Tuesday, November 24, 2015

Crazy Weather...really crazy!

Oh. My. Goodness.  We have had a crazy, insane week here.  Last Tuesday we had hurricane force winds for the first time in Spokane's recorded history.  There were 180,000 households and businesses without power at one time, which is most of the city.  This morning there are still over 40,000 without power.  The winds were howling at 77-79 mph for hours in the afternoon into the overnight hours.  We we laying in bed Tuesday night and it felt like our house was breathing.  It's the only way I can describe it.  We only lost our electricity for a little over 18 hours so we were VERY fortunate.

I was making a pot of soup when the power went out.  Since I have a gas stove, I was able to light the hurricane lamp and keep chopping vegetables.  :-)  I could hear the shingles ripping from the roof like a giant roll of duct tape.  However, all of the houses on the block north of us lost their roofs down to the plywood so I count us as very fortunate indeed.

Before the distruction pictures, here's Sophie, just before we took her home Sunday night.  I miss my little knitting buddy, curled up in my lap on these cold nights.  
I don't have many pictures of the utter destruction around town because I've stayed home for the most part.  It's still difficult to drive through the city in places, because of downed wires and trees.  It's easier to stay in my house.

There are over 280 trees like this down at last count.  Huge trees just gone.  See the one leaning on the house at the left?
Luckily this one missed the house.
Not quite as lucky.
Through the bedroom.
Scenes like this are everywhere.
We lost a bunch of shingles and when I called roofing companie, they were 6-8 weeks out just for an estimate.  I called our son Alex's best friend Shane, and he came right over.  Shane's a rock climber and at a few of the steeper points on the roof he actually put his climbing gear on and took care of fixing the roof in no time.  I am SO grateful to him.  Shane and Alex have been friends since they were five years old.  They used to sit on our bed with their guitars and sing Dennis and I to sleep when they were teenagers.  I love this boy like he is our own.  He has a wonderful heart.  Even though he is still without power himself, he has been working half-days and taking vacation the other half and helping the worst hit people clean up trees and whatever they need.  And who says our younger generation is self-centered?  Not this guy.  And he's cute too!  :-)
And this morning this is happening.  WIth people still without power.  Can you see the snow still falling?  We're supposed to get another 4-6 inches this morning on top of what you see here.
Another view.  I detest snow.  I want to retire somewhere that it doesn't snow.  It's pretty, but it's dangerous.  Dennis said when he went to work at 5:30 this morning that the roads were already slick because it rained sleet before the snow started.
I've been busy making mittens.  This is what I have so far.  I'm a bit puzzled.  I've been using Loops and Threads Impecable yarn.  They are brand new skeins of yarn.  I got 4 pairs of turquoise, 4 pair red, but only 3 pairs of pink.  They are the same size skeins of yarn.  This tells me that the amounts on the labels aren't very accurate.  I'm still enjoying making these and with so many more pairs to make that's a good thing!  :-)  
If you are so inclined, would you say a prayer for the people of our city?  The winds are predicted to blow again this afternoon.  Not as strong as last week, but arborists are saying the trees will suffer a sort of whiplash since last week the wind was from the south and today it's from the north.  Trees that the roots were weakened in the windstorm will easily fall this afternoon.  Which means more power outages and it's so much colder this week.

Dennis and I will be alone this Thanksgiving and have decided to forgo the big turkey dinner for the two of us.  After all, we just had a complete Thanksgiving meal at church last Sunday at our annual dinner.  So I'm making chicken enchiladas instead.  His request.  Not very holidayish, but we like them.  

I hope all of you in the U.S. have a wonderful holiday and the rest of you are having a fantastic week too.

"But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."  1 Corinthians 15:57

Blessings,
Betsy

17 comments:

  1. To dear sweet Betsy well it is not good is it with all this weather. Prayers now for the Lords mercy and protection on all in Spokane ..
    ..dear Lord, I pray in your mercy these predicted winds will not come to pass, and if they do minimal damage will be afflicted wiht no homes damaged further or lives lost please, O Lord.
    And especially bless all who are working to repair the township, Lord and may power soon be restored to all the homes.
    And bless all families this Thanksgiving who are missing their loved ones in a special way, in the sweet name of Jesus we pray. Amen.
    Love your mittens dear Betsy.
    Wonder if your yarn is weight not length? Ie pink just a tad thicker???
    Shaz in Oz.x

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  2. The people of you wonderful City will most certainly be in my prayers. Wishing you a Happy Thanksgiving whatever you may be eating. Stay safe!

