By Rit Carter

With a rain suit, bottled water, and a notebook, I took a walking tour of Forestville and a few other areas during the height of the storm today.   

The notebook was soaked quickly, and the rain suit became a logistical nightmare because one of the suspenders malfunctioned, and the humidity made it hot and uncomfortable. But, at least I was dry and well hydrated until I spilled the water while attending to the troublesome suspender.   

The center of Forestville saw little in the form of traffic as most have heeded the warnings and stayed inside. 

The waters of the Pequabuck River were elevated near Nuchie’s and moving swiftly, but there was no evidence of flooding. The northerly wind was a bother, keeping a steady diet of moisture in my face and saturating my notebook as the force of the river could be heard and felt. 

A drive of Rte. 6 showed most of the usual suspects from this morning were still open. 

Along King St., the Pavilion Restaurant had customers, and two visitors checked out Page Park. Once in Page, I parked the car and walked the curves of Dewitt Dr.; although a dark cocoon of trees provided sparse light, it did shield me from the rain. However, twigs and acorns were abundant, snapping beneath the weight of my boots with every step. 

With the hour growing late and my increasing frustration with the rain suit coming to a head, I drove to Federal Hill, and near Bristol Hospital, a tree branch was down on Bradley St.

Moving along, many stores in Bristol Plaza and the Bristol Commons were open, more so in Bristol Plaza, though. Admittedly, I looked completely out of place during my pitstop in TJ Maxx. Dripping of rainwater, my yellow rubber suit did not play well with the regulars, but the fixed stares and odd looks made the visit worthwhile. 

In the Edgewood Little League area, a tree branch was down on Coventry Rd., just off of Mix St.  The Bristol Police Dept. arrived as I was leaving. Edgewood Little League was last on my schedule, and, to my surprise, it was not underwater yet, but a lake was forming over at Barnes Field.  

Up to now (8 p.m. Sunday evening), this storm has fallen far short of what was projected. Certainly, dangerous winds never materialized, and the rain, though steady, was never torrential. Hopefully, the day tomorrow is much the same. If so, Bristol has escaped with minimal damage.

As to my rain suit, much like the storm, it too will soon be forgotten.