Monday, February 1, 2016

Catching up...Did the earth move for you Dear?

It's cold and I have a lot of rather uninviting chores impatiently awaiting my attention...so here I am typing this....could I possibly be avoiding them ? at least temporarily?

What's been going on here lately ..well a Week ago yesterday (Sunday) we were woken at 1.30 am by the Earth moving ....but not in an exciting sexy way mind ...just an exciting ..am I going to be scary next ..kind of way.
A 7.1 Earth Quake on the other side of the inlet from us ...it was a longer quake than I've felt before... usually you feel something and then we turn to each other and ask "Was that an Earth quake" ? or you darn well know it was and you hop around nervously ...I tend to shake even if I don't believe myself to be stressed( my limbs obviously disagree) This time we sat up in bed and had time to decide if perhaps we should do anything about it ..."ermmm...it's still moving ..." so we all gathered in the living room on the sofa an chatted ...ok nervously(while trembling in mine and younger D's case) ...the cats and dog were not partial. We were so well awake by this time it was an hour and a half before we went back to bed . Other people had noticed and facebook had lit up with comments and questions. It was felt in different ways and strengths in different areas ...often depending on the ground structure beneath your home.
Fortunately no one was killed and damage was very limited ...the worst being 4 houses destroyed in Kenai due to explosions of a ruptured gas line (one family were in the house for the first explosion but emerged unscathed ...but lost the house in a subsequent fire) another  blew up later whilst workers were looking for leaks ..thankfully no one was in that one at the time.

local news report

another

The 1964 Earthquake that struck here was over a 1,000 times stronger and much much longer ..so would have been very scary (massive understatement.)
Reading articles about earthquakes ..popular local topic of conversation this week ..there are areas in this city that have been built upon that I believe would have best been left empty.
I know our home was built just before the '64 quake and survived it and that gives me a lot of (hopefully sound) comfort.
We also discuss the geology of the area ..there are interesting maps available and study where the safest spots to head to are if the earth does move vigorously. It's always shifting just to various degrees.
Today's chart

Must go and sort out my Earth quake kit ...perhaps that should go to the top of the chore list !

Oh and when we finally went back to bed the bed ended up being rather crowded with the addition of youngest daughter, two of the cats and the dog crowded in too. (Although the dog had a very disturbed night as he kept getting accidentally nudged and falling off ...only to leap right back on.)
So an exciting start to the week. 




7 comments:

  1. Wow... that was fascinating to read about but scary for you I'm sure. I saw a doc about an Alaskan earth quake - possibly the '64 one - but it was incredibly interesting. Caused a big tidal wave I think? Also saw a doc the other day with Ben Fogle going to stay with a couple and their two young children who had left the ratrace (Seattle) and moved to Alaska. I must admit I thought of you. Stay safe.

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    1. Thanks Cath ...the tidal wave caused the most loss of life in the '64 quake I believe. But at least we don't get hurricanes or tornadoes so we'll look on the bright side :o)
      The space and elbow room here is lovely ...it's a brutal and severe beauty in many ways ..very raw and new but it gets to you (in a good way).

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  2. I just cannot imagine what that must be like. Thank goodness no one was hurt and you were all ok. Can just picture all of you in bed together. Those moments are precious, savour them whilst you can xxxx

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    1. It did add a humorous element to an adventurous night.... lol

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    2. I'm sure it did and thank goodness for it Val x

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  3. Gosh scary. My parents were out in Italy for the 1980 earthquake. They said the dogs went very quiet and the birds stopped singing just before. They seem to sense it before us humans. Glad you are all safe.

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    1. Thanks Cheryl...animals are probably more tuned into their surroundings than we are I expect.. a most odd sensation at least this one didn't make me feel seasick (hears tune playing in my head "Always look on the bright side of life de dum, de dum, de dum, de dum ..") lol

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from an old gravestone

If you hold your nose to the Grindstone
and you leave it there long enough,
Then soon you'll say
there's no such things
as brooks that babble
and birds that sing,
these three will all your world compose,
just you, the stone and your poor old nose.

(from memory so may not be word perfect)