Saturday, January 21, 2012

The Beauty and The Beast

We have been busy today restoring our normal lifestyle.  Tom is just finishing the vacuuming, and then the house will be clean again.  The laundry is done.  The mail has been sorted and the photos downloaded.  A grocery list is ready to take shopping.  That's next.  Turkey soup stock is cooling.


We have had an adventure, but we are lucky, because many thousands are still without power after the ice storm.


Ice storms bring incredible beauty.













 They are also beasts bringing destruction.  This was Thursday.

Notice the trees and shrubs overhanging the street.  We were lucky not to have trees come down and block the roadway here.  Many streets and highways were blocked.



We have quite a mess to clean up in our yard.


This is today, Saturday.


With the power out we just kept the freezer shut and moved some perishables outside to our auxiliary refrigerator.

 We had candlelight dinners Thursday and Friday,

 with food prepped by candlelight and with the aid of the camp stove in  the garage, lit but the Coleman lantern.
 Friday Tom got going on shoveling the driveway so he could back the van out of the garage.
 And then we were FREE! to go find a warm meal, more supplies, Internet hook up, and a movie out.


Today the street is looking better.  The arterials are clear.  We have power.  All is well.

 Wow!  The first newspaper delivery in three days!
                                                Oh, oh.
Well, we'll keep our fingers crossed that those broken branches still hanging up in the trees don't do us in again.

9 comments:

  1. So glad the end of the misery is in sight. If you have power in Seattle, we should have it next week in the outlying areas. :)

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  2. It certainly has had it's moments of beauty, but what a mess, too! Our neighborhood just succumbed to packed, icy streets and sidewalks! It's getting better today, but what a mess! Your captures are great, Linda, they definitely show the good, the bad and the ugly! Glad things are getting back to normal for you!

    Sylvia

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  3. The beauty of such a storm is obviously fading, leaving you the ugly to deal with. My heart goes out to the Oregonians who lost theit homes to high water in this storm.

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  4. You are so right that the pictures of the ice storm are incredibly beautiful. I love the chestnut-backed chickadee in the header, but so many of those pictures just took my breath away. They are simply amazing. But so glad to hear things are returning to normal for you.

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  5. wow what a storm. We had rain today and lots of wind but warm. Glad you got along so well.

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  6. We've been seeing the videos on TV and I kept thinking about you. Your photos are amazing, Linda. I feel like I'm there with you. Thank goodness you're getting warmth and Internet connection again.

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  7. Quite and adventure for you Linda. You were obviously prepared for that storm. Well done. We heard the news of heavy snow falls for your region and I wondered how you were getting on. Glad you are all OK, and that things are now back to normal - Dave.

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  8. Wow Linda, it is all quite lovely but ice can be so destructive. I guess it reminds us that we are NOT boss, nor are our modern day creations! Stay safe...

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  9. The ice-crusted blooms have a special beauty but I'm not sure it's worth the inconvenience.

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