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Monday, July 22, 2013

Rural Survival

 

Friday night started out like any other Friday night this summer, with the exception of the absence of the twins. There was rain in the forecast, and possible storms, but after a week of extreme heat and humidity, a little rain thrown our way would make for an easier night for both of us; I was looking forward to some respite from soaring temps and a break from working in the gardens, yet again. And in this neck of the woods, the forecast always calls for rain and storms and they usually amount to No.Big.Deal.

We watched the storm clouds roll in for almost half an hour and enjoyed the breeze while still keeping a close eye on clouds that seemed to turn a little oddly above us but as quick as they arrived they were gone and I was feeling a little bereft at the possibility that the gardens wouldn't see much water after all.

We threw open the windows to cool the house down, only to quickly retrace our steps a few minutes later to close them up again; it seemed we were destined to get a little rain after all. And before anyone could give it a thought high winds were upon us, a tree was on top of our cars and I was rushing down into the cold cellar with Pearl in my arms, worried about Ember who was braving the storm somewhere out there.

We lost a few trees, none hitting the house, but none more devastating for us than our beautiful willows that surround our pond. Partial remnants of two remain, and we'll do all we can for them as they face a long, long recovery. Our cars, well, they're not looking so good either but it's the things this storm took that money can't replace that we mourn right now.

And Ember, she made out just fine. Seems she knew the perfect hiding spot, and had battened down her hatch well before the storm arrived and while I'm glad she has strong survival instincts, I'd rather she nor I ever went through that again. Should the need arise, she can join me and my cellar mate Pearl.

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Much thanks to my family for hauling wood, feeding us and lending us a car. And kudos to my brother J for naming this post. Between you and me, he gets his cleverness from his big sister.


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19 comments:

Low Tide High Style said...

Wow, sorry to see the destruction at your place, but glad you all are ok!

Kat

TexWisGirl said...

i am so, so sorry for the damage, but i know it could have been so much worse. and i know you are grateful. i am sorry for the tree loss, though!

Mary, Windy Meadows Farm said...

Storms that come on like that can be so scary...I'm glad to read you're all okay, but the damage is always such a headache & a heartbreak. I hope clean-up is quick, and the remaining trees stand strong. -Mary

Lynne said...

OUCH . . . more than twice, three times more. Thank goodness you are okay, and Pearl and Ember, plus the Artist!

Sorry for the tree loss for sure . . . scary looking skies!

Nancy said...

Those summer storms can be so dangerous -- so sorry about your cars and the trees. But like everyone else has expressed, so glad you and yours survived it. xo

Buttons Thoughts said...

Wow I was wondering how you fared up there I know it was nasty. Your brother is indeed clever with that title.
I am so happy it was just your cars which is not great but replaceable and your poor trees but I am so happy you were safe inside. Whew that was close. Take care hope you can get your cars repaired or replaced soon.Happy you are all OK. Take care my friend. HUGS B

Anke said...

When I saw the first two pictures I though "wow, those shots are amazing". Then I scrolled down and saw the rest... I am so sorry about the trees and the cars, but I am so glad you and the family are ok. It's a scary thing when a storm like that rolls through...

Connie said...

We got it really bad here in Callander...it's up by North Bay and there was a ton of damage done to our little town. Luckily we only lost one tree in our back yard as many others had damage similar to yours. There were microbursts coming off of Lake Nipissing and a lot of homes lost their roofs as well. Pretty scary stuff! Hubby is from TX and the whole week said we were getting temps like Dallas gets and then the storms hit....then he said it REALLY is like Texas..LOL

Jessica said...

How scary! Those cloud photos are awesome, but I am so sorry that storm caused so much damage. Glad you all were OK.

Staci@LifeAtCobbleHillFarm said...

Wow! So sorry to see the damage. We had quite a storm Friday night and thought for sure our home would look similar to yours but thankfully we fared just fine. Your photos are amazing and your line about your brother cracks me up. :)

Osage Bluff Quilter said...

Oh my GOSH, so glad everyone survived and it wasn't orse!

Blessings to you all.

Candy C. said...

Oh NO!! Those beautiful trees and your poor cars!! I'm glad you guys and the critters made it through okay and your brother did come up with a great title for the post.

Unknown said...

Oh your poor willows! We had that same storm and it came up so fast. I haven't seen a storm like that in a long time. Our neighbourhood and town lost lots of trees, both young and mature. I'm used to seeing mature trees breaking off or even uprooted but to see several year old ones snapped right in half was unusual. As we drove about we saw vehicle damage like that of your cars. I hope we never see worse than that.

Anonymous said...

Awesome-looking storm clouds. Sorry to see the damage caused by the storm but glad everyone is okay. Good thing you had a safe place to go. I know you will miss your beautiful willows, though.

Lisa Lynn said...

Holy canaries! So sorry to see all of the damage :( I'm so glad to hear that everyone is safe!

You can take a young twig from one of your willows, stick it in the ground in a wet spot, and it will grow into a new tree. You might want to start that soon to replace the older trees if they don't make it. Hope they do!

Genny said...

Andrea, I'm so sorry that you had so much damage to your cars and your beautiful willow trees. But I'm so thankful that your house and all in it are safe and well. Like one of the other readers, the photos of the storm clouds are amazing. Nature can be brutal sometimes. Loads of (((hugs)))

Genny said...

Andrea, I'm so sorry that you had so much damage to your cars and your beautiful willow trees. But I'm so thankful that your house and all in it are safe and well. Like one of the other readers, the photos of the storm clouds are amazing. Nature can be brutal sometimes. Loads of (((hugs)))

CountryMouse said...

What amazing clouds. I am sorry you had damage during the storm.

Judy said...

Oh wow, I am so sorry for all that damage. I'm soooo glad you are all okay.