The Gift That Keeps on Giving

My husband did something he has never done before.  For Christmas he surprised me with an airline ticket.  He has never made travel plans for me without my input and I was happily surprised!  Since our daughter moved to Berlin, we both knew that we would visit her at some point in the year.  I had no idea it would be so soon!  The trip was scheduled for January 23, 2020, almost one month after Christmas.  It was the perfect thing to look forward to in a month that really needs a silver lining.

The time flew by and as I packed my bag on the 22nd my excitement grew!  I got a text message from my husband and it said he could not check me in for the flight and I would have to check myself in or call the magic hotline.  (personal disclaimer, I usually take care of my own travel details. Control issues...what control issues?)  I sat down at my computer, brought my flight up and clicked "check-in".  It said I would have to check in at the airport. Hmm.  Luckily, due to his many travels, we have access to the "super-special-we-love-you-because-you-are-never-home" line.  I called and even they could not check me in.  She said I would just have to check in at the airport.  Meanwhile, I got an email from the airline with an attachment that said, the country I was visiting required a valid passport (check) and the passport had to be valid for at least 3 months past my travel dates (hmm, let me look).  Travel dates Jan. 23-29, passport expiration date April 21, 2020.  Missed it by that much!  Let the scrambling begin!

All packed and nowhere to go!

Our evening of scrambling determined, between the passport office website, the "super special one gazillion mile" airline help line and our better judgment that the only place I was going on January 23 was to get a new passport photo taken at the drug store.  I made an appointment at the (expedited) passport office, determined that our daughter and her husband were home the next weekend, rescheduled our flights for exactly one week later, cancelled our sweet Airbnb and sent up a wish and a prayer.

Older and slightly frustrated Lisa on the left is saying,
"I was supposed to be on a flight to Berlin right now". 
At least I hope I don't end up with the same greenish-orange hair 
I've had for the last 10 years!

The price of having an almost valid passport:
-My "crack of dawn" passport appointment on Tuesday, Jan. 28 went smoothly and expensively. 
-Add to the expedited fee the $20 I unwittingly donated the the parking lot "attendant" who I credit with a smooth scam technique that caught me way off guard.  I guess he needed it more than I did.
-I was initially told I would only get $28 back from my original Airbnb booking unless he was able to re-book after my last minute cancellation.  Thank you to the person/people who enjoyed Berlin last weekend and got me half of my money refunded! 
-I booked a new place, near my daughter, with a generous cancellation policy!  I am learning!
-Finally getting to visit your daughter and her husband in their new home...priceless.
TJ and I have had more than one laugh that this has been the Christmas gift that keeps on giving.

Today, one week later, I picked up my brand new, shiny passport. I STILL can't check-in for my flight online but am confident they will do it at the airport when they see my valid documentation!  If all goes well, I will be on a flight to Berlin tomorrow, the 29th, only one week later than originally scheduled.

My passport expiration date always seemed so far off.  I mean it was all the way in 2020!  I took a walk down memory lane when I looked back over all of those pages and all of those stamps.  I only had 2 clean pages left...life goals!   Ten years ago I got that passport in April 2010, right after we moved back to Houston from Toronto.  It has been a very active 10 years on the travel front.  I am so thankful for all of it!  My hope is that I run out of pages to stamp before January 2030!  Can someone remind me in September of 2029 I need to get a new passport?  I will be a bit more forgetful by then I imagine!

I also realized that I may not have checked my passport before our annual migration to Canada in May and would have been up sh*t's creek with an expired passport if this had not happened.  So, thank you for the Christmas gift, honey... and the new passport!

Changing Things

"Changing a known route throws us into the now."
The Artists Way by Julia Cameron

I read this quote a couple of Saturdays ago and it threw me right into the now!  Once I started thinking about this statement my mind couldn't stop!  It applies to so many aspects of life. There is the very obvious application of this statement where you drive home by a different route and are forced to open your eyes and pay attention a little more than you do driving the same old way.  Then there is the deeper application in the book that suggests you go somewhere new and channel your inner "artist"...probably driving there by a different route, in order to awaken creativity.  Regardless, I was "all in" when I read it!  I'm changing it all!

