Irascible she was!  Irene caused havoc and destruction in our small town in Connecticut.  Sunday morning about 5:30 a.m. I woke from a fitful sleep and heard the screaming wind and decided to move to the family room couch.  The eery sound and sight of the trees lashing back and forth struck fear, and then the imagined happened…a huge oak swayed toward house and kept coming. The crashing woke Daughter when it landed above her room, and prompted screaming as the mighty limbs came sliding and screeching against the 6 French doors where I watched.  Held tight to Clementine, called for family, and rushed blindly to basement where we huddled,  waiting for the fury to subside.  When the sun came out and Hurricane subsided, we surveyed the damage, and we wondered why the tree did not fall through the house.  Was it the builder who built a sturdy home, or was it the spirit of my Father holding back the surge, a guardian angel? Questions to ponder.  Now, a week after we had rushed about preparing for the Hurricane, we have power back and so much to clean up.  The raised beds , including the dahlias

are in a bad state, and there are more large mature trees down.

The pond overflowed the banks.

But it is that one tree on the house …..it might have been so much worse.  We escaped tragedy and nothing has been destroyed that can’t be replaced.  Nature can be so cruel, and then again, so kind.  I came home from work last night, to find the power had been restored (thank you CT Light & Power) and the Datura which has languished all Summer JUST BLOOMED!  What a sight in the twilight against a back drop of the shorn oak tree waiting further removal…

Datura Double Yellow

She gives and she takes away…..