I was going to post a blog about our August expenses today, but something else came up. Well, it actually looks like I won’t post anything on this Sunday, September 8th, 2019, because the electricity and internet are both down on the entire island. Good thing we have a self-contained camper van; we have power and can even take a hot shower, which is more than some tourists staying in hotels can do. Internet, however, we can’t reproduce.
You might remember my whining about how we always have bad luck with the weather, wherever we go. Somehow, we encounter extremes: the wettest spring in California in a decade (hey, it did end the drought), the coolest and rainiest September on Vancouver Island, the coldest winter in Southern California and Southern Arizona (we even escaped into Mexico for a few days to look for elusive warmth), the most miserable May in Southern Utah ever, with rain, sleet, hail, and snow instead of the average 75 degrees (24C) that time of the year, the hottest and most humid June in Toronto and Montreal, and the hottest day of the year in Massachusetts (on which Maya got lost)!
Even though this selection of the last two years sums up our weather misfortunes well, none of it beat our experience this past weekend. The three of us found ourselves in the path of Hurricane Dorian – the same one that caused havoc in the Bahamas managed to make landfall on Nova Scotia, with strong effects on Prince Edward Island (PEI), where Zesty is located. Yep, a hurricane in Canada. The last time that happened was Hurricane Juan in 2003. What’s the chance of running into this? With us, pretty big.
This was also the weekend that we hoped to meet up with our friends Alex and Dave, who have a seasonal job at an Inn called Kindred Spirits. We’d seen beautiful images of the place online, accompanied by their happy smiles. They lured us in with strong, hot showers and industrial laundry machines, but we’d have to park elsewhere. No problem. Except… a hurricane hit.
We wished we could have more time (and fun) together!
No distress: Mark and I had found the perfect place to boondock behind the visitor center in Cavendish, right next to a giant wall protecting us from the east and then some. When the wind would clock 180 degrees, we’d move the car to the front of the building, easy peasy. We parked in a level spot and picked up WiFi inside the van. Apart from taking Maya for walks, we planned to remain inside for 36 hours until the worst was over.
Our first night was peaceful. I planned two days of work in these grey and grim conditions. I had just started an editing job when an email from Alex arrived, encouraging us to come park at Kindred Spirits. When the owner found out we were stationed at a visitor center for the storm, he generously offered us a space on his property. We moved, met our friends briefly (they were in the midst of hurricane prep) and relocated between two cottages.
And, that’s where we sat as the deluge started and the wind went ballistic. Everything inside was wet. We were cold. So we ran the heater. That alone means this hurricane was taking place in the wrong part of the world. We were used to prepping our sailboat Irie for hurricanes and cyclones in the tropics and assumed to be done with that after we sold her in Tahiti!
During the storm
The night was quite eventful, as we shook in Zesty, being tossed vigorously, and listened to the wind disturbing the foliage. Should we have stayed at the visitor center? Would we have been more protected there? We barely slept from the movements and the worries, as Dorian caused havoc. The power had gone out hours earlier and the internet went down at some point as well.
Maya wasn’t fazed during her second hurricane and was safe, unlike after Harvey in Texas, when she became a rescue dog.
The first thing we did this morning, was take Maya for a decent walk. Her previous potty breaks had been quick, stormy, and wet. When we reached the main road in Cavendish, we were horrified by what we saw. Hundreds of trees snapped like match sticks; many took power lines with them. These photos don’t do the devastation justice. The effects of this hurricane seemed worse than the one we lived through on our boat in Luperon, Dominican Republic, in 2008. And, they were certainly worse than Juan, according to the locals. (Click on photos to enlarge or read captions.)
When we walked to the visitor center to scout out our previous parking spot, we found a tree had fallen over right there. It most likely would have hit or scraped Zesty, or ruined the bikes on our bike rack… Yes, we made the right choice. Thank you, Dan, Alex, and Dave!
Note: At this point, Mark, Maya, and I have left PEI and are back in New Brunswick. Our current location is always mentioned in the column to the right. As of last night, Cavendish has power again.
