3 days of rain
A storm brewing inside the house
Then a calm while closely watching the future radar
5:00 am power out and a retreat to downstairs
While we slept to white noise the storm raged
7 trees down but our house and cars were spared
Root balls as tall as me
Neighbors cleaning the road and helping each other
The tragedy begins to set in
Pink Floyd said it well when they sang “I can barely define the shape of this moment in time”
Friends gather and share stories of hardship and perseverance
Check ins when possible over spotty cell service
Keeping food cold until it’s no longer worth the battle
Surveying the surroundings for cash, gas, and water
Helicopters and chainsaws replace the wind
Cell service remains non existent except seemingly at the Verizon store corner
Power restored 6 days later but months and years to go to heal the broken community
My mother, shaken but ok… she warms my soul with a laugh or a smile
Hair washes by cold water soothe temporarily
Daily visits and quests keep us somewhat sane
Cats are good
Oldest child who left as the storm was brewing
Youngest in a transition only time will tell
10 days in, Worked a bit by surfing from WiFi hotspot to hotspot
Hope springs up at donation sites
Coloradan tree crew literally comes out of the woodwork to saw all of our downed trees
Drove through decimated areas to join in fellowship with friends over music and drinks
Starlink arrived only for social media to alert us of what we had not seen… devastation in so many areas
FEMA did our laundry and provided showers and meals
Morning water bottle showers were my thing
Third full week and emotions are running very high
Comes and goes as do the tides in the ocean
When will my calling become clear
When will my legs not feel like cinder blocks
When will every task not seem insurmountable
Where is my perspective
How can I complain when so many more are hurting far worse than I am?
Oldest child returned after quite a journey with friends, visit with his uncle, a beach, and a New York Visit
I flocked to music shows seeing Woody, then Spiro two times in two days followed by a Bella Fleck adventure hosted by our local music festival that would have taken place this weekend
Chopped wood overflows into my driveway
I burn a fire pit almost daily
At first it was because there was nothing else to do with no power, one LTE bar on our cell phones
Now, I don’t really know how to stop as it seems the only way I can try to reverse the storm’s impact to my yard while seeking peace and calm
Love builds hope
Hope builds community
Community builds love

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