A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

I’m still working 16 plus hour shifts, but I had a quick chance to see my neighborhood in the daylight today for the first time since the ice storm hit Monday.

This is the pole that brings electricity to my street. This is the stick propping up the pole that brings electricity to my street. This is the line coming from the stick propping up the pole that brings electricity to my street.This is the pole that brings electricity to my home from the line from the pole that brings electricity to my street. This is what’s left of the tree that tore up the lines from the pole that brings electricity to my home from the line from the pole that brings electricity to my street. Still with me?
No? Okay, here’s what’s left of Mama J.’s and Papa’s T.’s big trees in their front yard. Toothpick anyone? And here’s my sweet little fringe tree. Sniff. I just can’t look at it very long. I won't be pruning the roses on my trellis this spring. This is just a glimpse of my neighbor’s backyard. And another neighbor’s trees. Oh, here’s the food from my refrigerator freezer. Sigh. The bad news is we probably won’t have power at my house for several more days. The good news is we got the trees trimmed and cut down and the meter box on our house fixed by the electrician, so we’re ready for service whenever the power company gets to our neighborhood. I got to sleep in my bed last night for the first time since Sunday night. It wasn’t a long sleep, but it was GLORIOUS.

All in all, the Hula-gen’s are doing very well, compared to a lot of other folks. We have food, enough heat (gas stove and camping heater) to keep from freezing at night and water. MANY folks in this western end of the state are without water, are stuck in shelters, are running out of portable oxygen and freezing in their homes. It’s sad to see the condition some folks are in. It truly is our Katrina-minus the football stadium and convention center. Send prayers. Normal is still a long way away.