See you next time… in more favorable conditions!
Have you ever experienced a hurricane? How about nasty winter storms?
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September 11, 2019 at 12:20
Never,ever have I experienced an actual hurricane, although I do remember spending a very windy, rainy night in a camper in Hawaii. It may have been the remnants of a hurricane… more of a strong tropical storm, I guess. My brothers and I thought it was fun; my parents were probably worried that our little camper would blow over. I’m glad the three of you weathered the storm and Maya didn’t have any residual fears based on her first experience.
September 11, 2019 at 12:47
Being in Hawaii in a camper sounds quite exciting, Janis! Especially during that storm… With multiple people in it, the weight might have been enough to keep it on the ground. 🙂 We will just rack this one up as another experience. Maya is doing extremely well these days!! 🙂
September 11, 2019 at 12:20
Wow, Liesbet, glad to hear you and Mark are safe. Scary about your previous parking spot. We have been to PEI before and a beautiful area and very friendly people. Unfortunately, hurricanes are very unpredictable. Like you say, the photos do not do the devastation justice. Glad to hear the power is back on.
September 11, 2019 at 12:52
Hi Erica!
So nice you traveled to PEI before as well. It is a wonderful island and we wished we could have stayed a bit longer, but the weather wasn’t cooperating. The tourists are gone now and the people are, indeed, very friendly. The pace of life suits us as well. And, yes, hurricanes are unpredictable. When we lived on our boat, an entire season (five months out of each year) was devoted keeping a close eye on them!
September 11, 2019 at 13:23
Glad you could sit out this hurricane safely in Zesty Liesbet, Dorian has done so much damage elsewhere. We’ve only experienced a hurricane once here, around two years ago when we were exactly under the eye. It went eerily still and completely dark. All the seagulls disappeared until it passed over.
September 13, 2019 at 06:52
Wow, Xenia! That must have been scary and weird. I think I remember that crazy occurrence. Having the eye go over you that far north is quite rare. Zesty (and contents) was only on the edge of the storm. I can say that I’d rather sit out a hurricane in a house (2003) or a sturdy sailboat (2008) than a camper. 🙂
September 11, 2019 at 13:29
That sure was a lucky move! Glad you (and your Westy) are OK. We thought we were having the worst luck with weather, but you win that distinction. We are mostly just cool and damp. No summer for us this year. The scenery is worth it though. Take care.
September 13, 2019 at 06:54
A cool and damp summer would scare us off! You two are good sports, dealing with less than perfect weather conditions to see the world! Then again, I’d suffer a bit to enjoy beautiful scenery as well. My other half… not so much. 🙂 I’m glad to read (and see photos on your blogs and Instagram) that you’re having a great time in Scandinavia.
September 11, 2019 at 13:30
I think I might have to say you have worse weather luck than I do! Especially this time – wow, that sounds stressful and unpleasant. But at least you did have a good, safe spot, and nothing fell on you or blew you over. Hope you are now well in the clear!
September 13, 2019 at 06:59
We can commiserate together about the weather, Lexie… I felt so bad for you when you couldn’t do your epic hike in Bhutan. And, I feel fortunate that we usually have enough time to work around the weather, unlike short-term tourists. I try to tell Mark that, when he whines about all the rain in Canada. I always say: “Imagine the visitors who only have this one day in location X! At least we can go for our hike/sightseeing tour tomorrow.” Of course, that doesn’t always work out either. 🙂
September 11, 2019 at 13:50
Oh Liesbet, how awful! I’m so glad you are all safe. We visited PEI (I’m an Anne fan) so I smiled at the name Kindred Spirits. Obviously Anne fans there too.
September 13, 2019 at 07:01
Nice you were in PEI as well, Anabel. Where haven’t you been? 🙂 And, yes, Kindred Spirits, as well as about anything in the Cavendish area is named after Anne of Green Gables. I was not familiar with the author or the book until I started reading about the island in the guidebook. I’ll have to read the book and return one day!
