Ready for the big one

Yes we have spent the last three days getting prepared for hurricane Sandy. In out pantry we have a can of spam from Y-2K, that great disaster that never happened. Later on to appease the gods we'll bring out that 13 year old can of spam to scare away the storm.  

I'm about 100 miles inland and the weather is really bad. From what I've heard from friends and family in New Jersey, they are being hammered. The first electrical blackouts have been reported and the eye of the storm is still 250 miles (400 km) out to sea.

Since last last Wednesday bands of hurricane Sandy have been effecting the weather in eastern Pennsylvania.   Each day has been cloudy, with some light rain and an unseasonably warm southern breeze. It's been like waiting for an invading army to arrive and now the battle has started.  

This will surely be an historical event. Near one of my old homes in Pleasantville NJ, there was a street of tiny houses built in the 1930's for the fishermen that tended the clam beds in the bay. One house had marked on the kitchen wall the height and date of each past flood. With a predicted storm surge and high tide of 11 feet (3 m) it's possible that whole section of town could be flooded like New Orleans was with hurricane Katrina.

Nature can still humble the hubris. It will be interesting to see if Sandy effects the conversation on climate change. The joke is "science is so liberal - it accepts facts with out moral scrutiny".  I consider myself very lucky, I have a solid house on high ground. So many other people are not that lucky and many more will be in shelters today, tomorrow and who knows how long if there are wide spread blackouts.  

So tomorrow when the hurricane is suppose to pass we'll find out if it's going to be our lucky day or not.

While shopping for batteries, bottled water and easy to prepare comfort foods there was time to roam around. James Enders is a nationally recognized artist and one of those hard to describe local characters that makes Pottstown unique. Saturday morning at the Democratic Election Headquarters in Pottstown James unveiled his larger than life portrait of President Obama.

The volunteers at the Democratic headquarters where moved. Normally an unveiling would have drinks and hors d'oeuvres but it was only nine in the morning. The coffee good.

James has his gallery on High Street in Pottstown, originally from San Diego CA, James Enders is an active member of the arts community in Philadelphia, Miami and the West Coast.

There are no Vikings in Pennsylvania. This is for the Firebird in Phoenixville PA. Each year they build and burn one of these in a winter celebration that draws over ten thousand people.

Of course it takes a few of months to design and build, with volunteer labor, a 30 foot high (10 m) phoenix.

I came to see Henrik. I believe he has been involved with Firebird Festival from the beginning some twelve years ago. Henrik moved to Phoenixville from Denmark. The crew was busy securing the half finished Firebird as Sandy approaches. 

The Firebird was designed by Bret an art student graduating next spring from college. For years I would bring both my sons for the Firebird Festival and a couple weeks later to the Christmas Eve service at the Moravian Church -it was a nice way to balance the holiday season.

The Winter Solstice has always been a good reason for a big communal bonfire. Also it one more example on how the arts and artists help boost the local economy. 

This is Bret's Mom and girlfriend -they're both very proud of Bret. For more information go to firebirdfestival.com

If you're in the storm please send me word (and pictures) in how you're doing.