Hurricane leftovers

It's not much of a hurricane that's passing by McNutt's Island right now. It's out at sea, still moving along the coast of Nova Scotia toward Newfoundand. But its winds are now of the tropical storm sort. When there's a storm out at sea we get these huge waves marching in single file down the center of the western channel. They crash against the ledges and shoals that make the western channel too shallow for big boats: a False Passage on the old maps.
Since the winds are coming from the north east, the island blocks most of the force and the effect here on the western side is actually gentle. The water whooshes away from the cove in broad flat sheets instead of pounding the dock with crashing waves. The house doesn't shake and moan the way it does when the winds are hitting it broadside from the west. The oak tree is waving its branches in our faces, but the air is mild and we have the front door open since the rain isn't coming from that direction.

The storm is passing by at one of the year's highest tides. It's a high tide on a new moon instead of a full moon, which is sort of curious.

This is our third season of hurricanes and tropical storms. It seems that mostly they lose strength by the time they arrive here on Nova Scotia's southwest coast. So we get the leftovers: strong wind and rain. Sometimes the wind has been frighteningly strong. But not this time.