Gone With the Wind

Whoosh! This was the big story of yesterday.

We drove over toward Catawba in the afternoon to attend a Botetourt Farmers meeting. On the way we saw all the stuff blown around people's yards and pastures. When we were almost to the fork in the road where we'd go to the left and be at the meeting within minutes, two large trees were lying across the roadway.

We turned around and asked to use the phone at a convenience store. I mentioned the trees in the road and one of the men waiting to check out said he had a chain saw in his truck. He'd already cleared the road once and would go and do it again.

Thanks to him, we got to the meeting just a little later than we would have. I guess people who live around that mountain NEED to carry chain saws in their pickups. On the way back later that afternoon, we observed several groups cutting up fallen trees for firewood. There was a house with part of its roof caved in by a fallen tree and a barn which was totally wrecked.

On our road, a huge tree was uprooted and on its side in a pasture. Our small duck house had blown over despite its weight. It was back in position and full of ducks before we finished the night chores. The shop roof is partially blown off.

As I understand it, part of Roanoke was evacuated because of wild fire and other fires spread in the area.