From November on, we watch the weather. Actually, we watch the dunes that separate our lake from the Ocean, right here on the last picture. On this date, a few days ago, the waves breached the dunes, tumbling furiously down into the lake.
Over a decade ago, on this very berm that is now being reshaped by the waves, the town's sewer system was destroyed. The lake water became brakish, salty. Fish died and the lake's ability to provide residential water supply was compromised. That event changed the narrative around here.
We now have a new outfall for the lake. We have a new sewer system. We even have a new plan for city growth. Weather wise, we seem to be prepared against another breach of the same magnitude, a breach folks were told happened every century or so.
As I photographed these waves pouring into the lake, I couldn't help panic a bit. With one heavy stroke, Nature could change the face of this town, the face of our lake, our home. With one stroke, we could be homeless.
With one stroke, we could all be washed out to sea.
40 comments:
A scary thought, but since you choose to live there, the beauty must be worth the risk. I hope another breach does not happen in your lifetime.
Living in cities, I tend to forget the awsome power of nature
I guess that's the risk many of us take, whether living in New Orleans or the Gulf in the face of hurricanes, here in the Bay area where the ground shakes so frequently or in your beautiful part of the world. Let's hope, in your lifetime, the world stays as you want it.
You live in a beautifully scenic area-- try not to think about that other thing!
You are wise to watch powerful forces of wind and sea carefully. It sounds a bit exciting and dramatic.
Of course this has just happened in Newport ... raging waves taking two lives. Be careful out there!
well that sure is a comforting thought...go watch the weather....
But that is a lovely view! I love the water.
Water has such immense power...to be respected for sure. Wishing you safety!
Mother nature is a strong old girl, keep yourselves safe.xx
That is quite scary. I really hope that the sea stays where it is supposed to be.
It seems that there is always a downside to everything.
Maggie X
Nuts in May
Rising seas will do that. Since you have new facilities, it should not as disastrous as the last time, but...
Be carefull.
good luck, i do hope it is not a problem for you!
It looks like an absolutely gorgeous place to live, even with the danger from nature.
The town I grew up in was devastated by a tidal wave one year. It was a horrifying experience (and very noisy...).
Nature can be very capricious and unforgiving.
It's sobering, isn't it, how vulnerable we are? And of course, I think and hope for the best for you.
But I think too about how we used to be linked to the weather/environment and yet now, as a society (generally) we feel so impervious day to day, so strong, so solid, and yet we are all only as solid as the dunes themselves. We have fallen too far from our natural environment and for that we will all pay.
xo
erin
Fingers crossed for you all. But mother nature really doesn't take kindly to us humans messing with nature, does she? Drain a swamp and a shoreline goes, clear the prairies and she'll send winds that blow everything away, and on and on...she'll always win in the end.
Awesome..in the true sense of the word.
Just when we can stop watching the weather you must begin. this is a fresh water lake? Separated from the ocean by a line of dunes? that surprises me.
It must be quite frightening to live at the whims of nature this way. Beautiful area though.. and fine pics.
No mattter where we live on this earth there are natural perils. I live above a very large lake, but if the dam should fail, the people living be low it would be in peril.
But I am still helpless against ice storms, snowstorms, tornadoes, lightning strikes, or simply a neighbor's fire.
We both live in gorgeous areas and have chosen to live there. I pray our disasters are beyond our lifetimes!
Your post points out the fragile nature of our existence on this earth. At any moment, any one of us can be washed away by a whim of nature!
Nature can never be underestimated, let's hope you're never washed out to sea!!
We take so much for granted, in the "normal" and essential structures of our life.
Only an echo of what others have written so eloquently: we are here at Nature's whim, and wise if we remember that. Such beauty...
i sincerely hope that you do not have to endure a disaster such as that. I wish you well
So many of us live far from the water. You're fortunate to have it close by, even with the risks.
Mother Nature sure can slap us on the bum when she wants too! With all our technology and smarts, we still are at the mercy of our Gog.. Hang in there and keep a close watch, I don't want to have to jump in and save you! (Although I truly would if I didn't live a gazillion miles away!)
Mother Nature sure can slap us on the bum when she wants too! With all our technology and smarts, we still are at the mercy of our Gog.. Hang in there and keep a close watch, I don't want to have to jump in and save you! (Although I truly would if I didn't live a gazillion miles away!)
What you wrote about the chance of being swept out to sea is such a compelling and strong image . . . I think of things like that, but from the mountain perspective - how we are surrounded by nature and natural forces ....
Have you ever read OCEAN magazine? She's always looking for good articles, poems, photographs about the sea....
This is a scary thought. You watch for water; I watch for fire. Living in this massive area of pine trees I worry about drought & fires. Yep, with one careless match we could be in trouble too.
Beautiful pics! That's what they told us after Katrina and Rita. But then just 3 years later, came Gustav and Ike. But, I still wouldn't want to live anywhere else.
ah, the power of the ocean. you are right, rosaria, when events like these happen, we are reminded we are not in charge.
That must be an uneasy feeling...hope you swim like a fish!! Really, what a beautiful spot you live in but I have seen what tides and erosion can do...hopefully prayers keep anything bad from happening!!
Fragile circumstances surround us all.
Loved the first picture. It captures natural vs. man-made rhythm in landscape perfectly!
It is a sobering thought realising the power of the ocean. But I adore the sea and love swimming and being by water; I'm a Cancerian after all. Which is why, of course, I live in a big city! But I miss the sea all the time. One day I will find my shore . . .
Great Photos! I like to watch the weather too. But I like to watch it on the weather channel :-)
What beautiful photographs! I just read your post Catching the Soul and love the way you express keeping memories alive through photos.
I'm refollowing you because my old link won't work. A glitch in Blogger recently necessitated my doing a new blog, almost the same title. You can import the old blog into the new one, but you lose your followers! I'm trying to get to the ones I want to keep following, such as yours! This is taking me awhile since my book revisions also came back for another go-through when the blogger glitch occurred.
Your granddaughter is lovely, like her name Jasmine. Love the name. Think about her and try not to worry about the lake. Easy to say. I think I would worry, which is why I'm glad I live where I do!!
I've missed you. Now you'll be on my blogroll again. Yay!
Ann
The landscape that surrounds you is very distinctive. I particularly like the first of 3 photos you published here . You have captured a beautiful light with your camera, besides the beauty of the place.
I loved that first photo and then read your post. It's scary and at the same time contradictory to be destroyed by beauty. Many thanks for those beautiful images.
Greetings from London.
But, oh what a beautiful place to live as you pray that stroke never arrives.
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