Saturday was a busy day around here.  Our backyard was being dug up to save our foundation from its known route which was sinking into the earth.  Meanwhile, Grampy decided he needed to show Logan the huge holes under our house, so they were having a play date.  This date also involved Logan methodically bringing down a toy out of the toy closet upstairs, playing with it and then going back for the next...and the next.  It's a great game and a great workout!  Things were a bit loud and chaotic that morning.

Our new sofa was being delivered that afternoon!  The new sofa and the above quote motivated me to move the furniture.  Logan thought it was a great idea!  It had been at least a year since we rearranged the furniture and the old sofa and my point of view were both tired of the status quo.  I must say, I love the new arrangement.  I am sure creative brain cells are being stimulated with the new view.  Even the television looks better (maybe not a great thing) and I like seeing my house from a different perspective. 

It seems harder and harder "these days" to be in the now, at least for me.  Between my phone and computer, I can find countless ways to slide down the Internet rabbit hole and totally check out of reality.  I admit to being distracted by my phone and reading this quote reminded me that I need to do better and make an effort to be present.  A time and place for everything.

The quote also makes me think about travel and why I like it so much.  When I travel, I am definitely changing my route.  Being in a new place invites me to explore, open my eyes, take it all in and be aware of my surroundings.  I am thrown into the now!  It is so easy to plod along in my daily life in a semi-conscious state.  I walk the same sidewalks day after day.  I pass the same houses daily and I admit, there are days that I am just going through the motions.  After all, it is the same old route.  When I am in a new place I want to take it all in and by taking it all in I am in the now and I feel more alive.  I have often wondered why I can't just make my home life as invigorating as my travel life.  I am working on that one!  Unfortunately the answer I keep coming up with is to just travel more!

After the furniture had been properly arranged on Saturday we decided to get out of the cul-de-sac and check out an exhibit at the museum.  It worked right into my plan of taking a new route!  It is always a good idea to be a tourist in your own city!  We enjoyed the museum and on our walk back to our car we explored something new...to me.  The Glassell School of Art has apparently been in their new location since 2018 but it was the first time I saw it because I always park elsewhere...new route!  The school has a set of stairs up the side that leads to the observation roof .  I cannot resist a stairway to heaven and a good view so up we went.  It just so happened to be my favorite time of day too!  Sunset!  New place, new views.  Perfect!

A cool sculpture

Going up!

But first, I decided to check out that glass wall to the right.  It is one of those walls that has names of donors etched in the tiles.  Wanted to see if I knew anyone! 

We ran into my sister and her husband by taking 
a new route and being in the now.

A live/dormant roof with a view!

And a sunset!

Once the sun set it was time to explore one more new route.  In keeping with the theme of the day we tried a new wine bar and were pleasantly surprised... at least by the music and the decor!  The wine was OK... but when consumed listening to the best music of my high school and college years in a converted old house it was perfect.  Is it ironic that being in the now and listening to the music threw me back to the 70's and 80's?  We had fun reminiscing.

Later in the week I was listening to a podcast while driving the very familiar route of I-10 between Houston and Baton Rouge and it was talking about the habits of successful (professionally and health wise) people.  It went on to say that people who are the healthiest and most successful have made good habits a way of life and don't have to think about what they do, they just do it.  Healthy habits become a way of life and therefore result in good health without feeling like work. Sounds like the opposite of changing a known route.

So....how do I change my known routes AND incorporate habits AND stay in the now?  Maybe I make a habit of occasionally changing a known route and a habit of being in the now. 

