Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Storm Booty or How I Got My Banana

What kind of Storm Booty do you have?  What?  You don’t have any?  Well, it is one of the perks living on the water.  Tidal water brings and takes.  My first experience with the give and take with storm booty was about 16 years ago.  We had just come back from the vet, Monroe was just a puppy and got spayed.  We took her to the backyard to let her off the leash only to see the Little Tikes turtle sand box, filled with sand, floating out to sea.  The tide was high with a nor’easter and the turtle was floating as tide went out.  Luckily I was able to grab it and pull it back to higher ground. 




Fast forward many years to 2003.  Hurricane Isabel hit our area with lots of water.  Once the tides had subsided we took inventory of damages and the condition of the trees and bulkhead in the backyard.  Lo and behold---we were the proud owners of two pressure treated structures.  I am not sure what they were.  My guess is that they were steps from someone’s dock/decking area.  Whatever they were, they became two garden tables in my yard.  They were strong and could take the weight of some of the larger containers I had.  It made for a nice addition to the backyard.  I put it in the bed with the birdbath.
Here it is just before the last nor'easter.

A few years after Isabel we had another nor’easter and one of the tables floated off to a new home.  My neighbor across the creek was now the proud owner of a small table that they could use in her yard.  She asked if I wanted it back, but I said it was now hers.  I placed the remaining table back where I wanted it…creating a new setting. 


The past few years we have had many nor’easters, some worse than others.  This past December you may remember my post about the high water.  I was sad as the cute little yellow rose was sitting in the yard floated off the bulkhead as the tide receded.   We had just had the house and deck power washed and all my plants that were on the deck were now sitting in the yard.    Gaining and losing storm booty is standard fare, but I liked that little rose.   

The next day I found the rose had floated back into the grasses along the bulkhead. I was happy to rescue it!




After the storm I found another planter had floated through the yard and was caught up on the fence.














Later that day I was talking with my mom (who lives next door) and she asked if I had lost a banana tree.  what???  No, I didn’t have a banana to lose.  Well, new storm booty!  Mom didn’t want the tree, so now I have a banana tree…..currently residing in the garage ‘til next spring.  

For now I am happy to be done with storm booty coming or going.






words and photos by Janet,The Queen of Seaford.

21 comments:

  1. ooh, a banana plant! That's great booty Janet. I lost mine to a severe frost in early October so I'll be looking for a new one this spring. Unfortunately, no tides to bring one in here. Glad you got your yellow rose back ~ I can see why you liked it. Living on the water like you do keeps life interesting, doesn't it?!!!

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  2. janet - I'm sure when those high waters come and go, it's frightening. But, your story is hysterical! Love it! :-)

    Keep the banana! It will be great in SC.

    Cameron

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  3. Storm booty..that's a great way to look at it instead of screaming! Really. We have flood waters here alot. Not from the oceans but the river and creeks. I've never seen a Banana plant before...now that is some cool booty to keep!!

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  4. Janet,

    I would hate to lose stuff like that. But I guess it comes and goes! I don't have any experience with bananas but that plant looks an awful lot like our Bird of Paradise. It is related to the banana though.

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  5. You should keep some bottles with messages sitting around the yard for whatever storm happens to come around.

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  6. We've never gotten booty from high waters, just sand, perhaps some plastic bottles. :( Good find!

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  7. How nice of you and your neighbors to share plants and other backyard materials:) Who knows, if you stayed in this house, one day you might have a pirate's treasure chest wash up! We don't have storms like these, thank goodness; as Cameron said, they must be frightening. But tornado season will soon start here, and those are pretty scary, too.

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  8. Janet~~ What a delightful post. That is one sharp looking banana. You'd better hold on to it because I bet there are a lot of neighbors [sans your mom] who would love to have it drift into their yard. :)

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  9. Janet,
    Loved this story! And to think the banana tree is potted and ready to head to SC with you, what luck!

