Fall on Duke Street

Earlier this afternoon, the Uptown felt deserted as well all hunkered down for the arrival of whatever is left of Hurricane Noel. For the first time, I have heeded storm preparation warnings and managed to dig out camp lights and fill a jug of water in case we should lose power. Normally, we can comfortably ignore storm warnings. Living right by the water means the storm is never that bad, and we are usually protected from the worst of tropical storms by Nova Scotia. Unfortunately, the same insurance does not apply in this scenario. Already tonight, some local communities are without power.

It's been ten years since I've been living in Saint John, and lost power. The great ice storm of 1997, now a local legend, cut power for a day. Other parts of the city lost power for much longer, and surrounding communities lots it for weeks. We had friends staying with us for parts of it, where clean towels and hot showers were the standing luxuries.

This chair arrived on the sidewalk earlier this week. I keep expecting to see a crow or an old man perched in it. By this afternoon, though it looked quite lonely, as even the birds disappeared and the sky became darker and darker.