September 11, 2019 at 13:54
Eeeeep!! It sounds like you have taken your van through some truly epic weather (zesty even!) I’m glad you are all okay and that you didn’t stay in your original parking spot!
September 13, 2019 at 07:03
Hi Josy! Zesty weather indeed! I love how you phrased that! Life’s an adventure, I always say. But, we do have a knack for encountering the weirdest weather, people, and events. Unplanned, of course. 🙂
September 11, 2019 at 15:13
Yike! I’m glad to hear you and Mark are safe. I thought about you when I heard Dorian was heading up that way. Derek and I settled in Charlotte after 3 hurricanes came through Florida back in 2004. Safe travels!
September 13, 2019 at 07:07
Hi Jill!
Thank you for thinking about us! You might have been the only one. After three days of no internet, we thought our inbox would be full of messages from friends and family worrying about us. Haha. Nothing! I don’t think Dorian in Canada made the news in Belgium and others probably had no idea where we were or where Dorian was. 🙂
Good idea to move. I don’t know whether we would last in Florida or other hurricane-prone islands/countries for very long… Charlotte is such a great city!
September 11, 2019 at 15:33
Wow, I knew it hit your area just not that it had done so much damage. We’re far enough inland here that the worst we had were strong winds, rain, and a lot of branches down. (Our coastline was a whole different story though – they got an F2 hurricane beating on them.) Really glad you moved the van and everyone is safe.
September 13, 2019 at 07:08
Thanks, Alex. It was quite the surprise that Dorian came this far north and most Canadians we talked to before the storm thought it would just veer off into the ocean. I forgot where you’re located. F2 hurricanes are no joke!
September 11, 2019 at 15:41
I hadn’t realized Dorian had gotten that far north, Liesbet! Glad you read you are all safe and sounds like you’re an old hand at this crazy weather business, and Zesty stood strong, as well as Maya! I remembered our snow in Sedona last winter, but nothing compares to a hurricane. My brother lived in Texas when Rita hit and he was shaken up about the whole ordeal. Out here in California, fire season has begun so PLEASE do not come back this way until winter (LOL)!
September 13, 2019 at 07:11
Haha! Don’t worry, Terri, we won’t be back in California for a while. But, whenever we do come back, it is guaranteed to rain buckets. So, fire season might be the perfect time for us to swing by CA again. 🙂 Having snow ruin your plans when it shouldn’t be around at all, really sucks. We’ve had that happen in Colorado in September a couple of years ago and then in Utah last May. Crazy weather everywhere!
September 11, 2019 at 16:05
Hi Liesbet! Glad to hear the three of you (well four of you if you count Zesty!) made it through the storm okay. No I haven’t been in an official hurricane before–nor a tornado either. I think I’ll stick with an earthquake now and then. So far so good! ~Kathy
September 13, 2019 at 07:15
Better to avoid extreme weather situations altogether, Kathy! Well done, you three! Do you have an emergency kit packed as well, like Donna, to leave in case a serious earthquake were to take place? I’ve experienced quite a few of them in different parts of the world, but nothing serious, luckily. A tornado has never been a part of my life. We will try to keep it that way!
September 11, 2019 at 23:08
Good to hear that all of you survived unhurt, Liesbet. We have had some nights when windy weather would literally rock us in our bed. No hurricanes down here in NZ 🙂
All part of the travelling fun.
September 13, 2019 at 07:18
Hi Suz! And fun it is, right? I assume you were talking about rocking in the bed of your motorhomes (your own or the rented one in Oz), not in a house? 🙂 Those are interesting experiences. Every time that happened in our campers, I had to think about that adage “Don’t come a knockin’ when the camper is ”
September 13, 2019 at 14:02
Rocking was more prevalent in “Purr-Inn” when we were fulltime. Haha, yes saw that sign a few times on vans that I never wished to knock on their door 😊
September 14, 2019 at 10:13
🙂
September 12, 2019 at 01:21
What a good job you moved Zesty!
