Post Typhoon Glenda

I woke up around 1 AM 

and realized to my great delight

that electricity was finally restored

after living in the dark since Wednesday, July 16. . .

Typhoon Glenda visited my island dawn of July 16.

But I knew the typhoon was coming at dawn

instead of the predicted 8 AM . . .

The night before I started covering the dogs' kennel with tarps.

My sisters started bringing down the flower pots and 

tying up our trees and securing some stuff.

I heard my dogs howled around 1 AM

and I immediately went out to comfort them . . .

I huddled them in one of the kennels, 

dried their wet shaking bodies

and sang comforting words to lull them to sleep

while the typhoon started lashing around us!

Soon the electricity went off.

This was Hughes the day before the typhoon:

Hughes was like my late alpha dog Sumo, Sweepy's father,

who has a strong instinct for danger.

Hughes was restless the day before the storm.

And Hughes was right.

He had something to worry about.

Because that sunny weather became a raging storm by dawn!

Our house Heaven was battled early morning

and the next day we saw the damage . . .

I talked to the trees Yvon and Chicky the night before

". . . stay strong . . . hang tight to each other . . ."

. . . all the avocados fell from Yvon

and most of Yvon's branches were torn

but Yvon is OK.

Chicky is ok too.

Just as I knew they would.

Hughes had his fears . . .

. . . and now Hughes knows

that whatever fears he has

there is a stronger force

ready to support him.

The next day the dogs were all in their houses . . .

. . . since they were sleeping in comfort 

during the storm anyway!

Kizu, the pup, was his usual rowdy self.

Kizu suddenly had a playground of fallen leaves 

and twigs to play around!

Actually, all the dogs played

including my senior superdog Sweepy!

Petrocelli does not look happy . . .

. . . because his mate Petra

has a playful kitten now:

Look behind Petra.

Petra must be hiding her kitten on the roof

and the storm probably scared them.

And now we have a new kitten to adopt.

I call her Petrine.

I do not know if Petrine is male or female

but it does not matter.

Petrine is now part of our family.

There are lessons to learn during calamities.

And most of it is about hope and trust.

In my place, when electricity went off the water services is off too. My subdivision's water supply runs on electric pump. We thought we had enough water supply but the day after the storm we had to hire people to fetch water for us from kind neighbors who had manual water pumps. For drinking water we simply ordered delivery but because there was a huge demand for water we received our potable water two days after! Good thing we had enough drinking water supply until delivery.

The telephone connections went off as well. We were told that telephone service runs on power too. I used to remember that we had telephone service even during brownouts but now it is different. We lost the power to call for emergency or to assure family we are OK because our mobile phones were running on low batteries too. I was able to charge my mobile phone only last Sunday evening when I went to the parlor to charge my laptop and phone. And because I was able to do that I now sport a new short haircut. :-) . . . 

It was pretty tiring the first two days after the storm. Tempers are high but my sisters and I were trying to find humor in the situation. We remind each other to conserve water after realizing that the storm's damage was extensive and that we might not have electricity for a while. Conserve your energy. Conserve your mobile phone batteries. 

But people, neighbors and strangers, were very helpful.

We connect in the midst of crisis.

We look out for each other.

We have to keep faith that things will turn out right soon.

I had tons of paperwork to do 

but without electricity and use of laptop & wifi

 I had to use my notebook (the one made of paper)

and with my hand and brain (the one not powered by internet)

I manually scribbled work plans, MOAs,

WIP reports, layouts, workshop projects, etc.

A week without electricity

and world is quiet

the world stood still

and my creative mind and heart is brimming.

My energies remain high

even when I was physically tired

from coping without the amenities.

We survived this week . . .

and a week without electricity.

Other people were not so lucky.

A lot of areas are still without power until now.

Later today

I will go to work again,

facilitate a workshop,

attend a meeting,

do my reports,

and time is back to its regular rhythm.

Thank you for your concern and prayers

and I pass it all back to you.

May your days and nights be equally be blessed.