Travels of life…

As I said yesterday, I am back from my long trip to Milwaukee. We left Milwaukee on Sunday and finally arrived home Monday. I thought I would show you a few photos from my travels over the last two days, as I said we experienced it all as far as the weather goes. Snow, rain, sun, more snow, more rain and then fog, white out conditions and the aftermath of a tornado.

I love Chicago!

A huge wind farm in Indiana, these windmills went on for miles. I wonder how much power they generate?

The next five photos are from Crittenden, KY where on Friday of last week a tornado blew through. I have to tell you that I have NEVER EVER seen devastation like it.

The above is one of many, many downed power lines, broken trees and debris.

There is debris for as far as the eye can see, stuffed animals, clothes, paper, wood and metal, doors, windows, lawn ornaments, anything that you can think of really. We saw a metal door completely wrapped around a tree, and cars smashes as if they had been picked up by a huge hand and dropped, smashed to smithereens.

The trees are ripped out of the ground, or broken like tooth picks. Hundreds of trees for miles are just snapped off about a foot from the ground.

Someones whole material life is gone from this house. The house next door, which I did not take a photo of  was a huge pile of rubble. In the middle the owner stood with their shoulders slumped and a look of bewilderment on her face. I actually wept when I saw her. I cannot image standing in the rubble of my house and knowing that my “life” or my “material life” was strewn far and wide. Family photos, my children’s toys, important papers, everything you own. Can you imagine that? Where do you start?

I will say that it this community, you could see evidence all over of family and friends coming together to help try to put these devastated lives back together. There were tons of people helping to clean up, cut down trees, search through the rubble to salvage whatever they could, bringing food, and offering a simple hug.

Frankly, after the devastation of Kentucky for another few hours all we could barely put into words our feeling about the destruction that we saw, and the area we traveled through was not even the hardest hit. I can not even imagine what that looked like. I have been unable at this point to find out if any lives were lost here. Unfortunately, 39 others lost their lives in tornado’s and severe weather all across the nation.

Fresh snow for the early morning drive through the mountains.

After this photo I could not really take any photos for about three hours. The weather took a turn for the worst, it was almost a complete whiteout, and the roads were not plowed for many, many miles, where they were plowed there was only one lane open. I was frankly scared to death driving in these mountains, so I held on for dear life.

We finally made it home! My little pup was sick for most of the trip, I am not sure if she was under the weather and the harrowing drive in the mountains just made her more sick or if it something else.  In any case we are off to the vet today to have her checked out.

I hope you are having a great week and that you were not affected by all of the crazy weather. Did you have a chance to go over to visit Jeanne at Collage of Life and write a word list? If you did I would love to read it, I so enjoyed writing mine.