Two days ago the wind swept over this hillside and wreaked havoc on anything that happened to be not in the house. I awoke that morning and looking out the bedroom window watched the tree limbs stretch to the left and then spring back to the right. The lulls in the sweeping wind were short, not leaving all that much time for the trees to relax again. These windows were in a protected part of the house and I thought to myself I better go see what’s going on outside. I walked out to the living room, and looking out at the koi pond on the deck, all I saw were redwood fronds floating in the water. The poor fish, somewhere under there, nowhere to be seen.
I braved the winds, there is something about wind this strong, a feeling of danger, and went down to the chicken coop to let the kids out and feed them. They stayed huddled in the hen house, which was probably a good idea. I took their cue and headed back up to the house myself.
When I got back up to the deck, I looked up and watched as the redwood trees bowed and swirled with the gusts coming over the hill. They seemed to be made of rubber as they bent so far and swung back, swirling as they found their place in the grove. As far as redwood trees go, the ones in this grove are fairly young. If I hugged one, my hands would not meet, but all things being relative, they are still young trees. Dust flew into my eyes as I watched them.
I made a futile attempt to rid the pond of the redwood fronds.
I went into the house and sat at my laptop. Watching as tree limbs and leaves, and anything that wasn’t tied down, came flying down the hill, and lifted up over the roof of the house to continue on their journeys down into town.
The lights flickered. The cable went out. The phone was dead.
I sat through the windstorm and contemplated how much stronger than I Nature is. She could take me out. Right now. And I’d have to be ok with that.
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