IKE, you cheeky sod

That was fun.

Actually watching the hurricane from the bedroom was extremely dramatic. 4 stories of glass looking out onto trees and rooftops. The trees mainly stayed horizontal, first to the left, then the right. The wind sounded like a train rushing by. What I thought was lightning and thunder was actually the sound and sight of every transformer in my neighborhood blowing up. It was unsettling to feel the house MOVE with the wind, although logically I knew it was better for it to bend a little.

Mostly my hood faired well. Ironically the guy who left the Big Wheel unattended was also the guy who's fence was flattened like a pancake. The Big Wheel was crushed by the fence, lol. Mostly all the wood fences are completely down. There are medium tree limbs everywhere, some large. A couple of very dramatic scenes where 100 year old oaks were completely uprooted and slammed into houses, cars or just into a neighbors pool. I was going to post pictures but there are enough dramatic photos online already, no value would be added.

What impressed me the most was how the neighborhood came together. The morning after EVERYONE was out with rakes, bags, chain saws and trucks removing the aftermath. Noone had to ask for help, people roamed the streets helping where they saw help was needed. People with outdoor grills cooked and ditributed. The mood was surprisingly upbeat.

The one thing that I will remember were the sounds of sirens. Without power there was not the usual fare of white noise, no entertainment and no distractions. All you could here every minute of every hour were the sounds of sirens. Everywhere.