Anyone who has any interest or connection to our area knows about the straight line wind storm that blew through the area Friday night of July 4th weekend. It seemed to come out of nowhere and quickly changed the landscape in select pockets of our beautiful lake country. Words cannot describe the damage that some have suffered. My heart is heavy for those who have lost their wooded surroundings – the protective envelope that gave them a private getaway from their cares. Everyone who loves the area has a bit of sadness for the loss, making it seem like the talons of the wind spread far and wide. But in truth, most of the area was left pristine and untouched.
The storm stories I’ve heard are one more amazing than the next; one family who was on the road when it hit, two families who were out to eat and then could not get back to their cabins, one young boy who was dropped off for a play date at the end of a road just seconds before it hit, a young man flipped from his ATV by a falling tree after racing a complete stranger to safety and on and on. I paced in my basement with 15 family members who had all just arrived for the weekend and prayed for the two families who had just closed on their new lake cabins that very day. What a way to spend your first night in your new cabin!
The day after the storm, three chainsaws and a large crew of people were required to clear a single car path from our properties on our private road to the main road. Dave encouraged me to take pictures because he wanted documentation of what he felt was “The Big One”. But I could hardly look at the damage much less document it. Then I was presented with another perspective by my neighbor Joe, who had two trees on his roof, was soaked in sweat, covered in tree debris, yet had a determined smile on his face. I’ve chosen to hold on to that perspective ever since. He said, “Wanda, you need to put this in your Blog. Show what people can do when they work together. Show how much can actually be done!” God bless Joe for his positive perspective!
So here it is – the process of clearing our road from beginning to end. It’s a small depiction of our little corner in the world after the storm and what can be done when everyone works together. If you look, you’ll see it everywhere you go up here. ~Wanda Boldon
