The Day After the Storm

A day in the life on the day after Sandy...

It rained in the morning.

I got in the kitchen early and made a couple of meals. One for the freezer, one for dinner.  I always cook with dogs in the kitchen.  The LITTLE galley kitchen.

Then I spotted blue sky out the window and headed outside.

Patchy blue... some sections were still quite gray.

While other sections had become quite blue!

A look at the mountain... and the lilac tree still has green leaves.  Isn't that odd?  After yesterday's wind, it still has leaves, and this time of year, they're green.  Hmmm.

A peek in the opposite direction.

The "creek" is still dry.  Last year, Irene had this roaring like white water rapids.

Haha... just one remains.

I filled the bird feeders while I was out there.  Whoa.  Did that ever make the birds happy!  See the little visitor?

I liked this assortment of colors and shapes that landed here on the chair.

I went back inside and swept the floor (just keepin' it real).  I had done this less than 24 hours prior.  This is a daily occurrence; I sweep enough fur to cover small animals.

I noticed the Christmas cactus has buds.

And it appears I grew two pumpkins (the first one I discovered a couple of weeks ago was a surprise - I thought all the pumpkin seeds had failed)!  I gathered this with the acorn squash.  At the time, it was mostly green, and while I thought it odd that it didn't have the "valleys" of the acorn squash, the idea that it was a pumpkin never occurred to me.  I didn't think it would turn orange off the vine.  Hmmm, again.

Booboo giving kisses to Riley.  Doesn't Riley have the most precious face?

Meanwhile, the flurry of activity outside at the two feeders was insane!

In all the excitement and activity taking place with arrival of fresh seed, this little fella hit the window and knocked himself out.  He fell straight to the ground, not moving.  By the time I got out there, he had opened his eyes. That was encouraging.

"...yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father's care." Matthew 10:29

I held him for a while and guarded him from the strong breeze.  He didn't seem afraid.

"Yet not one of them is forgotten by God." Luke 12:6

And it seemed as though He and I had partnered together to see that this little one's fears were put to rest.

It took him about 10 minutes to gather himself enough to fly to a nearby branch, but fly he did... with strong wings and in a straight path.  And I felt like I had done something really important with Someone really mighty. 

He stayed there, happily in my line of vision, and rested for another 10 minutes, or so, before flying off with his chickadee friends.

That made me happy.

Later, I had company in the kitchen again while I made and packed Joe's lunch.

Zeila decided it didn't appear I was going to share anything good (sometimes they get lettuce - and not everyone agrees that's worth sticking around for).

Oh, back again... hopeful.  "So - how about some of that roast beef?"

And the day after the storm draws to a close...


I'm thankful that the storm was very mild for us... Vermonters.  The effects of Irene last year were devastating and it's a relief that folks don't have to face that again so soon. 

Keeping those to the south of us in prayer as they pull themselves together and assess how to move forward.  Having experienced many hurricanes when we lived in Florida and witnessing (sometimes first hand) how powerfully damaging those storms can be, I know the heart-sick, chest-heavy, overwhelmed feelings they surely have.  Praying they'll know His peace and find rest Him as their place of refuge and hope for their future.