August 28, 2011
I in no way, shape or form wish to imply Hurricane Irene hasn't been serious business for the residents of the east coast. It has been. All the alarmists and thrill seekers on the Weather Channel aside, most folks knew without being told it was time to run or hunker down. My brother-in-law fled Norfolk, putting a mountain between his family and Irene. But where me and mine live, we already have several mountains for protection, and protect us they did.
So far we've had about seventeen hours of a steady, soft rain with no wind to speak of. The ground was a little damp to begin with, so the rain has soaked in, replenishing the good earth. It could have been very different, and indeed it was back in 2003 when Hurricane Isabel leveled an eighty-five foot tall oak within twenty feet of my house. Comparatively, Irene has been a non-event, which is a blessing for us.
America will do what she always does and rally to help those hardest hit. It's in those moments we can all be proud of who we are. Prayer and helping hands sustain us all.
Waiting for Irene to "arrive" proved productive. All the gas cans are full. New candles are in all the votive cups. The hurricane lamps are filled with oil and the wicks trimmed. The gutters got swept and the basement window well covers checked. Extra ice was collected and wine chilled in the proper sized cooler for late evening consumption. We rolled out the generator and gave it a test run.
The power stayed on but we turned off the lamps and shared the wine by candlelight anyway, grateful our cozy home remained dry and comfortable. And we turned our thoughts and conversation to what we had we could give and what we could do should our brother have severe damage to his home. If he needs us, we're ready to go lend a hand.
The sky is lighter at this hour. I think it's all over for us but the drying out. We'll get on with the day, putting the generator away and spending way too much time deciding what's for dinner.
But we won't forget not everyone was so blessed.
KC
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