First an earthquake

then

A hurricane

then

A tornado

For goodness sakes; this is the Northeast. We don't have earthquakes, hurricanes, or tornadoes. Well, yeah, we do but they are rare occurances. But to have all three all balled up into one week. Man

The earthquake wasn't bad. Mostly a noise maker and a pet shaker.

The hurricane turned tropical storm ripped through the back yard/garden... and bye bye gazebo, bye bye pool, and bye bye all the leaves on my roses. Hello to all the "stuff" migrated into my yard from the neighbors down the line. Still can't believe that we didn't have to play "chase the can" with the trash bin. Any other time, oh yeah, right down the line it goes. Not this time. I suppose I should at least be grateful that the wind came from the opposite direction to normal. A much better class of trash. Once again we were three days without electricity. Still don't understand the engineering marvel that put these six houses all on their own line. Sooo nice to be in the dark hole of Calcutta while the world shone around us.  Usually we fall asleep to the sound of crickets. That week we slept to the drone of generators, the neighbors generators. Ours was spitting and sputtering and making all kinds of racket. Then the man of the house decided to help vent the motor to the outside of the garage by placing aluminum stove venting pipe over the generator exhaust and out the side window. Really. That make sense to you. You ever hear a motorcycle with the baffles removed? Quiet compared to his contraption.

Me... Hon, that's not working.

DH...What?

Me... Hon that's not working.

DH...What?

Me...HON THAT'S NOT WOOORRRRRKKKKING.   YA THINK?

DH disengaged his contraption and came out 'round the back of the garage to find 20 neighbors with pitchforks and fallen limbs on an intercept course with his great invention. New patio furniture next spring; or this fall if we can't find a good sell out, end of season sale. Won't count on it though. Everyone around here will be looking for bargains.

Now don't get me wrong. The people in the valley were hit much, much, worse. I am at a loss to find the right words to convey the correct amount of intensity or to describe the destruction of my hometown. It is beyond comprehension in so many aspects. And now, almost a week to the hour, a tornado scratched it's way across the valley. It started on the south side of the Mohawk River headed north across the river and set down in a sleepy little "don't blink your eyes, you'll miss it" hamlet tucked away in the hollow.  It left a path of destruction a half mile wide and seven, SEVEN, miles long.

It's getting late. I will have to amend this posting with pics tomorrow.