10 weeks, 4647.5 miles later

[gerisullivan]

The Zeppelin Hangar is standing, which is always reassuring to see regardless of the fact that I knew it was long before I turned down the driveway.

I came in through Monson. All the online photos and media coverage I saw of the tornado destruction there are but pale memories compared to the reality of what I saw today, after three full weeks of clean-up. Wow.

Tornado track close-up, annotated This is a portion of the photo NASA's Earth Observatory posted a few days after an EF3 tornado cut a 39-mile swath through West Springfield, Springfield, Monson, Brimfield, Southbridge, and beyond on Wednesday, June 1, 2011. This image gives you a closer look at the annotated part of the image.

My other two reasonable choices for getting to Toad Woods from the Mass Pike also involve crossing the tornado's path. They're both closer to home, but the damage along those routes isn't likely to affect me as directly as the damage in Monson will. Adam's Market in Monson, my nearest full grocery store, is closed due to damage and isn't expected to reopen until late August.

Instead of a 13-mile round trip to Adam's Market, I'll have a 26-mile round trip to the Stop and Shop on the far side of Sturbridge. And that will start tomorrow, just as soon as I empty and clean my fridge and freezer. I can tell from the shape and feel of the refrozen vegetables and other contents that everything completely thawed while the electricity was out for a few days. In the fridge itself, even the butter smells rancid.

At least the phone is working again. It was still out when I tried calling three days ago.

I'm getting off easy. Really, truly easy. And tonight, I get to sleep in my very own bed. Tonight as in now. GoshWow.

Comments

[madfilkentist]

Denise in Springfield said that the houses on both sides of her were hit pretty badly, but hers was missed. Ghu must be protecting the fen!