Friday, January 23, 2009

Edison Estate







I really loved the Edison estate on the caloosahatchi river in Ft.Myers. The place had a 1920's Great Gatsby luxury feel to it. We learned the Thomas Edison didn't just invent light bulbs and gadgets he also did extensive botanical research. Edison planted Royal palm trees all allong McGreggor Blvd in 1910 and they are a beautiful site today. I especially loved the Banyan tree that is about 90 years old (its parent back in India is 1000 years old) one tree looks like an entire forest.

ISLAND HOPPING























Just returned from Florida. We went island hopping from Sanibel to Captiva to Lovers Key. It is of course beautiful there. We stayed with my aunt and uncle in Ft.Myers and it is lovely there. The beaches were not very crowded except for Ft. Myers beach.We went to Bunche Beach at Sunset to try and see the "green Flash" that is rumored to be visible just as the sun sets over the water. We didn't see it.

Tuesday, January 6, 2009

The Ice Storm


This is a narrative poem that Justin wrote about our experience with the recent Ice storm here in Massachusetts.



Blackout
Listen now and listen well,
For I, today am about to tell,
The story of the fear,
Of the storms and blackouts far and near,
That caused people to camp and flee,
Oh, the dread for you and me!

The cold, biting ice that coated all,
Driven to freeze and snap and fall,
And oh! I heard the trees, swinging with their branches,
Aiming for homes and cars and ranches,
Slipping sliding everywhere,
I couldn’t stop, that ice was glare!

Day 2 not much had gotten better,
No heat (good day to have a sweater),
Few homes had any power,
You couldn’t take a shower,
Day 3 we up and split,
Packed clothes, our dog, and the road we hit,
That night, Huzzah! The power is back!
Never in my life did I see so speedy a pack,
We went back home and saw our lights winking and shining so brightly,
It lit our faces and warmed us slightly,
Back to our old furnace and TV,
Life now seems how we like it: easy

But the blackouts go on,
There’s ice on the lawn,
The 22nd I believe,
Is when the power outs did leave,
What’s the lesson of this story?
Be prepared for anything (it makes life a glory).