Somers, CT is a small rural town of horse farms and quiet, friendly neighborhoods where most everyone has lived their entire lives. The snow began to fall just before 5 o'clock on Saturday, October 29, 2011. Within minutes, limbs began to snap, crack and either break off and fall or get caught in the trees' remaining high branches. The power went out less than twenty minutes after the storm began--just enough time for me to turn off the laptop--and was finally back on (where I am) at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, November 8. I resized these to make them smaller and hope they don't revert to their full size:

Looking east through my breezeway--thats my driveway and what was between me and the road. The wire is cable--electrical wires were ripped right off the house.

{{gwi:451443}}

When it was over - looking south at the front lawn & Crabapple Corner bed. Those snow humps are downed branches that crushed the perennials flat.

{{gwi:451444}}

The branch from the neighbor's tree that punctured my garage roof. There were toad lilies in bloom just beneath it.

{{gwi:451445}}

Looking south down my street & the reason 830,000 homes were without power for so long

From my neighbor's driveway, looking south towards the eastern half of my little green acre

{{gwi:451447}}

Off the back of the breezeway, behind the garage

{{gwi:451448}}

Looking west from the road once the snow melted & after we'd cut & dragged debris off the driveway

{{gwi:451449}}

The front lawn & what's left of my crabapple tree. NB - mailbox flag is UP...I mailed SEEDS!

{{gwi:451450}}

Thanks to everyone who posted good wishes, prayers and high hopes for a speedy recovery from the storm. It remains to be seen if that will happen but it's a testament to my neighbors' humanity & resourcefullness that Roland used his chainsaw to help a neighbor with downed tree limbs, I used my truck to help the new family from Wisconsin haul their downed branches to the designated debris area, other neighbors checked on elderly residents to help them find temporary shelter or hung bright-colored tape/plastic shopping bags/t-shirts to dangling tree limbs or wires that posed safety risks.

I don't ever want to drive across another downed electrical wire in this lifetime. I did it--day after day--because there was no other choice. I suspect that's something I'll learn to do as weather extremes become the norm.

My hat's off to the shelter volunteers, town road crews, imported power workers from around the country & others who eventually came to the rescue of cold, hungry, storm-weary Connecticut citizens.