As some of you know we just recently went to Killington, Vermont for a family vacation. Little did we know that Hurricane Irene was going to pay us a visit.
This video was taken just down the road from us. The rain began some time Saturday evening, real late. Sunday morning was a typical rainy day, no heavy winds so none of us thought much of it. Larry and Nora decided to head into town to return a redbox move and get a few groceries that we needed for the meals we had planned for our weeks stay. When Larry and his wife drove down this road there was a small amount of water running across. Nat and I went for a walk down this very road the morning after the downfall and saw the destruction. The road was literally taken out, right in front of a house, and there was no longer a drive way for them to get out of. Their cars sat on crumbled ground.
This photo I got off the web. It is of Rout 4 running between Killington, where we were staying, and Rutland, where Larry and Nora went for food that Sunday morning. They spent about 20 to 40 minutes shopping and came back to this road that was closed down due to the water damage. The gut-wrenching part is when they were crossing Larry told Nora that the road felt weird. It is believable that the water was already doing its work at that moment.
(I got this photo at the OnEarth blog off a post from Ben Jervey's who happens to live in the area. To see his amazing photos and videos just click on his name.)
Back at the cabin we had lost power shortly after we found out that Larry and Nora would have to spend the night in Rutland. Thanks to the Nat and his brother Nadon they damed up the creek in the back yard to collect water for flushing the toilets.
Ok this was really not my favorite part. We had to wash our dishes in cold creek water. I am one of those water-has-to-be-scolding-hot-or-it's-not-clean kind of girls. I just tried not to think about it and remind myself that I did survive seven months in Africa once upon a time.
Now this was a glorious moment! The next morning, after spending the first night in complete darkness, we were outside enjoying the outdoors, chatting it up with the neighbors when they asked if our fireplace was working..... say what??? The fireplace was gas not eletric! whoot whoot!!
Ha ha, who knew a gas fireplace could work as a stove!
Because of this state of the art worming device we were able to worm water for Kaden's bottles and and everyone got a worm bath..... well, they got a large pot of worm water; I'm sure you can figure out the rest :) But thank God we didn't have to wash our hair in the cold creek! The fireplace was even hot enough to cook a full corse breakfast! Primitivism didn't prevent us from living like kings!
Kaden was the only one who was able to have a full bath.
And he enjoyed it very much!
By Monday late afternoon Larry and Nora decided to abandon their vehicle and hike though the woods to be with their kids. They had a GPS which helped them keep on course and they walked parallel to the road that had been washed out. Once they were across Nat and Nadon met them to drive them back to our cabin. When they arrived we had worm water boiled so they could wash their feet. It seems ironic that they left a town with power, hot water, and plenty of food to join us with no power, and no idea when or how we were going to get out ...... now that's sacrificial.
This is us having dinner in the dark. Not that you can tell we are in the dark, with the incredible cameras on the market these days that have a flash that can light up the darkest corner. However, if you look close you can see a small flashlight hanging from the ceiling lights. THAT was our light.
This is a little more accurate!
Despite all the misfortune we had we were still able to have loads of fun!
(roasting mini marshmallows)
Walks
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| Goofy photo shots |
On our way home we had to take Rout 4 out of Killington heading east, away from Rutland. That road was still not drivable. The road we took had been fixed enough to have a one way lane open, so between 6:30 and 7:30 traffic could come into Killington. Between 7:30 and 8:30 you could leave Killington..... that was US!!!!
This is a gas station we passed on our way out.
A truck sat in the parking lot of the gas station
while the flooding waters shifted and broke the pavement beneath it.
Passing all the destruction made me realize that our situation could have been so much worse than it was and my heart went out to all the people who were greatly effected by this tragedy. As we drove I simply had no words.
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