20/20 in 2020

Happy New Year!
It is that time again, that time of year we all look back and forward, decide what was good and what needs improvement.  Kind of like an annual performance review, ugh.  Time to sync our calendars, make a few plans, check the budget to see if the plans are realistic. Dare to step on the scale and remember those indulgent holidays and then make a well intended plan to make healthier choices.  Realize it has been 2 months since you wrote anything on the blog and once again, for about the 4th year in a row, decide that "no" you are not ready to close down shop just yet.  The goal of writing more than I wrote last year should be very achievable!  How's that for setting the bar low?  So...today I went to the gym for the second time this year, ate salad for lunch and now I am making a valiant effort at writing a blog post.  Killing it in the first week of 2020!

Earlier this week I decided to read my journal (see.. I do still write, it just isn't for public consumption) from last year to see what consumed my time, energy and thoughts all year.  I did not have to go very far to notice the year was an assortment of emotions.  Most of the first half of the year was spent planning the wedding which was the source of stress, excitement, self-doubt, anticipation, love, anxiety, exhaustion, gratitude, happiness and more love .  Wanting something to be perfect for so many people is basically impossible, yet I spent many a sleepless night trying to figure out how to do the impossible.  As they say, hindsight is 20/20 and in 2020 I can look back and say I should have worried less and slept more before the wedding.

Why was I worried?  It WAS perfect!

There was one journal entry in May that struck me and spoke volumes.  I guess that is why journals are such a good thing.  The emotion was, and I quote, "an overwhelming sense of peace".  It probably comes as no surprise that the week we spent at the farmhouse in May was possibly one of the best ideas we had all year.  It was a great way to release some of the pre-wedding, self imposed stress and be at peace with the world.  Plus, sketchy Internet and being outside digging in the dirt goes a long way to re-center oneself.

An overwhelming sense of peace can be found here.

With the wedding behind us, the middle of the year was easy!  It is easy to escape anything resembling real life when we are at the farmhouse, just ask anyone who needs me to "engage" in any of my responsibilities back home while I am up there.  I am very good at shore life!

Amazement and thankfulness mixed with a bit of stress and concern were the emotions I felt when my parents made their way to and from the shore for what... again...could be their last summer.  We have said that for the last 2 years so it will come as less of a surprise if it happens again this year.  Never underestimate the power of red sand and salty breezes.

Skepticism was one of the emotions I had before our cruise along the Danube River.  Never one to jump on the bandwagon or follow the herd, going on a cruise was something that made the doubting skeptic in me rare it's head.  It seemed like the easy way to travel.  In my mind, I always thought to be a true "traveler" you had to forge your own way and not rely on someone carrying a paddle leading you to the "sights".  How could my travel experience be as true and authentic on a cruise than those done on our own?  Well, turns out it is a bit of both.  In my 20/20 hindsight, the cruise was great fun, the benefits of not having to pack and unpack to see so many different locations and eating and drinking delicious food and wine outweighed having to follow someone to the sights.  We did still go rogue when we could!

My favorite "excursion" on the cruise.  

Finally, December provided a few new emotions this year.  I am still grappling with what they are.  I would say shocked, dismayed, lost, and thankful.  I was shocked when I realized TJ and I would be spending Christmas week alone together.  Never in either of our lives have we spent a Christmas with no other immediate family members.  What would we do?  We played many different scenarios over in our heads but for whatever reason none seemed right.  We were both thankful that we managed to raise 4 independent and adventurous individuals who just so happened to be independently adventuring elsewhere for Christmas this year.  We made our bed and now we had to lie in it!  Things happen for a reason!

We decided to be tourists in our own state.  There are plenty of places in Texas I have never seen before.  We went to San Antonio on Christmas Day for a very different Christmas Day, enjoyable, but different.  Surrounded by families celebrating together along side many other couples, just like us, celebrating alone together.  The rest of the week in Fredricksburg was more than I had hoped for.  What a charming town, full of cute shops, good restaurants and live music every night!  We embraced it!  We also bonded from afar with our two daughters celebrating Christmas in Germany with the many German touches in the area.

We celebrated in solidarity from afar.

