Bon vojage Irene

I lived in Florida... as a kid I have seen my share of floods.. but I don't remember ever being in a hurricane.... but I might have been.. but I don't remember  worrying about the electricity going out.. ( my son..really enjoys. some television... and he was so worried Irene would knock "his" power out)  I never remember my parents battening down the hatches... or securing.. anything but lawn furniture.. I have never seen roads collapse... and what I learned in 6th grade science... erosion... finally made some sense to me.

 SO like many others.. Saturday was spent... checking the house for things that might blow away.. getting batteries ready.. candles... non-perishable food... water... and checking on older neighbors and friends.... I also picked all our tomatoes.. in case the storm.. wanted to have a tomato fight...

 

Yes, you see brownies that my husband insisted on making in case the power went out...

The day before the big storm prediction.... we went to the beach.. Asbury park.... it was just a quick day trip.. but the look on my son's face when the waves... hit him... was priceless...

My son loves nature.. . and the beach is no exception...

terrible picture of us... looking into the sun.. but here we are...

 

Just enjoying some mnm's.... 

We got two ducks after the first few weeks of spring.. for my hubands classroom.. we raised them... in a large horse....tin.... and then he used them in school.. and then we had a family with a farm interested if they did not leave or migrate.... we named them Stella and dot.. when they were babies...So.. they left before we could sell them.. but one the boy named Gilbert stayed.... for 4 months...( mallard)

Then we found out one was a boy... so my son named him Gilbert.. Gil for short.. and we have been enjoying him all summer... the other one flew away... Gilbert... would get up on our pool ledge.. and talk.. he would follow the dog and cat around.. and even sleep near them.. He would ...take twilight flights... and we would think he was flying the coop.. and we would say... bye gilbert.. yelling toward the sky.. and then 20 minutes later.. he would make his landing.. in the pool.. and hop out.. and go in his little kid pool...

My son loved it.. and secretly so did I.

those are ducks with their heads tucked in....

 

we were getting ready for bed.. when gilbert.. came back... after a long trip.. and we ran out to say.. your back.

this day.. gilbert landed.. in the street.. down in our neighborhood.. and he got a bit disoriented...and started walking towards.. the highway... we called him and he came back.
but the day before the storm.. when we got home from the beach... he said goodbye... and flew away...
I decided to make a great meal.. in case the storm came and took our electric... so I made ....
Flank steak.. with mexican salad...

Grilled flank Steak with corn,black bean, and Avocado salad.
7 points...weight watchers... My husband loved this meal.......wants to make it again..


1lb raw lean flank steak
1tsp fresh lime juice
1/8 tsp table salt
1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Salad
1 tbsp minced jalapeno (from are garden)
1 ear cooked corn on the cob.. or some frozen corn..
1/2 medium avocado, peeled- pitted and diced..
l cup of black beans drained and rinsed
4 tsp fresh lime juice
2 tbs minced fresh cilantro optional
1/8 tsp table salt
1/8 black pepper
Preheat grill to medium hot
score steak on one side by making shallow crisscross slashes with a sharp knife, rub garlic over cut surface of steak. Brush steak with lime juice and season with salt and speper, set aside for 10 minutes to allow meat to absorb flavors.
  Meanwhile, combine salad ingredients in a medium bowl, stir gently and set aside.
Grill steak for 5 minutes on first side, flip and grill until well-browned on outside and medium rare inside, about 5 to 6 minutes more. Immediately remove steak from grill and set aside on a clean plate for 5 minutes for meat to reabsorb juices. Thinly slice steak across grain and serve with salad.
After a great dinner... we went to bed...to get ready for what Irene might bring... and she brought a wrath with her...

she brought wind, rain, flooding.. and more...

Our ice cream shop is underwater...

Lots of people have no power, and many were evacuated... almost everyone I know had some flooding in the basement.. and a few towns... were totally underwater.. in upstate Ny. I know trailer parks that lost their homes...and I feel for all those people...
So now.. we move on.. let friends with no power... use our shower... Help... people pick up their tree limbs... and so on.... but I did make an ice cream cake to tell Irene Happy Bon Vojage...

So... it's time to get ready for fall.... Michael's was full of .... Fall and Halloween things already....