Monday July 26, 2010

  

 

We’re Back! Now to Catch Up On The Past Two Weeks

 

A Storm in Our Area

July 12 to 17

 

 

 

While were were away – about an hour – during the late afternoon of July 12, a wind/rain storm came through and downed two trees and a large branch in our woodlot.

 

 

We could hardly believe what we saw, because we had only gone a few miles – to pick up the TFC truck at a garage. We drove through a bit of rain, but no wind.

 

 

The pavilion area was littered with leaves and branches.

 

 

They were laying in domino effect, but the tree in our yard barely touched the tree in my brothers yard. It was the second tree that took down a large branch of another tree.

 

 

 

 

A bit later I received a phone call from my brother-in-law, Marlin, saying that his wife (my sister, Nancy) had been taken to the ER at Ephrata, because a large barn door knocked her over as she and some family members were walking away from the barn. They own a quilt auction, and had been sorting quilts in a refurbished section of the barn.

 

 

She came home from the hospital that night – with several stitches in her head and heel, and lots of bruises and scratches. We praise the Lord that her injuries were not more serious.

 

 

Tuesday afternoon our grandson Jordan (above) and Cerwin cleaned up some of the smaller branches and leaves.

 

 

Saturday morning our grandson Nathan (above), our son Jeff, and my brother Dale cleaned up the larger branches. 

 

 

It looks like worms or bugs had weakened this tree.

 

 

Dale, Nathan, and Jeff removing a low-hanging branch.

 

 

In the process they discovered another tree that looked like it could fall down with the next storm. Knowing that there was going to be a large group of people at the pavilion the next day, they decided to pull it over with a large farm tractor.

 

 

Jeff, Nate, and Cerwin preparing to tie the rope to the tractor.

 

 

 

 

It didn’t move as quickly as they hoped, so Jeff cut a notch in the trunk.

 

 

 

 

 

 

They didn’t plan that it would land right on top of our lilac bush. However, after the branch was removed, the bush looked just fine.

 

 

Dale, Nate, Jeff, and Cerwin spent the next few hours cleaning up, and by evening the area was ready for a family reunion the next day.

 

 

While taking the tree pictures, I decided to show you that we are surrounded by beautiful, tall corn this year.

 

 

 

 

This field is on the southeast side of our house, and across the road are my brothers’ and our neighbor Eli’s fields. To our east (my back in this photo) is Rich’s field.