Once again, in hindsight, being alone together for Christmas was a blessing.  We saw some beautiful places and were able to have a special time together.  The holidays were relaxing and not stressful at all.  Part of me thinks this will only make me appreciate the next hectic holiday even more.  No worries, once our kids who live here returned we celebrated the 8th day of Christmas, aka New Year's Day, with gifts, family time and dinner together.  It was perfect!

In hindsight, 2019 was a very good year!  As the saying goes, hindsight is 20/20 and I hope when I look back at 2020, it looks as good in hindsight as the last one did!

A Short Surprising Stop

We spent less than 24 hours in Nuremberg on our way from Prague to Passau, where our cruise was beginning.  I did not do my usual researching ahead of time, and arrived with no expectations.  It was just a city we were spending the night in on the way to our cruise.  I should have done a better job!  Nuremberg turned out to be a pleasant surprise!

Welcome to Bavaria!

We took a four hour bus ride to Nuremberg and arrived at 3 p.m. wondering if we were at the right station, where our hotel was, and how were we going to get there.  Our trusty smart phones told us we were less than a 10 minute walk from our hotel.  Our phones did not tell us that the walk would be over mostly cobblestones (ugh!).  We clickety clacked our way, dragging our bags behind us, to our lovely hotel.  It really wasn't very far, it just seemed like it with those bags and those cobblestones.  We only had a few hours before dark so we went out to explore the old town.

Turned out, old town was very close to our hotel!

Pedestrian streets and outdoor markets!

We wandered the streets and loved the markets, the Bavarian architecture, the manageable number of people (compared to Prague) and the numerous Christmas shops.  It was just what we needed after four hours on a bus.  The farther into the town we got, the more we liked it.  We found the Nuremberg castle, not hard....just look for the biggest and highest building in the Old Town.  We are such geniuses!  I think we managed to hit all of the high points on our walk....you know...church, castle, pub.

I wanted to bring them all home!  

Since our lunch had consisted of the random snacks TJ bought in the store before we left Prague, an early dinner was in order.  We found a nice place, near the church and sat outside for dinner.  We embraced Bavaria and ordered the "tower of sausage"!  The air was crisp and clear, the leaves were turning fall colors and we were in Bavaria drinking local beer and eating sausages!  Our own private Oktoberfest without the oompah band!  

Cheers St. Lorenz!

Tower of sausage!
Complete with mustard, horseradish,
sauerkraut, potato salad and yummy bread!

Feeling fortified, we walked to the river.  I am a sucker for arched bridges and reflections in the water.  Who needs an ancient castle or a Gothic church when you can just stand on a bridge and watch the river flow?  I looked at the houses along the river and wondered what it would be like to live in such a lovely spot.  I wondered what it would be like to live in a city with such a dark history full of wars, religious turmoil, destruction and human tragedy.  How many different feet have walked on those same cobblestones?  The stories they could tell!

The Beautiful Fountain

The 40 colorful figures that adorn the fountain represent the world view of the Holy Roman Empire. They are philosophy, the seven liberal arts, the four Evangelists, the four Church Fathers, the seven Prince-electors, the Nine Worthies, Moses and seven Prophets (Hosea, Daniel, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Amos, Isaiah and Joel).

Hospice of the Holy Spirit
Truth:  when I took this I thought it was just a lovely scene.
It was only after I got home that I discovered what it was.

Life along the river

Our time with our daughter ended in Nuremberg as she headed "home" to Berlin the next morning and we took the train to meet our cruise.  Who knew a year ago that we would be drinking beer and eating sausages with her in Germany?  What a treat it was to have this time together!  I think we were all pleasantly surprised by our short time in Nuremberg.  

Prague....Where Everyone Knows Your Name

Over a year ago we bit the bullet, along with two other couples, and made plans to go on a river cruise.  A lot of water has run under the bridge of life since we first made those plans.  It is interesting how life works out sometimes.  When we planned this trip we had no idea that our youngest daughter, the newlywed, would be living in Berlin. We had no idea that our summer shore friends would be in Prague while we were there.  We had no idea if the blue Danube would have enough water to float our ship all the way to Budapest.  We had no idea if we would even enjoy a river cruise but we planned and had faith.