September 13, 2019 at 07:19
Lucky move, for sure. We’d have a better story to tell if we had stayed, though… 🙂
September 12, 2019 at 01:28
I am glad to hear you are all ok after such a scary night. We have experienced strong winds and heavy rain in our motorhome, but certainly nothing compared to what you have just experienced. Hurricane Dorian has been a menace to say the least.
September 13, 2019 at 07:22
It’s been a slow hurricane season, but Dorian surely shook things up in many (unexpected) ways and places. How do you deal with the nasty weather in your motorhome, Gilda? Can you usually predict it? Do you find shelter in a different way than on a usual night? Are you scared, or just deal with it? We do feel quite vulnerable in a small vehicle during such times…
September 15, 2019 at 11:20
Liesbet, we usually keep an eye on the weather forecast, but we have been caught out a couple of times and it is scary. Like you said we are very vulnerable in a van when the weather is bad.
September 20, 2019 at 19:09
Who thought we’d ever need to keep such a close eye on the forecast when in a camper, right? We planned to be done with that after eight vigilant years on our sailboat. 🙂
September 12, 2019 at 03:22
Oh my goodness….. not a good time to be in a van! So glad you are okay. All those poor trees struck down! Hopefully you will have better weather luck from now on….!
We lived through a typhoon hit here in Hoi An, Viet Nam six years ago. It was quite an experience. The roof of the house we were renting caved in to one of the bedrooms on the top floor, but of course we were safe in a ground floor room. The winds howled like nothing we have ever heard or experienced before or since! Our living room had inches of water, and trees were downed in Hoi An as were wires. What was amazing was how quickly the city cleaned up in a few hours the next morning and things were up and running as per normal.
Hopefully this monsoon season will be calmer!
Peta
September 13, 2019 at 07:26
Sitting through that typhoon in Hoi An sounds seriously dangerous and crazy, Peta. I’ve luckily never experienced something like that (glad to read you were on the ground floor), but it sounds similar to stories of our friends sitting out those hurricanes in St. Martin two years ago. That’s the stuff of nightmares!
But, the Vietnamese authorities seem to have their act together. Practice makes perfect, I guess. I can’t believe that’s the place you found yourselves in again now, though. Yes, let’s hope the weather gods behave…
September 12, 2019 at 10:00
Hi Liesbet,
As you know, I grew up in NE and the last real hurricane I was in was Bob when we were living on Cape Cod. They are devastating. We owned 2 homes in New Bern, NC (which we have sold) and worried from afar as each storm came up the East Coast. We’ve cleaned up from our share of hurricanes…finally sold the houses as a result and changed our retirement plan.
Glad you came through safely…
September 13, 2019 at 07:30
Wow, Nancy! You sure have a lot of hurricane experience and it also defined your life. And your third age. 🙂 Smart to clean up, sell, and leave, if for nothing else than to not have those worries anymore. With our flexible lifestyles – and your two bases – there should be a way around those hurricanes! Yet, they can hit anywhere along the east coast, apparently!
Is this the reason you picked a place away from the east coast in Florida?
September 12, 2019 at 21:44
Hi, Liesbet – I am happy to hear that you, Mark, Maya and Zesty are safe and sound. That was wise and generous of the Inn owner to suggest that you move Zesty on site. I have never experienced a hurricane. But as we are in an “earthquake zone”, Richard and I do have an Emergency Kit packed and ready to go!
September 13, 2019 at 07:32
Smart to be prepared for potential earthquakes, Donna. It will still be a tough choice (to leave or not) whenever you need to make it, I suspect.
For the longest time, we doubted moving Zesty, as our new and safe place was more exposed to winds than the first one. Until we saw that fallen tree… I guess we did get lucky in this situation! 🙂
September 13, 2019 at 10:57
Yikes! Not the weather you would expect in the Canadian maritimes. It looks like the trees of the area took a terrible beating. Glad to hear all of you and Zesty came away unharmed but it must have been quite the worry.
September 14, 2019 at 10:08
It’s a bit of a catch 22, as the trees provide protection from the wind, but… if the wind is hurricane force, they can crush you. So, we tried to stay away from the trees and get close to buildings. Indeed, quite unusual to have hurricanes in the Maritimes. The weather has been crazy everywhere!
