after the windstorm

We went to Garfield Park yesterday. We counted six downed trees, including our favorite one that was close to the playground and gazebos, the one we would always sit under on our visits. I thought it was really sad, to have so many trees gone in a park that we loved precisely because of how lush it was with trees and grass. But the children didn't seem to mind -- in fact, it seemed to me that the uprooted trees got some extra love that day, if only for the last time.



(More pictures are here, and here of the wreckage around the neighborhood. And a level-headed take on the sadness over the loss of our trees is here.)

It's strange how... normal everything seemed, despite the fact that South Pas had actually declared a state of emergency on Thursday. Coming from the Philippines, I guess I just expected chaos. As of yesterday, two-thirds of the city still didn't have power; there was tree destruction everywhere and damage to property. But neighbors were helping each other clear out debris, cars were taking orderly turns at intersections where the traffic lights were out, local business owners were offering residents free cold storage and recharging stations, there was shelter being offered at the senior center and library. People are continuing to work this weekend to restore power and to clean up the roads, and I feel confident that things will really get back to normal soon. I don't want to romanticize about the conditions that allow a community to work, but I must say that it is so refreshing to see a community at work.