Since we were already across the pond we decided to plan a little independent travel at the front end of our cruise.  We had always heard that Prague was a beautiful city so we decided to find out for ourselves.  Turns out so did about a million other people!  So many people!  Aside from all of the other tourists getting in our way we found Prague to be as beautiful as advertised.  One of the most special things about our visit was the fact that our daughter and her new husband met us there upon arrival.

Look, the astronomical clock...
and hundreds of cell phones in the air!  (guilty)

Hello, Prague!  Yes, you are beautiful!

We arrived in Prague on a Sunday morning and met our daughter and husband at our hotel.  We parked all of our bags with the staff there and headed out to brunch. That first day is always a challenge but we had a plan.  Stay awake and moving until bedtime.  Our favorite way to keep moving is to go on a bike tour.  We planned a 2 p.m. bike tour with the goals of getting an overview of an unfamiliar city, seeing some of the "must see" sights and staying awake!

Our bike tour in Prague may have covered the most miles we have ever done on a bike tour.  I'm guessing it was between 8 and 10 miles.  Of those miles, over half of them were over cobblestones.  There was no risk whatsoever of us dozing off!  I remembered that ride for days...every time I sat down.  Cobblestones are unforgiving!  The tour itself was very good!  I love getting to see so much of a city in a few hours plus the benefit of being outside.  We saw a secret courtyard, one of the coolest cemeteries I've ever seen, the famous Dancing Houses, a few churches, we learned some history and climbed up to one of the best views of the city on our ride.

Inside the secret garden is a wall
that looks like the inside of  a cave.

Never would have found this without a guide!

The John Lennon wall...it's a thing.

The point in the tour where Lisa gets distracted by a lovely view.

Giant Bronze alien babies.....

and Dancing Houses....Fred and Ginger!

Made it to the top and staying awake!

Husband and wife gravestone....Here's looking at you kid

A beautiful and interesting cemetery.
Alfons Mucha is buried here.

After all that biking on cobblestones we have earned our refreshments!

Thanks to our bike tour guide's suggestion, we planned to tour Prague Castle bright and early the next day and beat all of the selfie stick toting tour groups.  Our plan worked and we patted ourselves on our backs for being ahead of the masses.  Prague Castle was definitely worth the early departure!

St. Vitus Cathedral is massive!

The stained glass windows are amazing!

The Golden Lane inside the castle, housed goldsmiths in the 17th century,
 now houses souvenir shops...riches to ruins some might say.

Franz Kafka sculpture, interesting artist!

Jewish cemetery, unfortunately closed due the the
Jewish holiday.

One of the coolest things I've ever seen!
So glad we were able to find it!
Watch the transformation here:
Franz Kafka Metalmorphosis

Lunch turned out to be a yummy and unique experience.  Kantyna is a must if you visit Prague.  The bone gives the menu away, nothing but meat....and potato pancakes and deliciousness. 

TJ playing with our order markers.

When was the last time you saw grilled bone marrow on a menu?
Would you order it if you did?  I did....it reminded me of my grandmother's cooking!
It was decadent and delicious!

Wine or beer?  Both!

 Later that same day, after following Kelly and I around to all of our "must see" locations, TJ added his "must see" and asked if we could just stop walking for a while and find a nice wine bar to sit and relax.  We followed our trusty smart phones to one wine bar and decided immediately it was a "no".  TJ was beginning to get hangry...or maybe he was thangry, needless to say I needed to find a decent place and fast.  We ended up at a lovely wine bar, very near our hotel.  We walked in and there were two guys at the bar...they were the only customers.  We stood in the entrance area assessing the situation and one of them turned around and what happened next will go down as one of the best moments in Prague.  One of the guys' faces totally lit up and his mouth dropped wide open and he shouted, "Kelly Mahoney!?!!!".  There were hugs, introductions, mouths agape and two bottles of wine later we had learned more about our daughter's college days than we knew before we went into that wine bar.  They had worked together at the admissions office in college long ago and far away. He had run the Berlin marathon and was on holiday with his partner for the next week.  The world is definitely getting smaller!