September 13, 2019 at 11:46
Annie and I were hoping you might visit us in Denver sometime but seeing as how you’ve really angered the weather gods I’m not so sure we want to risk it 😂. We’ve been evacuated from state campgrounds a few times and actually had a tree fall on our camper once but never had to go through what you did. Glad everyone came out ok. The weather here in Ireland is much nicer!
September 14, 2019 at 10:12
Haha! We will make sure to visit during a time you could use some rain or colder temperatures. 🙂 You guys have been in extreme conditions and circumstances, Steven! Being evacuated and having a tree fall on your camper? It sounds to me like you are the unlucky ones… Except for the weather in Ireland! Enjoy the lack of rain and mild temperatures. Maybe we should head to Europe soon, as the weather has been much balmier there than usual.
September 13, 2019 at 17:47
Catching up with you here. Wow, your fan base is growing, Liesbet! After Dorian left the Florida/Georgia coasts, I paid little attention to where it went. So, I did not know the hurricane that caused havoc in the Bahamas managed to make landfall on Nova Scotia,
Right now we are contending with tropical storm Humberto. The weather people say not to worry because it is far east. Let’s hope it stays there and blows away on the Atlantic.
You and Mark are hardy travelers, if not by choice, at least by experience. And you guys certainly do love that Maya.
September 14, 2019 at 10:17
You’re not the only one who lost track of Dorian, Marian. I even think he lost track of himself! Everyone counted on him veering away from the coast and into the ocean. I think Dorian’s force and destruction came as a surprise to all the locals (and tourists) – so many people were without power for a long time. For us, that part didn’t matter as we are self-contained and used to be without internet, but when I think about all the food waste from fridges and freezers… 🙁 Plus, those poor mature trees… And, of course, the poor people in the Bahamas!
Let’s hope Humberto behaves.
We’ve been full-time travelers for a LONG time (me since 2003), so we better be hardy. 🙂 And, yes, that Maya is extremely loved and spoiled with attention and cuddles and 24/7 company!
September 14, 2019 at 00:47
My but you two do live life on the edge! Unintentionally sometimes, I’m sure. So glad you managed to ride this one out without personal injury, Liesbet. This makes the 10 spots of rain we had last night laughable. All the best! 🙂 🙂
September 14, 2019 at 10:22
Hi Jo! You seem to be pretty lucky with the weather, which is so nice! By the way, I really liked that expression you used that “everyone wants rain for the gardens but nobody wants it on their heads.” So true and funny! I guess the best way to deal with that is not have a garden and not want rain at all. 🙂
September 16, 2019 at 11:26
You do have terrible luck with the weather. I can’t believe Maya was unfazed. She must feel pretty secure with you and Mark. So glad you moved. I think people are always so generous during national disasters. I know when Dorian was menacing Florida there were lots of places and people here in Georgia offering people shelter. Your plan for the visitor center parking lot sounded like plans we have had for westerlies when we were sailing – switch sides of the bay or island when the wind starts to blow the other way.
We had a tornado go right through Cabbagetown once when we lived here. Greg and I didn’t really realize it – we just thought it was a really strong wind. But the next day we saw the devastation everywhere – downed trees, chimneys blown away, holes in people’s houses. The power was out in the neighborhood for three days (we lucked out and were only without power for 3 hours). But people pulled together to helping each other clean up and offering shelter to those who had too much damage to their houses to go back.
September 16, 2019 at 19:03
Okay, first let me say, I’m sorry, but I was laughing out loud thinking about how you are a weather magnet, just like me! But really, you are way worse, lol. I remember how hot it was when you came here on the bad timing heat wave and I had cottage plans.LOL. But I believe I asked you in comments last week if you would be nearing the hurricane on the east maritime coast. And of all the gin joints in the world, you end up exactly where it hit. Yes, good thing Dave saved Zesty!
