Goodnight Irene

Irene came for a visit, dumping 9.5 inches in a matter of hours here in Bristol and causing major flooding. My family spent our day without power playing games and eating foods like potato chips and store-bought cookies that we normally wouldn’t have in the house. I even snuck in a nap. We listened to programs on NPR, danced to music on my iPod, piled together to read books, and watched the trees dancing in the wind. Keeping in touch with friends and family via cell phone, we heard news of the “outside world” from those who still had internet access.

When the rain stopped, the sun came out, and all that was left to worry about was the wind, the kids dashed out of the house to play while Jim and I surveyed the yard and got out the grill to make dinner. The river of water coming down the hill to the front of our house made for fun splashing and dam-building. Grilled hamburgers, hot dogs and corn-on-the-cob were enjoyed by all. When the power came on just before bedtime, shouts of joy wafted through the window from houses on our street. 

We’re still without internet (I’m posting this courtesy of Panera wi-fi), but other than that, all is well. Except that the kids are asking when the next hurricane will be, as Irene was just so much fun!