Our second small world experience happened only an hour later but we knew it was coming.  We had a lovely dinner with our friends from the shore who also happened to be in Prague... after running the Berlin marathon.  All these healthy, fit people we know!  Dinner was great fun and Prague is now our favorite small town in Europe.  It's where everybody knows your name!

You never know who you are going to run into in Prague!
A big "quack out" to our Canadian travel expert for the
Blue Duckling 2 recommendation!

Our two days in Prague were all we had hoped for and a little more.  We strolled along the river and across the Charles Bridge after dinner and took in the views.  Prague really is as beautiful as everyone says.  I could definitely go back and explore in more depth.  The architecture is stunning, the history in fascinating and the food, wine and beer are delicious.  If you go, keep your eyes open because you never know who will be around the next corner!

A little evening eye candy.

The same building all lit up!

Up next, Nuremberg....and that cruise.

How the Mighty Have Fallen

In the past I may have complained a time or two about the "leaving" process when it comes to the farmhouse or the cottage.  There is the inevitable cleaning of the fridge, which I hate!  There is the sadness I feel when my flower boxes get shut in the dark garage for the winter.  There is the never ending list of tasks we must do to leave the house and the property safe and sound for the "off season".  This year there was an added a level of difficulty because tossing out seven bottles of salad dressing and countless odds and ends is way too easy.  Our added challenge came in the form of a hurricane named Dorian.

Friday, September 6, 2019
All is calm and beautiful!

We were good little hurricane veterans and prepared in spite of the deceiving blue skies.  We took in all of the outdoor furniture and potted plants from the cottages and the farmhouse.  We tacked down anything that could fly and become a projectile.  We filled many jugs with drinking water and made sure we had batteries in our flashlights.  We moved our grill to the back deck out of the projected wind direction.  It was Friday, Sept. 6 and Hurricane Dorian was scheduled to arrive in our little corner of the world the next day.  It was hard to believe how drastically things would change in one day.

With everything safely tucked away we woke up Saturday morning to a breezy, cloudy day.  We decided to see if the nearby farmer's market was open.  Only 3 vendors braved the windy morning so we bought a lovely heirloom tomato and some lettuce, because sadly ours is done.  On the way home we stopped at the fish market and bought a cooked lobster to make lobster rolls for lunch.  We also went across the street for some hurricane chips because what are hurricane provisions without some junk food?  We got home, made lunch and found a way to stream ESPN Game Day!  We were pretty proud of ourselves as we waited for Dorian.  And the wind continued to blow.

Bring it on Dorian, we have a lobster and some chips!

We sat and watched Game Day streaming from Austin where LSU and UT were playing later that day.  We had big plans to hunker down inside and watch the big game that night.  Perfect way to pass the time while Dorian blew through.  The wind continued to pick up but all was still good....until 3 p.m. when blip, blip, blip and then silence.  No power.  UH OH!  Dorian threw a flag on our perfectly planned afternoon!

As I looked at the storm through my kitchen window I noticed one thing we had forgotten to take inside.  My favorite whirly gig was about to take flight.  I asked TJ to go out and take it down before it blew away.  He put on a hoodie and raincoat and headed out into the storm.  We were bored and having a bit of fun when I decided to video the rescue.  I did my best reporting, "This is Scotia Woman reporting live from the Lorneville weather channel in the midst of hurricane Dorian."  I was Marlin Perkins to his Jim Fowler.  "While Jim faces the gusting wind and flying tree branches, I'll stand behind the house out of the wind and document his brave rescue of the whirly gig."

We were cracking ourselves up!  He did the perfect acting job.  I mean it was windy...but not that windy.  I think we may have pissed Dorian off.

We decided to go and check on my parents who were still at their cottage.  As we approached their cottage this is what we saw.

A tree behind their cottage had fallen on the electrical wires.

