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| My house, August 23, 2011 at 1:51 p.m. |
As I got up, I noticed the bed shaking and thought some huge animal had gotten inside and was jumping around; then I noticed the ceiling fans swaying. I stared at a vase moving on top of a pile of books and realized what was happening. I headed downstairs where my husband, in the computer room, was staring at a picture that had fallen onto the floor, and Willie, our dog, was on alert. We just waited; we never thought of going outside.
Across-the-street neighbors called and my up-the-street brother called; he said he moved here from California to get away from such things. About 120 miles south of the epicenter--we felt it.
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wow Hallie, I am glad you are all OK there. My daughter felt it sitting on the porch all the way up here near Boston, and I was in a swimming pool at the time and didn't even know about it until I heard the news. 2 hours from the epicenter is unbelievably scary to me.
ReplyDeleteNext up - Hurricane Irene, ready for that?!!
Hi Robin. It's hard to believe that it was felt in Boston--makes the earth seem a bit less solid. One of the local newscasters said "Earthquakes, hurricanes--what next? Locusts?" I guess he didn't hear the locusts (cicadas) a few months ago.
ReplyDeleteMy area is usually rather quiet weather-wise--not many hurricanes or tornadoes or heavy snows; being shaken was a real surprise.
Hi Hallie! I've been wondering how you fared when I heard the center was just west of Richmond. I was in my basement studio (concrete floor) and everything started moving and couldn't imagine how severe it was down your way. Glad everything's OK. As for the hurricane, we were riding bikes on Ocracoke last Wednesday and now they've evacuated it. Can't wait to see the coverage. Wow! What strange events.
ReplyDeleteHi William. I'm actually closer to Raleigh than to Richmond so we just had a bit of shaking--and were surprised. (And there are no tall buildings around here.) Your basement in MD was shaking? Maybe it was worse to the north.
ReplyDeleteOcracoke/Nags Head are nice--I remember huge mosquitoes when I visited. Usually the locals refuse to evacuate. Great photos from your NC vacation.
I've never experienced any earth tremors but I'm sure I would find it scary. I couldn't help thinking your were in prayer position when it happened- let's forget about retrieving the bottle of medium! The weather in NL sure has been weird this summer. I have never seen so much rain and fog in my life. It makes you wonder what's up.
ReplyDeleteHi Margaret. The tremor was so slight here that it took a while to realize what was happening--by then, it was almost over. I was on my way out to the workshop when I remembered the bottle under the bed; I'm trying to get all my supplies under one roof--not easy.
ReplyDeleteI look forward to learning what your upcoming long vacation in Germany and England will inspire. It's fun following as your art evolves. Enjoy.
I love the "shaken" image you put up...(very effective) I'll always remember a young lady relating what it was like to be in a stairwell in a tall building during an earthquake in Brazil. She and others were trying to calmly make their way down the stairs but the whole building was swaying! She said that it made her feel very sick to her stomach and it was all she could do to not lose her lunch. One doesn't think about how solidly depend on gravity! I'm so glad you are alright. What are you painting? Did you work on it or was this just too distracting?
ReplyDeleteJust so glad to know you are safe, Hallie!
ReplyDeleteGlad it was just a little shaking and nothing more. And glad you are safe. What a shocker to the eastern part of the U.S. We forget this can happen here.
ReplyDeleteThanks Celeste. I take lots of photos of my red roof against the blue sky so I used a couple to illustrate shaking. I'm not working on a painting right now; I'm varnishing so I can frame some and get them out of my workshop. And four boxes of art supplies arrived from Jerry's yesterday--I'm putting stuff away. Then I'll be ready to paint.
ReplyDeleteThanks AutumnLeaves. I don't think there was much damage from this. East Coast was lucky.
ReplyDeleteHi Rhonda. We never think of earthquakes, although I remember a tiny tremor from 30 years ago when I lived in MD.
Hallie,
ReplyDeleteI, too, was on my knees, looking under the bed for my beige purse when it started. I think it is the sign of the coming of the Rapture.
Everette T. McGill
Um hallie, you're not supposed to go outside during an earthquake!
ReplyDeleteLiving on Vancouver Island, along a fault line, I've experienced a few shakers. We've had it drilled into us to move away from the windows and either climb under a table or stand in the door frame. Glad you're okay!
Hello Anonymous Everette (can you be both?) I strongly suggest that you stay under that bed until Hurricane Irene reaches New England.
ReplyDeleteThanks Carole. I actually thought of standing in a door frame--must have read it someplace. Of course, when we remodeled most of our doors and walls were removed--opened the house up. What's wrong with going outside? Trees? There are no tall buildings around. Shaking is not really high on my list of enjoyable experiences.
ReplyDeleteWell, Hallie, I thought I left a comment, but perhaps I failed. Sometimes I must push a wrong button.
ReplyDeleteI thought of you immediately and hoped you were okay. Thank goodness you survived well. Living just miles from the San Andreas Fault and the Hayward Fault, I've experienced many earthquakes. During the Loma Prieta, my husband and I jumped into an area that we knew was reinforced with plywood. It was quite a ride. Carole of Vancouver Island is giving the standard advice we hear all the time.
Hope the aftershocks are mild. These things play with your psyche and at best are very unnerving.
I can see a Hallie painting coming from this event (I vividly recall your painting inspired by the earthquake in Haiti.
Hey Hallie, I didn't even know we had a quake. We get small tremors here (SW Va./Salem) fairly often. One last year woke me up. Didn't realize why I woke up until I heard it on the local news. And 4 boxes of art stuff !!! You're going to have fun.
ReplyDeleteTrees and buildings. Oh and the earth splitting beneath your feet. I'm not a fan of shaking either.
ReplyDeleteHi Mary. I guess experience counts during an earthquake--you know what to do. When we compare this one on the East Coast to the devastation in Haiti, we count our blessings.
ReplyDeleteHi Sue. You'll probably be missed by the hurricane, too. Four boxes--two were filled with frames--I hate the finishing part of painting. Still looking for that handsome young assistant.
Carole, thanks. I had nightmares as a youngster about the earth splitting under my feet. Why--I don't know. I will definitely look for a door frame next time. I guess I wonder why buildings are evacuated and everyone runs outside.
ReplyDeleteI visited your blog days ago but I have simply had no time this week. Commenting has been difficult. I cannot imagine what this was like - what an experience! Last year this time (for three semesters) my son was in Richmond. Glad he wasn't now (not that anything serious happened). Maybe I shouldn't be - I want him to live away from all fault lines! So fear is good. Hope you did okay with the hurricane. What a month!
ReplyDeleteI am happy to hear you made it through the earthquake unscathed. Now I am waiting for you to have power back so you can let us know how it went during the hurricane. Hope all is well.
ReplyDeleteThe wallpaper idea has real possibilities. Play away!
Hi Dan. A friend of mine lives close to the epicenter--she said it was very frightening, and there have been aftershocks (none that I have felt). When I worked for FEMA I checked out this area (since it was my hometown). I didn't see a fault here; few hurricanes and tornadoes, and no nuclear facilities close by--looked safe. Your son didn't like Richmond?
ReplyDeleteHi LifeArtist (Davida). We didn't lose power, just internet. My daughter outside Boston is without power--maybe until Saturday. I have sat at the dining table with my wallpaper book and magic markers--great fun.