Freak wind storm No. 2

So another storm hit Saturday evening, knocked the power (and well pump) out, and took trees down on the hill above us as we watched. Crack! Poom! as the tree hit the ground. And dust and debris rose in a great cloud that was immediately ripped to tatters by the crazy wind.

Maybe these aren't "freak" storms, but the new norm. We'll have to wait and see if we get another one next week...

We closed the place up, got the kerosene lamp and candles ready, and waited for the return of our mod cons. Our frozen food was hauled back to town – again. I bought ice in Deer Park and we used water left from the last disaster. And we waited. The days were hot, and the nights dark. About noon today the lights came on, and water gushed again from the taps.

We've had the sprinkler going since then, trying to catch up with the poor parched garden.

The last freak storm decimated the big trailer park in Riverside, about five miles from here, and knocked down power lines on our road and all across north Spokane County. Some poor bastard was impaled by a pine branch while driving his car. (I've heard he is recovering.) This one took down more power lines in our area, and the corner of a house that lost most of its pine trees last week. My neighbor had his van crushed by a tree – and my friend from work had two smash his pickup. We lost a couple of trees, including a massive fir that was ripped out by the roots and is hung up on big pine. No idea how we'll take it down.

That's Annie the dachshund at left for scale.

The top is gone out of the tree at right, and the uprooted leaner is at center.

The leaner.