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#hurricanefiona

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I skipped over same day, and took you to the days of #HurricaneFiona , when we spent 14 days without power, never had cellular, probably never will, it's the BUTT end of #Halifax, rather pretty, but most have never been.
Without power, when the roads were cleared of trees, we went to call and let everyone know we were OK (Remember?)

I believe Fancy's Beach gets a Cellular signal.
Check when you go?

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Since hurricane Dorian (2019) my trees and plants have been damaged. Cherry tree lost a 20 foot branch, leaves were rolled off the trees early, and then this year, we had late frost and my orchard of 8 types of fruit trees, never had a blossom or fruit.
We had rain for days, weeks, every other day. No sunlight made the garden produce poor, we had zero zucchini survive, and plants drown and died from lack of sunlight.
#EndTimes .

#ClimateChange

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Long rant, eh? Well, #ADHD is very high when I wake, I used to write a few pages of a never published book. Because this is my time of day. Sharp as a tack, full of piss and vinegar and chomping at the bit to get things done.

Today, I have to pickup loads of firewood and put it away, pack up loose things and tie down for the storm. My boat is still out (ready to be put away for winter when I get a minute) and trees aren't pruned yet, but just growing now!

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Once my focus is taken, and I realize I can't see the ground, it is all spinney and I have to hug the ladder and ease one step at a time. I'm shaking, the ladder is shaking, I'm unable to see, and climbing down with eyes closed.
Then I have to rest.. Yet, the helpful neighbour keeps coming back, every time I get busy.

I think I might stop. Strap up what I've finished, put materials inside until Monday.

I'll still be here by Christmas at this rate

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This is why (all week) I woke at 2am and couldn't go back to sleep.

That's all that goes through my mind, how will I finish this? Can I finish this? Is there anyone I can hire? There wasn't last year but if I had known I was to be the project manager, I would have started sooner.

I normally work well under pressure, but I don't sleep well when I worry.

Yesterday, I was up 32 feet alone, working fine, and my neighbour drove over to talk, stopping me

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In between, I have a doctor's appt in the city. I purposely made it for when we are supposed to be back in the city, but now, we're still living here, so it's a full day on the road and a tank of gas, and I can't spare the time. I cancelled another appt over summer for that reason.

So, I'm busy, confused, anxious about this storm, and the staging I have erected, and the $100 of siding unpacked to install still.

It was really windy up there yesterday

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It's not the kind of work that needs three people. One can do it, the right one, but my neighbour is helpful, not bothered by ladders, but also never did siding before. If one piece is not put on correctly, the next wind will cost me money.

This time of year, I am taking our food in, freezer, anything of value, draining water lines and turning off power.

Now, that might be off by a month. Not happy about that

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If the house were upside down, I'd be out finishing it now, with floodlights in the dark. But, the unfinished part is 32 feet up a ladder. And it's secured. It's the part that Fiona didn't rip off at the peak of the gables. I have to pull that off to put more up. It involves reaching 3 feet either side of the ladder with power drill, and hammer, and one hand holding on. I can't look down, I get dizzy.
Careless friends talk to me up there, and I have to quit

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Another storm (storm 2 since original damage) is coming on the weekend. A large post-tropical will reach us by Saturday-Sunday.

Anyone buying building materials today, knows the extreme cost increases.

Siding, is $290 per box, roughly 11 dollars a piece. Nails, which I thought I had enough of, were $25, bolts, screws and fasteners were $75 (so far) plus transportation costs, I have to drive 50 miles to get more.

I buy only what I can handle in one trip

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All the same reasons for the delay that the contractor gave, Pitch of the roof, frost and winter, can't go up there now, will do it in spring. Spring, will be in touch, summer, still no word. Fall, Nada ..

Wait until John finds out he's not getting paid for shoring up the place until work could start.

I don't think I've signed any agreement, and if they'd like their day in court, I have a counter-proposal. Grief they caused me by forcing me to do the work

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When we reached the 1 year mark on the insurance payout, I said, send me the cheque (made out to me ONLY, and explained that their guy hadn't been communicating and I had been trying since May to get a date. He's not capable of doing what he claimed.

I'd still like to hire someone, but again, there is no one. And the timing is exactly the same. This is when I shut down this home and move near healthcare for the winter.

And now I have to do it.

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The natural draft of the wood stove should be quite high. I had 18 feet of 6" steel liner, which should have sucked largely LOL

Yada Yada, I found the problem. Last week, I repaired the chimney, I'm not a brick layer, and playing with cement pudding is awkward up on an A roof, 90 degree pitch, and windy, above the ocean.

I'd get physically sick and have to come down sometimes.

I bought a safety harness for me, and got through it, with much grief

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My brick chimney was 100 years old (or more) and unlined. Insurance required a liner, and so I bought a stainless steel liner and we installed it with an airtight stove in the kitchen.

FIONA damaged it. I didn't know how, but the fire wouldn't light anymore.

The wind had pushed the liner sideways, and I told the estimator to include it (or arising) but it was never mentioned.

The wind pulled out old mortar and air got inside the brick chimney

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I also started to get sea-sick that year, never before in my life. 20 years I was at sea then, Ocean Ranger sank in a fierce North Atlantic storm and we were out there looking for bodies. It was rough, sailors were injured from the violent waves. I was fine .

It's particularly embarrassing when you are in the Navy 20 years and begin to get seasick. My next 13 years were living hell.

So, that's making ladders, scaffolding and roofs OUT OF BOUNDS to me

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We've waited a year, with no word, the actual team that came out, was never paid, I know the worker only as JOHN and I don't even have a number. I informed my insurance that this overconfident planner booked work into years that he would be unable to complete within the one year time restraint .

I sided this house myself. I owned scaffolding then, and I was 15 years younger.

I have extreme difficulty with height. About 1993, I began getting dizzy.

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The Planner, a guy from Dartmouth, sent a team with ladders and tape and they put strapping on things to prevent more damage until they returned.

Insurance says, you have one year to complete, and take the money. That was last week.

I took the money. The contractors have never called me back with a date. We've called the organizer in Dartmouth and he didn't keep his side of the bargain. He's not calling me, for 6 months or more.. I have no idea

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I said, there are about 40 people without power, and cannot get it back until they get an electrician and repairs done first to electrical masts, and I naively said, do them first!
I indicated, that in my home's condition, more damage would occur, the longer they waited to stabilize or repair

My power was off 14 days, neighbours would be off months, and their hardship greater.

They are all done now.
I have not had mine started

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Our rural community has a few hundred residents, almost all seniors. A new resident from Ontario was with me today when he saw KIDS for the first time since July.
People say HIRE SOMEONE. Who?? I'm old too, but in reasonably fit condition.

I told my insurance, there was no contractors to call, no tradesmen, this is a rural senior zone.

They sent out an estimator from the city, who put in a price to repair. It was reasonable, considering the distance