[Steppes] WEATHER related- impromtu populace?

[Liz]

Well, now that I have electricity again . . . 
   
  Our power went out last night about 7:00 PM and was back on a little after 3:00 PM today.  I am currently going through the freezer to pull out and cook all the compromised items.  We lost some large branches off the trees in/adjacent to our house and lost a few shingles.  We currently have a tree branch resting (I guess it's tired!) on the roof of the outbuilding.  We also had lighting strike our electric meter but when the power was restored, everything I have tested (so far, anyway) is working.
   
  Our neighborhood had many downed old-growth trees and our neighbors (God bless 'em) took their chainsaw and cleared the trees blocking the street/alley behind us so the power company could come in and restore power.  No small feat, this, as the alley was blocked by downed trees on both ends.  Several of our neighbors have newly acquired and unplanned ventilation openings in their homes and garages.  For part of the day, Westmoreland, Illinois, Cockrell Hill as well as a number of other main streets in Oak Cliff were closed due to downed trees and arcing power lines.  We had an arcing power line in the back but thank goodness it didn't catch anything on fire before it went out.
   
  Well, gotta go and cook a bunch of stuff.
  

 


Liz and/or Fionnghuala the Fair "Nuala" and/or my evil twin, Cedric
  "Everywhere I go, I'm asked if I think the university stifles writers. My opinion is that they don't stifle enough of them." 
       ~~ Flannery O'Connor ~~