Goodnight Irene

Hurricane Irene made landfall along the Connecticut coast on the morning of August 28, 2011. Even though she had weakened significantly by then, it was still a crazy large system that packed a serious punch.  Strong winds brought down countless trees, branches and power lines, leaving over 600,000 people in the dark across the state. It was Irene's storm surge, however, combined with an exceptionally high moon tide in Long Island Sound, that wreaked the most havoc along shoreline towns. 

My hometown of Milford was directly in Irene's cross hairs. After the worst of the storm had passed, many residents braved the elements and hit the road to survey the damage. It was a pretty wild scene out there. Below are some photos and a brief video documenting Irene's aftermath in Milford. Over the next week, we'll begin to see what affects Irene had on the fishing around the region.   

Photo credit: Michael Mayo

Photo credit: Michael Mayo



Stone By Stone

The house where I grew up was built in 1723. The old colonial has a ton of character and is part of a great neighborhood, although the street is quite busy for a one-way. The original structure was smaller way back when it was moved on logs to its present location from around the corner. My folks moved there when I was just a baby and still live there today. They've done an impressive job with the upkeep of the aging house and big yard. My brother and I like to pitch-in when we can and we planned a big project for Labor Day weekend.

Lining one side of the driveway sat a poor excuse a stone wall. It had fallen victim to more than a few car tires over the years. The plan was to rebuild the wall and create another one like it on the other side of the driveway. We used the existing stone and added to it some quality field stone donated by a generous neighbor. The project was an enjoyable one and it was nice being able to see measurable results at the end of the day. It was also cool for my brother and I to work together on something that will still be there long after were gone. I love stone walls; they are part of the fabric of New England. It's great to have a respectable stone wall again at the family homestead; it's a perfect fit. 

Before

After

Before

After