Derecho, Ole Virginny and Me
Friday night, June 29, at about 8:45 p.m., a strange and never-before thing happened to us here in the Shenandoah Valley. We were quickly and with total surprise visited by what we think was a derecho. (I’d never heard of one either but if you want the simple, country version of the word – it is one heck of a strong and destructive wind.)
Derecho took out trees and lawn furniture and just about everything that wasn’t nailed down but most importantly it cut a path through our electrical service that has yet to totally heal. Our house was without power for 68 hours. That is almost three days by anyone’s count, and the worst part was the 98- degree temperature that raged on night and day.
Now I grew up here in Virginia with no AC in the house so I figured we could handle it. Not necessarily the case. That was a few years ago and maybe I’m not as tough as I was as a kid. And then there is that thing of getting dark by 9 p.m. each night. Debbie sat in the den and read a book by flashlight one night while Lucy (our dog) and I sat in the yard looking for a breeze.
No radio. No TV. No computer. Only cellphones and no way to recharge them. The refrigerator and the freezers full of food were wasting away by the minute. (We finally lost every morsel of food and had to restock the fridge as if we were just starting housekeeping.) As we walked through the house, trying hard to be normal, we found ourselves constantly flicking on the light switches out of habit. I discovered even in the bright light of day that there is not enough light in a bathroom to shave with complete confidence that you’ve done an adequate job. I even got the brilliant idea at one point that my IPad was lying on my desk and that it would take the place of my computer. Not to be. No electricity – no wireless.
We have always felt protected here amidst and ‘tween the mountains but this time the wind got through and did its damage. So with the third night coming down on us fast and hot, we decided to give up and go to a hotel about two miles from the house. Even the dog was happy we’d made this decision. We stayed there until word came to us the power was back.
I share all this with you with not a hint of whining or complaining. Many of our friends are still without, so we feel blessed. And through all this, we still read of the horrible news in Colorado and the homes that were going up in flames. So we have nothing to mourn. All is well and today is the Fourth of July and we have so many things for which to be thankful
Hope your 4th is happy and peaceful. As for me and my house, we’re sitting inside with the air cranked as low as it will go – just counting our blessings.
7/4/12 – DSR
