The Storm is Over

I'mmmm baaaaack!   Seems like it's been forever since my last post.  So much has been going on.

Short form:  did a pet adoption a week ago Saturday and now am fostering the cutest, sweetest kitten ever.  (Story and pictures to follow.)  The next day we experienced "The Storm of 2011".

We'd been experiencing winds and rains (can you say deluge?) and it was followed the next night by the storm from ****.  Woke up that Monday morning to inches of snow and trees down everywhere.  Power was out as well.  Our utility company was joined by utility companies from all over California and some from out of state.  The Dept of Forestry and the Dept of Corrections (prisoners) were all here helping to bring us power and clear roads.  We rejoined the world this weekend and (the community) are now getting ourselves back together again.

Personally, I lost numerous trees.  Some of which fell across my driveway and across the carport.  Another multi-trunk tree (bad news) took out my patio cover which (good news) prevented the tree from coming in my kitchen door and window.  It fell on the propane tank but avoided damaging any tubing or piping.

deck & back of house

looking out my back door

another view of tree trying to come in where it's warm

there's a driveway hidden here

Driving through the mountain community looked like driving through a war zone.  Roads and highways covered with downed trees.  Power lines down everywhere.  Convoys of utility and other assistance trucks everywhere you looked.  People without power for one day to over a week, some are still waiting.  It's been a real 'camping' experience for many.

Fortunately for me, one of my angel friends brought me a generator for day 3 through this past weekend so I had light and my fridge was plugged in (I could throw away the yuck and start all over again.)  We were very lucky.  A lot of structural damage but no deaths or serious injuries, just a major inconvenience.  My young neighbor is cutting my trees for firewood and cleared the driveway, carport, and back door early so I wasn't trapped.  

Everywhere, you see neighbors helping neighbors; strangers helping strangers.  This is really a "community" in every sense of the word.  

And today the sun is shining and the weather is warming.  The ground will dry and we'll put things back together again and go on.  Meanwhile, the first thing I did was make a real pot of coffee, run a load of laundry, and flip switches just to watch the rooms light up. 

Next post I'll introduce you to Sombre (Shadow,) the little kitten I'm fostering; pictures included.  Til' then...