The Storm of a Lifetime!
(Googlemap, Creative Common Attribution by "CARPORT")
The 42 years old cabin was rumbling and shaking while the nails threatening to let go made the roof creek and crack as the burst of gusts came lashing over our lands. That night, the winds had built up to relentless strength and hardly let us sleep... It was, day for day, a week after the unforgettable earthquake that shook Haida Gwaii archipelago with a magnitude of 7.8 on the Richter Scale while reaching the Severe level VII on the Mercalli Intensity scale.
That morning, weary and still feeling the rumbling of the strongest winds I had ever seen in my life, savage south westerlies touched the waters at the base of Maude Island, over 4 km away, and travelled across the waters to hit the shaky window of my humble abode, on top of Eagle Hill, only 37 seconds later!
After witnessing the ghostly figures of three gigantic waterspouts, elevating themselves about 140 meters in height with a base around 40 meters in diameter, rotating and hovering their way toward Sandspit, I thought, "That's it, I'm out of here!", jumped in my full rain gear, boots and ski goggles and proceeded to walk all the way over to the location where the winds and waves would still be the strongest.
(Here, I am experiencing the brunt and exhilaration of waves crashing over me as winds batter me down to the ground. Unforgettable memories of communion with the elements! Photo taken by Robert "Jags" Brown, Nov. 3rd, 2012.)
The visions were powerfully impressive as I stood there facing the battering waves and fierce winds. Of the two, only the wind could terrace me right back down to the ground! After the strongests of winds had died down, I left "Haida Point", also called "BC Tel Point" or "Telus Point" where their station is located, and ran into my friends Sue & Jags driving by. their look of concerned pointed to a situation they did not relate to. They stopped to ask me if I was alright... I had already been over two and a half hours on that spot feeling the elements and was casually fighting head-on my way back home. For the sake of posterity, I thought I could offer him to take a shot, or two, of me standing my grounds at the point while he'd be comfortably photographing from his truck parked about 50 meters away on the side of the road...
(A wave assault was but a small fraction of what the winds could do on that day! I stood my grounds here, though I barely had had the chance to get back up to my feet after the winds had plonked me down like a rag moments earlier... Photo taken by Robert "Jags" Brown, Nov. 3rd, 2012.)
It is storm season out here right now, in the north hemisphere, and, for the sake of good times outside and photography while running the chance of being captured by the focus of your favourite photographer, maybe it is time for you and I to go out there reviving ourselves with a healthy dose of elements!
Yesterday, I came across a special post called the BC Ferries StormWatching Photo Contest, #BCFStormWatching, and thought I'd point it out to my friend Jags, who is one of my favourite photographer on the Northwest Coast of British Columbia. Meanwhile, I thought it might be a good idea for me to promote the contest and the story beyond the realms of Facebook, Twitter and the likes... So, I am extending Steemit stories and photography into the world of social media beyond the confine of our platform. Some might call it an "Outreach Program"?!? On this, I will wish "Jags" the very best of luck and will tapestry the story everywhere the photo takes anchorage.
I was in Phil's studio, sitting on a stool during a music break, when the Haida Gwaii earthquake hit and a couple of hundred miles at least away from the epicenter that you experienced. My first thought was: "Man, I'd better lay off the beer" LOL
The place was still like a giant platform of ice floating on magma a week later! No wonder, when the earthquake happened, that you'd be feeling the way you did beer induced or not. ;)
Namaste :)
Awesome details, the plot and the story writing skill is marvelous
Thanks a lot for the precision of your appreciative words, I value this kind of communication where precision sculpts the matter at hand.
Namaste :)
I dig the descriptive writing style.
Thanks, it is one style among many and, in this occurrence, seems to be fitting the bill, as it is a travel contest offered in partnership with "BC Ferries" and "Promote the Coast" Jags is participating into... Thanks for the kind words, namaste :)
Worth voting. Excellent post. Great Story. And i like that NAMASTE Gif.
I'm so glad you enjoy this Namaste GIF and even more so the actual post and its story. Thank you for your upvote, comments and fellowship, it is really appreciated.
Namaste :)