Eye and the Storm

SMILING FOUR YEAR OLD

Eye Story-I have a black eye. http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/first-aid-black-eye/HQ00016
Although termed "a black eye" this injury often involves other colors and mine does. Mostly shades of Zinfandel, Merlot, Beaujolais and a little Cabernet-see the ring under my eye in the next photo.

THE BLACK EYE 2011

I first noticed it after an early morning trip to the bathroom. A glance in the mirror is part of the visit.  I had been in the den on the couch. Alone. No one nearby. Did I sleep on the remote? Did my blackberry bang me? Was I smacked by my Kindle?  Did I leave my glasses on my face and incur frame dent? I keep a row of treasures on the ledge of the couch so I will have access to an array of devices, books, and remotes when on the den couch.   Perhaps one or more fell on me.
Since I have restless leg, sleep apnea and disturbing dreams, I thought it unlikely I would not have known, as I never, ever reach the state of REM sleep.  Verified by the sleep clinic I have attended.

DID ONE OF THESE TREASURES TURN ON ME?

Or was it a direct hit from the monster hail balls that pummeled us on Monday, August 1?  That story follows.  Click on the previous  photo if you need a closer look for book titles (and readers, some are library and one is borrowed from a rocker friend- (I will return it-no worries)
This is my third "black" eye of retirement-the first two caused by Liam. Not this one. All three have been the same eye, the right.  Guess I lean that way.  Now I must bring out the photo of my favorite eye injury-the one from when puppy Liam body slammed my face into concrete leaping for a squirrel.

MOST COLORFUL EYE INJURY FEB 29 2008

I keep the framed photo on the wall of the kitchen above Liam's food and water bowls.  After all, it is his creation. A few sentences ago, I offered the idea that I might have been hit by hail while filming the August 1  storm. I was hit, but the eye injury was already present.

Here is the storm story.  Mostly visual and one with sound from You Tube.  That is my next project, my own videos for the blog.

Storm Story-on August 1 (DOGust 1 in the canine world) we here In New Hyde Park (the storm epicenter) experienced a fierce violent lightning laced thunder booming late afternoon storm.

HAIL FALLING-ON THE GROUND

What made it so unique was the hail.  The size, the weight, the damage.  Hail not the size of golf balls, an iconic comparison.   Bigger.  Since hail has to be compared to balls, I was at a disadvantage, having no golf,  tennis, or baseballs in the house. I used my blackberry (the one that probably beat me in the eye) to show the size of the hail pieces I captured.

BLACKBERRY WITH HAIL

The street flooded, the tide came up to the front porch

FLOODED BAXTER AVENUE, IN FRONT OF OUR HOUSE

Two people had to be rescued from their sinking car

RESCUE

and many cars had their windshields broken by the beating of the giant hail balls. As I drove down the block later that day I counted 8 cars with broken windows bandaged with comforters, wrapped with hefty bags, holes stuffed with blankets. Glass in the street and in driveways.  Usually lightning strikes trees and they fall and hit cars. Not this time. In an ironic twist of  nature, my oak tree protected my car windows. The hail beat upon the tree, forcing its leaves onto my car, which formed a protective cushion on my windshield.

CAR WITH LEAF PROTECTION-36 DENTS ANYWAY BUT NO BROKEN WINDSHIELDS

Still, I counted 36 hail dents in the roof, trunk and hood.  I did have to use a snow scraper to remove the leaves, as they were sodden and embedded on the car windows.

You Tube of the hail balls bouncing-worth a listen

Liam spent several hours of his fourth birthday shaking with terror from the pelting noises outside.  I would liken the noise to making popcorn in the microwave ramped up a thousand decibels.
Then the sun came out, while the rain continued. The firefighters came for support.

FIREFIGHTERS TO THE RESCUE

Many cars in New Hyde Park are pinged with dents.  I found out that the word "ping" has now been borrowed by residents to describe the sounds of the falling hail, as well as the resulting hail dent.  So the hail was pinging and the dents are pings. A popular question around town, "how many pings do you have?"  I am pinged all over. Mine are so numerous and evenly spaced that I accept them as the new look to Sawyer (my Focus)  Hey, my windows are intact.  The economy is booming for collision shops in New Hyde Park.  I hope Congress addresses the dent ceiling, now that they are done with the debt ceiling.
There are few flowers remaining in New Hyde Park, just stumps where impatiens once were. I no longer do annuals, but feel for the folks who meticulously planted them in May.
Most lawn ornaments are broken. 
All my solar dragonflies have lost their wings and some their ability to light up.
Good news. Things can be fixed.
And my storm pix were published in the New Hyde Park Patch
.http://newhydepark.patch.com/blog_posts/the-hail-storm
Flowers will grow (maybe) People pulled together. I have 6 hail balls (the size of plums) in the freezer in case anyone needs ice with a little gravel.

We are now in August 

and we usually have a break at this time

 from LiamLicks publishing

 And we will again. 

Liam wants to enjoy some dog days 

and already is in position all over the house as well as outside. hard to keep the four year old motivated when he sees all the other kids off from school.

Enjoy your vacations, catch up on LiamLicks. Share with friends.  We cherish our loyal readers and hope to attract more. We will be making new stories.
No trips this year, we will be at home, but stories occur anywhere and at anytime.

See you Thursday August 25, 2011. Of course if a story must be blogged, it will be.

AAH, DOG DAYS AGAIN

Woof, woof

Posted by Carol at 4:42 PM