LABOR DAY TORNADO

I woke up this morning to the sun rising in a

pink sky, 

the birds were singing

the first time in three days,

and very thankful that our family

is safe and sound.

This Labor Day 2011 turned into a REAL Labor Day of laboring with a chain saw!

An F1 tornado blew through our neighborhood in Woodstock, followed Noonday Creek and skipped up to Canton and damaged over 600 homes which will cost in the millions.

My husband and I were in the CAR in a TORNADO!   We were on our way back home from JoAnn's and when we turned onto our street the tornado swooped down across our street and our car.  I have never been so terrified, we were in a complete white out, trash cans flying through the air, trees bending down to the street, snapping and blinding rain.  We pulled into our driveway and my husband said "Watch out for our tree"  I said "It's already on the ground".

Fifteen minutes later, we were walking around observing that things were hanging upside down

and at odd angles instead of their usual upright positions.  There were large open spaces of sky, where there used to be green leaves.

It looks like we are growing a telephone pole farm instead of a lush grove of trees.

Looking up, our tallest trees are missing something...............they had been sheared off in a matter of minutes.

Our beautiful chestnut tree twisted and bent with such a force.  Just Sunday I watched the squirrels running up and down grabbing nuts to hide.

 
Such a force of nature........a tornado........to pull a tree apart.

After the tornado all of our neighbors gathered into the street, checking on each other, walking around in shock looking at the damage.  I heard some kids say "It's like the snowstorm".  During the winter the whole street gathered to slide down our frozen snow covered hill.  Monday we all gathered outside again.

We are very grateful that our lives and house were spared.  The line of trees taken out by the tornado were within 20 feet of our deck.  We have a completely new view now.  But as I was walking around taking photos this morning I heard the birds had returned and were singing.  The sun was shining in different areas in our back yard but it is a beautiful day.  There is a lot of clean up, cutting down, throwing out, moving around but I'm glad to be able to do it!