The Morning After

After a long, dark and windy night, we emerged on Saturday morning, surveying the damage and searching for a cup of coffee. This woodpile had been leveled across, but as the trees waved back and forth, firewood sprayed around the yard. 


Lying along the pond shore was one of several tall white pines to come down in the winds. 


The spruce and the white pine tangle of the previous evening, now seen by daylight. 


On closer examination, the dead pine that came down out back managed to fall exactly halfway between the garden shed and the peach tree. Whew... 


Another white pine hanging mid-way over McKoy Road. 


Here's a once-great evergreen that came down in the Eastham Post Office parking lot. 


Some toppled trees along Rock Harbor Road, Orleans. 


A house hidden behind downed trees. 


Here's one of a host of locust trees which came down along Old Colony Way in Orleans. 


Our damage tour included a stop in at work, where several locust trees and a great spruce were lost, to the detriment of the roof of the Old Jailhouse Tavern. Just the same, power was restored there Saturday afternoon and we were open for business later that day. 


On the tavern roof. 


Some trees were spared while others were lost. For the most part, it seemed that trees fell 'the right way', missing cars and homes. I've heard of no one seriously hurt in the blowdown or it's clean-up, and that seems no small miracle. 


Some trees were spared while others were lost. For the most part, it seemed that trees fell 'the right way', missing cars and homes. I've heard of no one seriously hurt in the blowdown or it's clean-up. 


Power lines were dragged down, or broken and coiled all along our route...only now on the 13th has power been almost fully restored to area residents. The outages lasted just long enough to give us a just a taste of what so many people have been dealing with for months or more, in the wake of various other natural events this past year. And so the gift of perspective arrives just in time for the holidays. 


Trees, power lines, bucket trucks and traffic were the order of the day on quiet Bridge Road. 


Stray power lines over Bridge Road, Eastham. Power at our house was actually restored at about 3:03 a.m. on Monday the 12th. By then a hot shower at home was the only thing on my Birthday Wish list. 


A dramatic sunset on Saturday night.