Parry.com)

As we were chatting, Bob looked up and past me, saying, “Look at the beautiful sky!” I turned around to see the golds, pinks, mauves and violets of dusk grow.

Using my iPhone 11 Pro, I captured a colorful photo, but along with the sky and houses, it included a less-than-picturesque parked car (mine) across the street, and a truck parked along the curb next to me.

Faced with the intriguing challenge, and after some trial and error, I decided to stand at the side of the truck and position my cell phone by its roof.

The truck, which had been a distraction, an obstacle, transformed into a giant reflector that helped me capture intriguing scenes. Yes!

fyi fLI
Because I must avoid gluten, it’s crucial I use reliable brands of gluten free food, such as Bob’s Red Mill. Thought not a fan of the oatmeal flavor I gave Bob, I’ve been enjoying their Apple Pieces and Cinnamon, Maple with Raisin, and Organic Classic oatmeal during the Novel Coronavirus “New York State on PAUSE” stay-at-home.

Bob’s Red Mill is in partnership with No Kid Hungry (NoKidHungry.org).

FEATURE PHOTO at top of post: Garden City Park, NY, U.S. May 2, 2020. Dusk falls on suburbia, including Engel home, on Long Island.

Garden City Park at Dusk: my PHOTO GALLERY

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