After the storm

This morning, I heard a train whistle again. This is the first since last Thursday. Sounds of the country now include the rumbling of construction equipment and chain saws. The fresh air now has the smell of firewood as people burn the trees and branches that are in their yards thanks to the storm. I’ve wandered the streets in Danbury and seen so many trees knocked down but amazingly very few actually landed on a house. There is one small house that had a huge tree in the backyard. The tree split right down the center and fell to each side of the house. Absolutely amazing.
I lost power on Friday night and it was restored on Sunday. There was an article in the Houston Chronicle about the power being returned in the city. Due to the infrastructure, one side of a given street may receive power while the opposite side is still in the dark. The woman that was interviewed said she has a guilty feeling for having electricity while her neighbor does not. I know the feeling. Many of my coworkers still do not have electricity or running water. The crew is working on cleanup projects (Danbury, the local mall) so my shower is available to them after work.
There have been “PODS” {points of distribution} set up in Danbury and Angleton to supply water, ice, and meals. The volume of assistance is overwhelming. It appears that as horrid as Katrina was at least lessons have been learned. Those lessons are costing some hurricane victims some challenges though. FEMA is delaying living assistance a bit longer than it should.

Luckily I can say this must be a short post ~ I have to go to work. Another wonderful thing. The owner of the company {and landlord} has been wonderful. Assisted so much in insuring my home {his house} was operating ok and he is out there hustling work so we can all stay on the payroll.

Photo is sycamore tree in backyard that got "topped". Photo taken at sunset on Sunday.