I have been in one scary hurricane enroute to Florida when I was about 8, our family had a condo in Miami, my mother was driving there with me and my one brother, and my dad was flying with the younger ones. As we approached Mason Dixon line in Georgia, we were on the highway when the storm hit and of course in those days who knew about oncoming hurricanes, anyway, we couldn’t see and were lucky enough to be able to pull over with everyone else trying to do the same, and had sat there for a few hours waiting out the storm and scared shitless. Scary stuff! 😉
September 20, 2019 at 19:46
I guess you and I should never travel together, Debby, as two weather unfortunates might bring some serious storms and damage to any place. But, we might be able to make it in the Guinness Book of Records!
Sorry to read about sitting through a hurricane as a child. That must have been incredibly scary. Again, I’m amazed about your long-term memory. No wonder you’re a good memoirist!
My first hurricane ever was heading to the Outer Banks in North Caroline when I was there in my first camper with my ex-boyfriend. It must have been 2003. We had to drive fast to stay ahead of it and shelter at his best friend’s place in Raleigh!
September 21, 2019 at 08:00
Wow, you said it girl, you and me together, traveling would certainly lead to thunder and lightning LOLOL 🙂 x
September 21, 2019 at 17:28
🙂
September 18, 2019 at 11:27
I’m glad you made it through okay. The thought of weathering a hurricane in a van gives me the shivers!
The devastation there looks like what we experienced last December when a huge windstorm hit Vancouver Island. Acres of forest were knocked down flat, and hundreds of 50 to 60 foot tall trees on our property were snapped off and thrown, or completely uprooted. We were afraid our windows were going to shatter with the force of the gale, and all our attic access panels blew out into our upstairs. Fortunately we had no major damage – just some scraped and dented railings and no power for 5 days. It was scary, but at least we weren’t rocking in a van! Yikes!
September 21, 2019 at 16:06
I’m so sorry to hear about those snapped and uprooted trees in your yard from last year’s storm, Diane. My heart bleeds for them and all the mature ones that were destroyed by this last hurricane. I’m glad you didn’t have too much damage, but five days without power is a long time. Do you have a generator, or did all your food in the fridge and freezer goes bad? If there’s another thing I hate, it’s waste… 🙁
September 22, 2019 at 22:48
I’d have been devastated if we’d lost the contents of our fridges and freezers! No, we have a generator, and it worked fine. We only ran it for a few hours a day – just enough to keep the cold things cold and the indoor temperatures comfortable. Fortunately the outdoor temperatures were above freezing so we didn’t have to use too much of our precious generator fuel for heating. We’re hoping to have our wood-burning furnace operational for this winter!
September 23, 2019 at 12:53
Keeping my fingers crossed for the wood-burning furnace! That would make a huge difference in heating costs!
I’m glad you didn’t lose any of your precious “cold cargo”, last winter. 🙂
October 30, 2019 at 14:10
Liesbet, I’m so glad to read that you weathered the storm safely. When I read in one of your previous posts that you were heading toward Nova Scotia around the same time Dorian was, I worried and wondered if you’d be okay. I hadn’t realized Dorian also had such a big effect on PEI. PEI, by the way, is the only Canadian province I’ve never visited, which is sad as I’ve been an L.M. Montgomery fan all my life.
I’ve experienced a few big storms in the truck and camper, including one in the remote Flathead Valley when we were battered by hailstorms as big as marbles, but never an actual hurricane.
Jude
October 31, 2019 at 15:36
Alright, Jude! You have to put PEI on your travel list for the near future. It’s a relaxed and quaint island, so, in addition to the author’s sites in Cavendish, you’ll have a great time road tripping and visiting. The seafood is fantastic as well. 🙂
Nobody knew or expected Dorian to be a part of Prince Edward Island life, in September. Weird, indeed. But,I think I’d prefer a storm or even a hurricane to massive hail balls. Those scare me as they can cause major damage to camper windows and roofs.
I’m glad you managed to comment to one of my older posts. I found that button about “commenting to older posts” checked a little while. Strange, indeed, as I would never deactivate comments like that! WordPress has a mind of its own…