Weekend Excitement

Over the past few weeks, z has been posting pictures of the flowers that she’s finding in her early spring garden. I’ve restrained myself from making the obvious comment that it sure seems warmer in England than in Iowa, and that we don’t really consider spring to arrive here until late March. Because saying isn’t as powerful as showing, right?

Well, we had some weather come through over the weekend.

On Sunday morning, when the Consort was heading out the door to go pick up Jean-Michel Cousteau* for lunch, he raced back in, called Jean-Michel at his hotel, and warned him he’d be a little late. It seems some of our huge pine tree’s limbs came down in the night (so that was the CRRRRRAKKK heard in the middle of the night!):



And blocked the car into the driveway:



As well as broke our garden gate:



After the girls and I cleared away most of the branches and shoveled the walkway, I called the electric company to warn them that one limb was leaning against the electric lines down the alley, and I wasn’t sure how long it would stay up. “Do you have electricity?” the customer service agent asked. “Right now, yes, but when the line can’t hold the weight of the ice-covered limb any more, this entire block will be without electricity.” He promised they’d send someone out to take a look. I was surprised that he seemed so uninterested in the danger. Until the Consort showed me the newspaper this morning. Oh, OK, we aren’t the priority. No problem! I totally understand.

And we ended the day with this magical sight: