On Saturday, October 29 around 5:30 p.m.
our power went out. It had been snowing
like nobody’s business for about three hours by then. I have to admit, that I was skeptical about
the weather report. After all, it was
still October and the weather people do so love to overstate the situation. So I didn’t prepare. But I was wrong this time. We got a foot of wet, heavy snow. And six days later almost to the hour, our
lights and heat were finally restored. Boy, am I grateful!
Greg went to Cleveland to attend a memorial
service so he was not home when the bad weather hit. I lay in bed in the dark that Saturday night listening
to branches cracking, breaking and falling to the ground. Even so, I wasn’t prepared for what I saw the
next morning. What a mess! The destruction to our trees brought tears to my eyes.
I wasn’t sure what to do. I was alone with my dog and I had very little
water. My driveway was blocked by fallen
branches that I tried to move…stupid me…without success. My only means of communication with the
outside world was my Android phone that doesn’t get a good signal here at home
even in the best of conditions. And
without power, I had no easy way to charge the thing. So around noon on Sunday, I was sitting in my
car in the garage with Olive, my dog, running the heater, charging my phone and
contemplating my next move. Glancing in
the rearview mirror, I saw something I couldn’t believe. Our neighbor Brian U. and his dog (Olive’s
friend) Buddy were charging up the driveway in Brian’s pickup truck plowing the
snow and the tree limbs out of my way. I
was free!
I had to travel four towns away to find an
open grocery to stock up on water and something to eat but I was glad for
that. And I was glad that Greg got home
that night with no problem. Now, six
days later, I am sitting at my computer and feeling very lucky. Halloween was canceled in our town and most of
the surrounding towns. I feel bad for
the kids who missed it this year. But I
am feeling an early Thanksgiving coming on…
I am so grateful for good neighbors who
watch out for us even when we don’t ask them to.
I am thankful that I have the occasional
opportunity to be forced to remember how lucky we are to have the things that
we take for granted…electricity and most especially water.
I am thankful for my canine companion who
keeps me warm and whose company guarantees
that I am never alone.
I am so grateful to the men and women who
do the dangerous job of getting our electricity back when we lose it. And I am thankful that that is an infrequent occurrence.
So I have a bit of catching up to do. But I am glad to be doing it because I sure
missed my routine and everyone's blogs.
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| Our driveway on October 28, 2011. A little snow...no big deal. |
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| During the storm October 29, 2011. |
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| Our driveway on October 30, 2011. |
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| Some general destruction. There were seven or eight trees down across power lines on our street alone. |
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| Our front yard. |
10 comments:
Well, Happy Thanksgiving to you!
That first shot is just beautiful.
I'm so sorry about your trees :(
But, happy that you have good neighbors :)
so glad to hear you have a wonderful neighbor! they make life so much easier sometimes! and thankful you are safe, warm, and functioning again!
a really wonderful post to remind us of all we have every day.
i'm sorry for the tree damage, but glad you are 'restored' - in more ways than one.
I'm very sorry Barbara with these happened to you ...
Fortunately restored all!
If people knew what gift of God is the everyday, would not grumble when ...
Every day I make the cross and I thank God for what I have.
Many greetings and kisses
Preciosas fotos, me alegro de que todo se te resolviera bien.
Saludos.
So many days to go without power, water and heat! I'm glad you're back online. Your pictures are amazing. All that snow in October while the trees are full of leaves.
it's not a good time what you had last week!! I can figure out how unsecure you felt. Good that anyone has been hurted, that you had your pet's company and that your neighbor saved you....
Our first and last snow, is wet too and often breaks the weakest trees.
Daniela
ps: the pictures are beautiful, I especially like the first and the third one !
Oh my goodness, Barbara! I bet you truly ARE feeling quite lucky... so, this IS unusual for ya'll to get snow this early, esp this much snow?!
Back in 08 when we had the ice storm, everyone was without electric in this area but a very few... I, thankfully, had it tho & I'm still thanking God to this day!!!
I'm glad you made it after 6 days... not starving & warm!!! =)
wow barbara, scary stuff!! even scarier to be alone. in our neighborhood, we all come together and help each other when it snows. last year during the christmas blizzard my husband plowed our streets and most of the driveways, as our town was "on strike". he was gone for 7 days, some "work" he got paid for, lot's he did not. i remember how hard it was to be alone.
the snow did provide some gorgeous pictures and a few that are difficult to look at!!
welcome back, you were missed!!
I still couldn't believe a snow storm in this early of time. I heard the millions of people with out power and that is something else. Your photos says it all and glad that you are all fine. Here in Michigan we also watch our older neighbors in case we have snow storm or no power. What are neighbors for ^_^ Happy Sunday and thanks for the visit I do appreciate it. ^_^
Mi Macro
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