Thursday night (when I usually write my Flashback Friday posts) we made a run down to Junior camp so 'The Girl" could see her momma (who was working the camp) and her big brother (who was one of the campers). She missed the so much. We didn't get home until late, and I had to work the next day (I was one of the select few who did our inventory).
Upon coming home, I filled up The Girl's kiddie pool and started laundry. Once a load was in the wash, I went over to the nursing home to put away my MIL's clothes that I had laundered. Upon getting home, I tossed a load in the washer & a load in the dryer. Just as the wash load was coming to an end, a massive storm blew through our area. As I was looking out an upstairs window, I saw a large branch snap off our tree and land on the Step 2 playhouse in the backyard. I figured the house was badly damaged. The wind & rain just didn't want to stop. Reports had he wind clocked at 85 mph.
The lights began flickering. My wife told me to get the computer shut down. No sooner than I got it shut down than we lost electricity. I came back on briefly, but then went off for good. I immediately reached for the flashlight that was given to the men at church on Father's Day. No batteries needed, just squeeze the lever to power it up.
As the rain subsided, I went out to drag limbs from our tree out from out of the road and out of the neighbor's driveway. I them went out to check the playhouse. There was the limb still in place,
I pulled the limb off and surveyed the damage. there was none. Step 2 makes toys that are as tough as the kids that play with them. I went into the house and fished out my battery radio and tuned it to a local station that had interrupted it's regular programming to give us updates on the storm. Thousands had lost power. Trees were down everywhere. Roads were closed due to trees & power lines being strewn across them. It was a mess.
We lost power about 5:15 PM on Friday and didn't get it back on until about 11:00 AM on Monday. A friend had driven over from Pennsylvania to bring a generator to us. It helped save our refrigerated & frozen goods. However, I would only run for an hour a a time, due to a small gas tank. Plus, it was VERY loud. We got an opportunity to purchase a generator from another friend who was out of state during the storm and picked up several generators (seeing there was no crushing demand for them where he was at). This generator was much quieter and would run for 15 hours on a tank of gas.
When the power came on Monday, I was out trying to find a 5 gallon gas can plus another extension cord. There were none to be found. The sales associate at Lowes said she had purchased a can yesterday, and it was still in her car. She said she would return it and allow either me, or another person who was also looking for one to buy it. As soon as I got the message that we had power, I let the other person purchase the can and I returned home to clean up everything.
All totalled, I was able to fill the eight foot bed of my pick-up truck with the limbs that had fallen. I then had to get extension cords, generator, coolers etc. put away. I was plum tuckered out at bedtime, but it sure felt good to be sleeping in the air conditioning opposed to sticking to the bed like we had done the past few nights.
Yesterday, my wife & I made a run to Amish country, since we had to call off our trip to West Virginia. Her family reunion was called off for the first time ever and reports of gas, bread & milk rationing came to us from her cousin. On the way up to Amish country, we could see several trees that were just carved up enough to get them out of the road & off power lines.
Today we made a trip to the Sunbury Flea Market with a friend who has been staying with us during the storm. It was really hot and not as many dealers were there as before. We then stopped to see Dad and came home to cool off before church.
It has been a whirl wind past few days both figuratively & literally. Flashback Friday will return this week at it's regularly scheduled time.
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