Tuesday, October 17, 2006

I've Got the POWER!!!

       Yeaaaaaaaaah baaaaaaaaby!!

 

I got home from work today and as I pulled into my driveway I noticed the porch light on.  I cursed under my breath as I could see my house was still dark and I thought someone was playing a horrible trick on me with the generator we'd been using to keep the freezer going.  When I got out of the car and turned up my drive I could see someone had turned my living room light on.  Tears started to roll down my cheeks.  Power came back in the nick of time!   Five days of no power had taken it's toll and this morning when I got up to the sound of the alarm on cell phone I cried.  I was tired.  I was feeling isolated from the world.  I have said before I don't watch TV but not having the sound of it in the background or the ability to watch the news or my boys was weighing on me.  Hell I didn't even know they had an earth quake in Hawaii!!   Peeing by candlelight, making coffee in an old peculator and getting the coffee in the filter in the dark.  Boiling water before using it.  Throwing everything in my refrigerator out......  the list goes on.  The little things we take for granted were gone.

 

I did my entry Thursday night and actually thought the snow I showed in the picture was all we'd get.  About 10ish things changed dramatically.  You could barely see across the street.  The flakes were the size of quarters and they were coming down with such a fury.  Within the hour our lights started to flicker and before I knew it I lost my connection to the Internet.   I shut down and went off to bed, and at that point we still had power. 

 

Friday morning my sister woke me up to inform me we had no power.  I scrambled out of bed not realizing what was really happening.  I looked out the back window and completely missed the trees close by but rather admired the beauty of the thick wet snow stuck all over the trees way back.  It was then my sister said to look out front.  When I did I about fell over.  Trees down all over, the sky had the weirdest color I'd ever seen.  Almost looked like a nuclear bomb had gone off in the distance.  Across the street wires were hanging or were totally dislodged and were on the ground.  My neighbor was in his driveway shoveling and it was then I could tell how much snow had actually fallen.  It was to his knees! 

 

The temperature never really got to freezing, but a cold air mass had come down from Canada.  Oh, my Canuck friends!  LOL  As it passed over the warm water of Lake Erie the moisture turned to snow and it dumped on us.  The 22 inches of snow was not the problem at all.  We've gotten snow like that before.  It was the fact that it was so wet, it had stuck to the trees and all the leaves still in them.  The weight was more then the branches, limbs, and even some trees could bare and over they went.  By mid afternoon Friday the snow was melting at record pace, but there were 400,000 folks without power.  As the snow melted the flooding began because the pumps couldn't work to get the water out of basements.  Thank God I got no water, but so many did!! 

 

There were driving bans all over and by the time I was able to get out I was in awe, in shock.  Oh, shock and awe, what a familiar statement.  LOL Who'd have thought I'd ever use something 'he' did.  EEEEEEEEeek  Anyway, it did look like a war zone.  There was not a yard that was not effected.  Trees, limbs, branches over each front lawn I passed.  Wires still hanging in the streets, on lawns, over cars and houses.  My eyes filled with tears as I realized the landscape would never be the same.  Then tears came even more as I realized how lucky my family and I were.  We were safe. 

 

There have been some deaths.  Accidents because folks drove through intersections with the lights out.  Never taught to treat such as a four way stop I guess.  ::wiping tears::  A man had a tree limb fall on him as he tried to help an elderly neighbor.  Folks died from carbon monoxide poisoning because for some reason they had generators running in their homes instead of outside.  How could this happen?  Why?

 

I have a ton to tell and will, but this entry got pretty long pretty fast.  I've posted a few pictures to give you some idea, not my normal way so feel free to view enlarged to get the full view.  The snow has been gone since Saturday but the after effects were killer!!!  There are still about 200,000 folks without power and they are saying it could be Sunday before everyone is restored.  Five days and I consider myself lucky.  Thank you all for the good wishes I do appreciate it.  I do!!!  I do want to apologize but I had to turn off alerts.  I wasn't sure when I'd be back and Saturday when I logged in from my brothers I had almost 700 pieces of mail.  I never even made it through them so if you emailed and didn't get a response, or needed something please resend.  I deleted so much so not to have things bouncing all over and clogging everything up.  Again, I do apologize but think you all understand.  I am pretty much back to normal and looking forward to being back. 

Hugs

~d

32 comments:

Anonymous said...

PRAISE GOD!!!! THANK YOU JESUS! I HAVE BEEN SO WORRIED...I AM SO SORRY YOU HAVE HAD TO ENDURE THIS...I JUST THANK GOD THAT YOU ARE ALIVE...
LOVE YA,
CARLENE

Anonymous said...

OH...amazing pics, too!!
Hugs,
Gina

Anonymous said...

SO glad that you are OK.  The stuff in the refrigerator can be replaced...but others lost their lives in that freak storm.  Those lives can not be replaced.  Saying a prayer for you for continued strength for all you have been through and also saying a prayer for those who passed on.  Take care and nice to see you back!
Hugs,
Gina

Anonymous said...

i'm just thankful you and your family are ok. we were all so worried about you. i prayed for you every night. welcome back. (((((((((((hugs))))))))))))))))))))
Cindy

Anonymous said...

