Hiking, Keeping Busy, Weathering the Storm

 

I joined in a fall hike to Roaring Run with the Senior Summit group. Being in the woods, smelling the fallen leaves, and hearing the rushing water was invigorating. Since we were a group of seniors who enjoy hiking, no one was in a hurry. I have been on this hike several times over the years, with various people, in various seasons, yet it never gets old. We spotted a plant that is native to Virginia called a Rattlesnake Orchid. I would like to come back and see it in bloom. Even without a flower, the leaves were beautiful.

Steve was away for work and my week easily filled with busyness. Kay and I were finally able to have a good catch-up at Eleanor's over tea and sweet bread. It has been months since just the three of us got together. It was late afternoon when we were getting ready to leave Eleanor's that the rain started pouring and the wind kicked up. 

The forecast predicted a change in the weather today which included high winds. As is our routine, I filled up bottles and jugs of water before I headed out that morning in case we lost power. Sure enough, the power went out at 5:30pm. I was glad I had already warmed my dinner. Aside from that, there was nothing for me to do out here in the country, home alone, with no power. It is the blackest sort of dark. It was much too early for me to go to bed so I read magazines by candle and flashlight. I managed to pass two hours of time when I decided it was allowable to settle into bed for the night. I used a carafe of water to wash my face and brush my teeth by flashlight. Then I added an extra down comforter to the bed and accepted the fact that it was going be a long night. There was nothing to do but listen to the wind roar and slam against the house. One of the bedroom windows wasn't latched properly and the wind whistled through the cracks. All of this brought back memories of our childhood winters in New York. We slept cozy in our beds while snowstorms pummeled the house. I recall feeling safe with my sisters and parents nearby. The soothing sound of our water filled radiators ticked and lulled us to sleep. We fell asleep wishing for school to be closed the next day so we could play with our cousins and friends, uninhibited in the wonderland of snow.

Those were my thoughts as I fell asleep this night, smiling to myself at the memory. Although I was alone this dark night and the outside felt very loud and cold and scary, I was happy and calm. I congratulated myself for "being a big girl" and handling all this better than I expected. Ten hours later, the lights burst on. I got up early and made the coffee. There was no snow to greet me. But, the sun was out and the wind had calmed. Not even a tree was down. I took stock of the yard and field and breathed a sigh of relief. How different the world appears in daylight, with heat and water.