wave of hope

Our town has seen some hard times as of late. Recently, downtown & neighboring areas were hit hard by Irene, which followed a path up the Connecticut River valley when it hit New England. Most of the effects were delayed, as the winds that we expected never materialized when the hurricane was (thankfully) downgraded to a tropical storm before it arrived at our doorsteps. The results of the storm crept up later, & many had breathed a sigh of relief once the storm had passed as the effects didn't seem as brutal as predicted. However, unbeknownst to many, the smaller tributaries that collected the heavy rains & ran downstream amassed to create the record-breaking flood levels & destruction we soon saw. Many of us have spent the past week trying to get a hold of friends & family in outlying towns who are cut off by damaged roads, no cell phone or internet reception & downed phone lines, as well as beginning to clean up the damage that was done to homes & businesses.

We were very lucky & were spared any damage to our home, however, the vintage shop that has employed me for the past few months took a heavy hit, as well as many friends' businesses & neighborhoods. Our Farmer's Market was hit especially hard, but the incredible sense of community in our little hamlet brought people out in droves to patch the torn up pieces of land together & get the market up & running again this past weekend. It was a truly remarkable & inspirational feat, & just one of many such stories we've seen & experienced & have had the honor to participate in ourselves this past week.

The work continues, so I imagine my posts will be patchy over the next few weeks. Be safe, & take care of each other!