That explains the power outage.  We had to park at my sister's cottage since we were not sure we could safely drive under the wires into my parent's driveway.  By now it was raining and the winds were blowing hard... just like a hurricane.  We ran across the flooded yards and into my parents cottage.  It was still a bit warm inside but dark and eerie.  My Mom was in the process of packing up for their trip back home in a couple of days.  It is a long process only made longer and more challenging by a wheelchair bound husband and now...no power and the sound of the unrelenting winds and rain beating against your cottage.  She was a bit frazzled, as was I by this time.  There was no way we could move them out of the cottage in this weather.  We could barely stay upright just running across the yard.  Moving a man in a wheelchair was not an option.  They had to stay the night.  We made sure they had water, food, flashlights, blankets and a plan.   We left feeling very guilty that we had a wood stove to keep warm for the night.  They were going to be very cold!  Not a good feeling.

My stylish rubber boots came in very handy here!

There are not that many of us left here which turned out to be a good thing!  There were enough people that no one felt isolated but not too many who were inconvenienced.  The storm continued. We discovered our friends were going to spend the night across the road at my-cousin-who-has-a-generator's house.  We joined them for a couple of hours.  Not really a "hurricane party", more of a wine drinking, listen to that wind, look at those trees, are those the deck chairs sliding across the deck?  Party.

We also enjoyed their running water/flushing toilet.  What you may not realize is that when you live in a house with a well and a pump and the power goes out, the pump cannot run...so no water.  No water, no shower, no flushing toilet, no hand washing, no fun.  You can flush the toilet by pouring water into the tank and then flushing, but we only had so much water.  We were very conservative!

It was time to go back to the farmhouse for the night.  TJ and I had decided earlier in the day to spend the night in one of the back bedrooms of the house.  The wind was coming from the north and our bedroom is under some very large trees on the north side of the house.  It seemed safer to be in the back.  We drove up to the house and TJ saw our chestnut tree practically bending over backwards in the wind and told me to wait in the car while he checked around the house.  He was gone for a while and when he got back in the car he had a stunned look on his face.  He said, "You have got to come see this."

2 of our 3 GIANT poplar trees had been uprooted.

We went inside to see if there were holes in the roof but we could not find any...in the dark of night.  The magnitude of the trees was overwhelming.  They are not just big trees, they are huge trees!  How they missed our house is a miracle!  There are a few branches resting on the roof but it could have been devastating! We went to bed and continued to listen to the howling wind and rain.  I have no idea how I slept so well, but I did.  I guess with the trees down, I did not have to worry about them falling.

The irony of our video is not lost on me.  Where we earlier in the day had been laughing and joking was now covered with a tree.  Dorian did not have a sense of humor, only revenge.

Taken from the exact spot I filmed the video the day before.
YIKES!

Before Dorian, our lovely trees.

Thanks to Dorian, the mighty have fallen.

In the light of day things looked very scary!  We were SO lucky!  It will still be a herculean task to cut down those 3 trees, then cut them into small enough chunks to be taken away....somewhere.  What do we do?  Our insurance company is working on it but with so many other people in the same boat, we are just a number.  We are hoping for a plan of action before we have to leave on the 16th.  The power was out for three days.  I am thankful for my pack rat of a husband who never throws anything away.  He dug up an old propane stove out of the basement to make coffee and tea in the morning and warm up food for lunch.  Having a wood stove helped keep us warm.  Hurricanes in the south are usually warm weather events.  This one was not!  My poor parents woke up to a 50 degree cottage the next day.  It did not take much persuading to convince them they needed to get on the road the next day and stay in a hotel for the night.

Who knew that candle lantern made such cool shadows?

As close as I will get to camping!

My pioneer husband keeping my tea water hot
and my cinnamon roll warm!

With Mom and Dad safely on the road home, TJ and I continued to pack up the house for our departure plus deal with the fallen trees and many missing shingles and leaks on the cottage roof.  Thanks Dorian!  Maybe we were getting a little too high and mighty ourselves.