Tuesday, August 23, 2011

All Shook Up


Believe it or not, we just had an earthquake -- not a big one, but enough of a shake to be convincing. I understand it was felt all up and down the east coast.

I had just driven into the driveway and turned the car off. It felt like the car continued to run -- well sort of. More like the car continued to shake violently. I was convinced the old ’85 Volvo was in its death throes.

But then my meteorologist neighbor who was outside picking figs just at the end of my driveway said with certainty, “We just had an earthquake.”

His dog was barking frantically, but then she often is. Jake was visibly upset but bewildered in his blind-deaf state.

I can’t seem to get any phone service, but other than that there is no sign that anything peculiar happened.

I flashed back to standing in the doorway of my pension in Lima, Peru, with the ground shaking and the building swaying. Any loss of equilibrium is unsettling.

This was nothing of great significance, but it was a reminder that no ground is sacred. Let’s just hope it’s not a foreshadowing of something more significant to come.

5 Comments:

Blogger Gary said...

I heard it and thought my book shelf had collapsed. I went to check, all fine, then thought my neighbors were must be taking wood off a truck in their driveway. Wrong again. Then it happened again. So, back to the bookshelf. I can't believe I was hearing an earthquake! Didn't feel a thing but certainly heard it. Hope it is over.

2:58 PM  
Blogger e said...

The worst I ever experienced was one night when I was awakened by a barking dog and the sound of things falling from the shelves in my bedroom. It only lasted a couple of minutes, but a reminder that the earth is always in flux...

11:36 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I'm glad you're OK. Oddly enough (or not?), we had two mild ones here in the SF Bay Area late last night that I felt.

I grew up in the SF Bay Area, and EQs scare me. They also remind me in the most visceral way possible that the universe moves on dimensions larger than I can imagine or that we humans can ever comprehend, and that change can come suddenly and unexpectedly. Quite a spiritual lesson packed into 2.5 seconds!

I've missed you, too. Let's talk soon.

F.

12:10 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

P.S. We just had yet another EQ here in the SF Bay Area...

F.

1:00 PM  
Blogger Steve Reed said...

What's up with all these earthquakes? Good grief! I have never heard of earthquakes in the Washington area. I'm sure the right-wingers will say Obama brought it upon us somehow. :)

6:10 PM  

Post a Comment

<< Home