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  3. Whoa Nellie! We had an ice storm like that several years back and I about froze! Unfortunately, Mother Nature may be working overtime to convince all those "non-believers" in climate change! LOL! I have a house for you where it rarely snows and is usually gone by noon the next day....MINE! I love snow! Are you interested? Right across the street from a huge lake too?
    I love your mittens and I need to get going on some. Why am I always behind? LOL! So glad that nice young man was able to help you out too. I'll be alone also but I always celebrate any holiday if I can. I'm making a turkey breast with bones in and mashed potatoes, gravy, sweet potato casserole, scalloped corn and pumpkin pie. That should keep me filled up for awhile and PBS is having an all day movie marathon of Anne of Green Gables and Hallmark is having Christmas movies all day and I'm sure the phone will be ringing too! Have a wonderful, safe and happy Thanksgiving!

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  4. Dear Betsy.. so sorry you are going through such weather. I wish you lived in Portland where we rarely have snow. When we finally do we actually love it! I'm so impressed with how many pairs of mittens you have made. If you send me the pattern I could try to make at least one pair to help you out! My sister might also make a pair. I wish you lived closer as you would be welcome to join our family for Thanksgiving dinner. I'm surprised one of your friends hasn't asked you both to join them. Have a great trip to see your girls in DC! ((hugs)), Teresa :-)

    *:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*:._.:*~*:._.:
    *H*A*P*P*Y* *T*H*A*N*K*S*G*I*V*I*N*G*!*!*
    *:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*:._.:*~*:._.:

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  5. Oh my goodness. I do hope you are able to stay safe and warm.

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  6. Mercy! I had no idea of the magnitude of the destruction around you, Betsy! I am joining you in prayer for the protection of folks and property in your area, and rapid reconstruction to repair what has been harmed. You have made great progress on your mitten project! The difference in the skeins is a puzzle! I hope you have a restful Thanksgiving...sweet fellowship with each other in the midst of your busy lives.xx

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  7. Hi Betsy, of course I will pray for you and your town, I hope you will be given peace in your heart throughout it all too and that the weather will not be as bad as predicted. x

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  8. It's really scary how powerful the wind can be. But God is in control and nothing will happen outside of His will.

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  9. Betsy move to Vegas, we hardly ever have snow and when we do its gone in a day or two. We do have winds on occasion but not bad. We could go to lunch in all the casinos and crochet, crochet and a little knitting!
    May God be with you and yours and may He bless your town.

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  10. One of my daughter's friends lives in Spokane and she has been posting on Facebook about the storm. She had a tree come through a patio covering (I think) and was without power until yesterday. Luckily, she and the kids were able to stay with someone who had power. I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving and that the power stays on!
    Hugs,
    Sharon

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  11. Prayers to you and all in your town. I do hope the electric is restored and that there is no more bad weather. So thankful your son's friend could come over and help. What a true blessing. :) Love those mittens. I always seem to leave a whole in the thumb area, even if I knit in the back loop, it's weird. Yours look lovely. Praying that things settle down soon. Blessings to you and yours sweet friend and Happy Thanksgiving. :)

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  12. Yikes. Reminds me of the damage seen here after the Columbus Day storm of the early 60s. Wind storms can be quite destructive and I am glad your son's friend was able to help! Wishing you a blessed Thanksgiving Betsy. May God be with you, your family and the people of your area.
    Blessings,
    Aimee

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  13. Oh my goodness, what a mess. Lucky you didn't have worse damage and that your son's friend was so helpful.

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  14. Oh Betsy!! What a mess, you sure did make out better than most, so much devastation. I love trees so it is so sad for me to see so many down.
    Hugs to you and Happy Thanksgiving.
    Meredith

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  15. Our weather was just as insane-somehow we didn't lose power at my house though. I am glad you are safe and wish you a very happy Thanksgiving Day, Betsy!
    xoxox

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  16. Praising the the LORD with a thankful heart dear Betsy when you left the comment saying that the weather predicted had not eventuated..
    ...the LORD God does hear our prayers and is longing for us to ask Him for help yet all too often we fail to come to Him,
    blessing dear friend and His keeping on you as you will be missing your loved ones,
    Thanks so much for popping over.
    Shaz in Oz.x

    {Shaz in Oz – Calligraphy Cards}

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  17. I do hope the second prediction of wind wasn't quite so bad. Reminds me of the storm that ripped through here the first night that The Secret Garden officially opened. The next day there were trees uprooted right through the concrete and what a mess everywhere. So glad your damage wasn't worse; what a sweetheart Shane was to help out. I'm not a cold weather person so can understand you not liking the white stuff. I do worry about my boy in Colorado when I know the weather is going to be wet and icy. I have no doubt that we are getting shortchanged in so many ways these days, be it skeins of yarn or whatever. Nothing is as it seems. :) Have a great week. Tammy

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