If you review the history of the Hudson Highlands, you will find that their was a booming mining industry in the region from the early-mid 1800's to the turn of the last century. In fact, most of the Union artillery guns and ammunition in the civil war was manufactured at a foundry in Cold Spring, New York. The foundry was "fed" almost entirely by iron-ore mined in the surrounding hills. The hills that I live and work in today.
What's the relevance of all this?
Stonecrop is on a mountain peak which is largely surrounded by lower lands. Stonecrop is on a mountain peak which is largely made of relatively iron-rich rock. So when severe weather comes through the area, I happen to be living on a giant lightning rod. Lightning strikes are, apparently, common enough that their are lightning rods on all the buildings, and in fact, there are two lightning arrestors on top of the gatehouse and adjacent to the conservatory, with it's large, aluminum frame. These look like little balls on top of very tall poles - I think it's something like a reverse VanDerGraff (sp?) generator. In any event, the lightning hits those instead of more important things. They work so well that in an electrical storm you can watch sparking and arcing on top of those poles.
Yes, lightning strikes are quite common at Stonecrop...
What, you may ask, is the relevance of all this?
It's all a very complicated way of saying that a lightning strike on Thursday knocked out our alarm system, some of our phone lines, and, oh yeah, my
laptop...
No, it wasn't plugged into a surge protector.
No, I never did get around to backing up all my files.
Yes, "all my files" includes every cd I own ripped into itunes, as well as every digital photo I've taken in the last three years.
I can't even check the ol' emails in the Stonecrop office, because their DSL modem was fried in the same event.
Not that any of this makes a lot of difference to you, the readership, most of who were owed emails from me 3 years ago, when I had internet access.
But 48 hours without the net, and I'm a junkie looking for a fix. I nearly salivated when I arrived at my overnight hosts' house with their sexy sexy cable modem.
So, um, waah, and my emails will only be checked sporadically until further notice. Those of you who are waiting of email replies can instead await return phone calls instead.
Oh yeah, the job is good, too.
I went.
It's all a very complicated way of saying that a lightning strike on Thursday knocked out our alarm system, some of our phone lines, and, oh yeah, my laptop...