OMGoodness what a mess! It's hard to believe we live in the same state and we got NONE of this! Mother NAture can sure be strange at times....... Glad your back and the family is safe. Will keep every else still without power in my prayers.
((HUGS))
Angel

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Anonymous said...

I am glad that you and yours are okay. And that you got power back. Been in the no power situation after hurricanes so I can relate to the stress and frustration of losing food and such.... Welcome Back. Don't worry about alerts. We do understand.... Tawnya

Anonymous said...

I would not wish that on anyone...we had an ice storm per say...last year..our electic was out for over a week...Because it but because it was so major our motel and food loss was paid by the insurance company!  Still we had to foot the bill to begin with!  Stay warm friend!  TerryAnn

Anonymous said...

Yay! Hiya Donna! HIgh Fives!:):):) love ya Sweetie!
glad things are back to normal!
love,natalie

Anonymous said...

Hey D...  I know that is has been horrible for you up there, but the pictures are so beautiful....  I won't tell you about our weather here... I want to help you feel up, not make you want to slap me....LOL
MaryAlice
from sunny FL....

Anonymous said...

You really went through it this week.  I am so glad you and your family were safe through it all because I would have hated to have to have missed you.  I hope you enjoy.  It's hard to imagine getting that much snow this early.  I have to tell ya, your pictures looked so beautiful though.  You really do have the power.  The power to make us all smile, and care.  I do care.  Glad you're alright.
NELISHIA
http://journals.aol.com/nelishianatl/WISHINGANDHOPING/
http://journals.aol.com/tsalagiprincess1/JumpingOffTheDeepEnd/

Anonymous said...

Glad you are ok and that things are getting back to normal.

Krissy
http://journals.aol.com/fisherkristina/SometimesIThink

Anonymous said...

Just very happy you can return to 'real life'  Missed you.~Mary

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Anonymous said...

Your pictures are amazing!  Your street looks completely deserted....like a ghost town!  I'm so glad you and your family are safe and survived it.  I can't imagine not having power for that long.  Once in awhile we have an outage for maybe 2 hours....but that's about it.  
Glad you're safe and back with us.
Pam

Anonymous said...

I'm just so glad you're safe! It must have been an awful experience for you and your neighbours. We didn't expect you to keep up with alerts. I hope everything will get back to normal and some more trees get planted so you can enjoy them again. In 1987 we lost over 8 million trees in Southern England to hurricane force winds, most have been replaced and are grown to a decent size, hope yours will be too. Welcome back to civilisation! Jeannette xx  

Anonymous said...

I love your pics, Glad to see you safe and sound,
love and hugs
katie

Anonymous said...

OH I understand you turning offf alerts. AND delteting things . you had to. I wish this had not happend during the awards for vivis I hope you got to vote and see your self nominated. You poor thing all that chaos. So sad to hear people dont know how to use a light out as afour way andthat man trying to help his neighbor how sad and what pain that neighbor will feel. the guilt too. Thanks for sharing the pics and will keep the rest who dont have electric in prayer.

Anonymous said...

Dear Donna I am so sorry ,your pictures tell their own story am keeping this short ,you have enough to do ,praying for you ,.,.,love Jan x

Anonymous said...

Wow, I don't think I have ever seen a sky that color.  How scary!!  I cannot believe the devastation that your city suffered!  So happy to hear you have power back and can now start living again normally.  And, I am happy that you and your family are safe!
Hugs and love,
Lisa

Anonymous said...

Donna
I am so glad you have gotten your power back.  The pictures above are amazing.  You and your family are so lucky to all be okay and for that I am thankful.  I know where you will be heading off to now... the grocery store to fill that fridge back up, LOL!  
Sam

Anonymous said...

thank God you and your son and your sister and everyone are safe and alive. What a tremendous and awful experience.....i have thought of you every day and genuinely worried.
HUGS,lisa

Anonymous said...

Good to hear you got through it in one piece, sorry I was being a bit silly about it in an earlier comment. I didn't really appreciate the severity of the situation. Thanks for sharing the pics, they were awesome. Again, sorry.

Guido

Anonymous said...

lol, so glad you aren't in the dark anymore
Missy

Anonymous said...

 I am so happy your power is back on.   We are getting a wet snow right now and all I can think about is what you got.  Hope we just get a small amount.


                       Julie

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Anonymous said...

Donna, glad things are looking up for you.
Surprised you did not mention your "Boys" That was some game they put on the Flyers last night. We are embarassed.
Take care and good luck Bill

Anonymous said...

WELCOME BACK!!!!!!!

Craziness with those pics!!

Glad you got your power back!
~Dana

Anonymous said...

SO GLAD TO HAVE YOU BACK!!

Morgan
xxxx

Anonymous said...

So glad you are safe and sound and back!!  Was sort of like after Rita, only cold.  LOL  -  Barbara

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