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  10. Glad you got your rose back. Hey, the banana tree will look nice at your new home. ;-)

    We use to have a stupid neighbor who upon every flood would dump all his trash in the creek. I mean everything. He didn't seem to care that it ended up in someones yard downstream, that he was trashy the creek or some kids might step on it while swimming.
    Nowadays he would probably be paying enormous fines. I am glad you do not have a neighbor upstream like that but in this case it would most likely wash back to him. LOL!

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  11. I like "Going Bananas over High Tide" as a title! Hahahahahaha!
    K.

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  12. How interesting that you lose and gain new things that way. Glad you got your pretty rose back. The banana looks great!

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  13. What a wonderful life you have living near the coast. I can't wait to hear what other 'storm booty' comes your way :^)

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  14. Oh, my, I can't imagine getting storm booty washing up in the garden, but fun to see what comes. A banana in a pot is truly amazing.
    Lisa

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  15. Great story Janet. I love the give and take and your attitude towards mother nature's work. BTW - the yellow rose photo is spectacular!

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  16. Great post! Looks as if there are a few advantages to living nearby so much water.

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  17. OMGosh! I would die to loose something I cherished to Storm Booty but then again, happy to receive gifts from Storm Booty!

    We get storm booty from our neighbors in the form of balls, cups and toys. As the rain washes through our run-off ditch, so do the toys the kids leave outside.

    Storm Booty will make for a great topic at the dinner table tonight. Thanks for the chuckle. I sure am getting a lot of chuckles from blogs today…

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  18. I haven't had a tidal surge since I moved here (16 years ago) - but everytime I dig in my garden or after a hard rain, there are pieces of glass and dishware - all remnants of Hugo. I have a bowl of this, and I know when folks come to visit they often wonder why they keep seeing tiny pieces of glass everywhere. I just say 'Hugo'. I want to do something with the pieces of clay/porcelain - perhaps use them in a mosaic.

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  19. What a great story of comings and goings! Love the banana tree and it will be wonderful in the new garden~gail

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  20. Hi all, no I haven't fallen into a hole, life just got busy for a little while. Hoping to be back onboard now.
    Hi Kathleen, yes it is great booty. Will have to find a great place in SC for it. I am glad I got my yellow rose back as well.

    Hi Cameron, as I write we are having another high tide cycle, though not high enough to float stuff in or out.

    Hi Ginger, thanks. :-)

    Hi Debbie, screaming doesn't help, neither does crying...just wears you down. I remember hearing of some flooding out your way.

    Hi Dave, I assumed it was a banana it could very well be a Bird of Paradise, whatever-- it's mine!!

    Hi Phillip, good idea, that would be fun.

    Hi Sweetbay, Maybe you need to send the bottles downstream with a message like Phillip said.

    Hi Rose, it is interesting what we 'share' living on the water. While Blackbeard is from this area, I doubt there is any pirate booty floating in.
    (and you can keep your tornadoes!)

    Hi Grace, thanks ma'm! I have the banana tucked safely away in my garage.

    Hi Randy, my thoughts exactly!

    Hi Lona, I am glad the rose returned as well. I really dislike trash, it is so rude.

    Hi K, you are one Wacky woman!

    Hi Catherine, It is an interesting way to do things.

    Hi Noelle, I am hoping the storm booty takes a rest, no high tides, no storm booty.

    Hi Lisa, after Isabel the washing up into the yard of things was most amazing. Now it is mostly trash or small stuff. There is a lounge chair in the marsh that no one has been able to get to yet.

    Hi David, thanks!! Can't fight Mother Nature, might as well accept it. Glad you like the rose photo, I take that as a big compliment.

    Hi K & V, advantages and disadvantages, but I do like living on the water.

    Hi Skeeter, water really pushes things quickly doesn't it? Hope the topic for the dinner table was fun!

    Hi Pam, I can't even imagine the storm surge and deposits from Hugo, that was so big. I think a mosaic would be pretty cool.

    Hi Gail, thanks! Hope to find a great new home in SC for the banana.

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