Back From the Dark Ages....A Story of Survival

I am back!  It was such a mess, and i am grateful that it was not worse for us here.  My heart goes out to all those that lost SO very much due to the storm.  Our damage here was insignificant in the bug scheme of things.  The lives lost and devastation was mind boggling to see....what i could see, without power for 14 days.  No internet, TV, lights.....it was far from pleasant and yes indeed, i whined a lot!  Not proud of that.  Let's just say i would have made a nightly lousy pioneer woman.  i have a very rough time with winter and the lack of light when things are "normal" here....this darkness by 5:00pm with dimness by 3:30pm was killer.

My iphone was my umbilical cord to the world....poor thing was charged by generator or car charger constantly so i would be able to stay in contact as best i could.  I need new eyeballs....asking santa....as mine are exhausted from viewing that tiny screen.

The winds picked up and it began raining on the afternoon of November 3rd.  By 7:00pm we had been experiencing flickering of the lights....and by 7:45pm we were plunged into what would become 2 full weeks, almost to the hour of living the pioneer life.  We live on acreage and had secured everything as best we could during the morning.  Our driveway (almost a 1/4 mile gravel lane off the street) is lined with 40-50 foot tall pines, as is the perimeter of our pastures and backyard.  They were swaying gracefully starting in late afternoon....by nightfall they were tipping and whipping around in a frenzy.  After losing power and being plunged into interior darkness, i lit candles and sat in the kitchen fiddling around with some editing on my charged up (thankfully) iPad.  Around 10pm, i got up to make myself something hot to drink, the heat was now off, along with the well pump and yep, the toilets. While standing at the sink filling a pot with water (the last in the lines until the generator fired up in the morning) i heard a sickeningly long drawn out cracking sound.  Panicked that a pine was headed in my direction and through the house, i bolted to the middle of the room, when i heard the thud...i put the pot on the stove (thank heaven's for propane!) and grabbed a flashlight.  The first victim of Sandy....a HUGE pine had fallen perfectly placed between the row of pines in the rear yard and the wooden  jungle gym that is the love of Lileigh Grace's life at the moment! I warmed up and listened to what was now a constant roar of wind, with whopping gusts occurring for good measure.  The next day we found out the winds topped 75MPH constant and over 100MPH in gusts.  We also found 20 or so of the huge pines had met their fate...3 across the driveway with 4 or 5 more uprooted and leaning...one in the large pasture, snapped at the base, and many in the perimeter down or leaning.  One at the pasture entrance had crushed the metal gate.....it looked like a pile of flat pipes on the ground....the trunk wedged between the plow blade and attachment to the snowplow for the truck.  Lost a large Cedar, which also crushed a fence and another massive pine that took off the corner of the overhang on the barn....it looked like a war zone.  Back by the swings there were 3 large ones snapped, all missing the swing set and a whole group of them precariously leaning on others...destined to also come down.  It was a most depressing sight.  When we were able to move the trees from the driveway, my husband set off to try and help the folks that needed tarps for roofs that had trees through them.  He has been running non stop from 5am to 8 or 9 pm daily for the past 2 weeks, trying to get to as many folks as he can....but we are a very small operation, with only a couple crews.  By day 7 of no power and being lied to by the power company, everyones nerves were frazzled.  We had just been through this the fall before due to a snowstorm that came around Halloween, while autumn leaves were still on the trees...we had no power for 9 days.....this appeared to be even worse.

I just decided to post this shot...taken the day after the electrons returned to my wires.  The joy on my face is so evident!  It was 66 degrees, sunny and warm....i had not been out to shoot in two weeks, and just needed....REALLY needed a day of fun!  This shot was taken by my dear friend Sharon.  She sent it to me to use an my icon shot for Facebook.  i am very self critical and most shots end up in the delete bin.....but i LOVE this shot!  She captured my soul and my being!!

I hope that everyone is healing and helping those in need from this devastating storm.  Being the beach person i am, my heart breaks for the people of the coast...and i do hope that people with cell phones, that can spare a donation, will text 90999 (Red Cross, Disaster Relief for the Hurricane Victims) and allow a $10.00 donation to them to help.  We are Jersey Strong, and we will be Jersey Restored Strong.
I have donated and also taken a load of winter coats.  Pay it forward for my blessings is what i do.
Have a wonderful and thankful Thanksgiving, all.