It's "rare" I suppose, because of how slow-moving it is. Usually, there's a beautiful day, followed by an increasingly overcast & growing more humid day, as you're working your butt off outside to nail things down... and then 24-36 hrs of storm... and then another beautiful, but still really humid day to go clean up stuff. There isn't enough intensity or forward motion yet with Florence. So New Bern & Wilmington are still seeing storm - while out Chapel Hill way - they started seeing the first of the storm last night. She's gonna take her own sweet time sweeping across part of SC, too - before the other weather systems that have her trapped there, move or weaken enough to let her turn north up the mountains.
There won't be any wind to speak of at all by the time she gets up here. Just a lot more rain. My county is already past our average rainfall totals for a normal year - and that's just counting June till now. I imagine I'll still be trying to get wood split and grass mowed when it's cold enough for this rain to be snow. Radio weatherman even warned people to not freak out about the big round yellow thing in the sky we might see late Tues/Wed. LOL. Yeah, it's been that long. All summer we've alternated between weeks of SAD weather, and blazing hot & humid melty weather. It's been surreal and isn't going to get any better, I hear.
Both of my long-term, online "useful big brothers" have needed support as adult survivors of not just Nparents - but in some cases much worse - this past week or so. The one, had such an intense vivid flashback to when he was hit by a car as a kid, that he's banned himself from driving till this stretch clears up. The doc's family life growing up would definitely resonate around here with all of us and his current family situation is triggering old stuff - and he's in a foggy thinking place, about his choices and decisions. Whether I like it or not, it seems I'm moving into the compassionate witness role. It sure wasn't intentional. But, I don't mind returning the favor of being someone to lean on.
---please pardon the interruption---
Hops, at 2 ft from the house, as much as I LIKE trees and commune with their strength and endurance and stoicism... I would resign myself to having it professionally removed. That proximity is simply not good for the tree, roots can grow into your drains and shift the foundation of the house... apart from the danger of falling. The pros will climb up the tree and gradually cut from the top down - lowering sections and big limbs with ropes. It's pricey; but it is the safest way to do it.
