The morning after the storm held a sound very different from the incredible winds of last night. All one could hear outside was the constant whine of chainsaws. This is what I've come to term the after storm symphony -- hum of chainsaws and as the day wore on the roar of generators. I was worried about my home. It became like a Schrodinger's house -- it was both there and potentially not there. Much anxiety over potential damage to house and yard existed. I saw several trees down in my friends' neighbourhood. So, two of us went down to view the damage on my street. I wasn't sure I could do it alone, so having a friend there helped so very much. Trees and power lines were down all along the drive to my home. The front yard looked OK with a few large branches and one smaller maple from next door lying to the side of the driveway. Across the street a large maple had uprooted and took out the power lines to two homes. Utility workers were removing the wires and winding up the fiber optic cables. That tree is in the road so there is only one lane at present. I looked at the roof of my home and it looked fine. I took a deep breath and walked towards the back yard and realized that the tallest tree in the neighbourhood had uprooted and fallen. It didn't hit the house or porch, nor did it hit anything beyond the back fence. In fact, It was hung up in two maples. One of those maples took a huge chunk out of the plum tree. The larger tree was poised over the back fence and much of the newly refurbished graveyard. I found it amazing that it hadn't crushed anything. I did cry -- actually I sobbed for the loss of such an amazing tree and the three others that are badly damaged. I'm from the southern prairies and trees are rare and sacred. I was also relieved that the house wasn't damaged. We did do a visual inspection inside the house. Thank goodness for flashlights on phones <grin>. We found a small puddle in the middle of the floor in one room downstairs, but not sure where that water came from, though there was a bit of dampness under the wall board in a small area. Ceilings had no water seepage evidence. Outside, the shingles were intact and eaves and fascia were in place. The latter had blown out of the north side of my friends' home. I am so glad that I didn't have to be here during the height of the storm. The noises must have been horrific.
We went back to my friends' home and played a card game called Code Words. It was fun to learn and I expect one would get better with this over time. That helped us all to focus on something other than the devastation around town. Every street we drove down had major trees uprooted. I've never seen this extent of damage from a hurricane here.
The campstove was brought into service and we had a lovely hot supper. Then it got very dark. When in bed I wondered if the bright light I saw was the moon. It turned out to be a star -- the north star. Without all the light pollution from streetlights and such, the sky was filled with stars that I generally don't get to see well. What a treat in the midst of the aftermath of the storm. Overall, the day was filled with unusual sights and sounds. The furry one felt a bit more relaxed than during the storm, but clearly notices that being in one bedroom and the hallway was not where he usually lives.
Lyrics of the song shared today remind me of the confusion and sadness I feel for the downed trees. I'm from the southern prairies and trees are rare and sacred. Keep safe. Enjoy!
Shadows and Tall Trees -- U2
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