Downed trees, no power

This isn’t my photo, but it gets the point across. Trees are down all over the area; power is out. The event I was supposed to do today at the Staunton Public Library got canceled. It’s a weird day.

I was over in Charlottesville for a dinner meeting last night and drove back over the mountain at about 9pm. I didn’t know that we were expecting a storm, but as I came down the mountain I saw lightning in the distance. As I pulled off the interstate, the wind was crazy and there was lots of debris on the road. And then as I approached my house, there was a tree down across the road. I had to turn around and find another way home. I had to dodge a few limbs on the roads and then, when I got home, I wasn’t surprised that my garage door didn’t open (because the power was out).

Bhikku was kind of freaked out, naturally, but we hung out together and, when the storm passed, went to sleep.

This morning, still no power. I started the clean up of the yard–a million twigs down and several large limbs–but then headed into town with my laptop to do email and work. Blue Mountain was crazy with powerless refugees, so it was a little hard to work. So I went back home and took a serious crack at the yard–got all the bigger stuff cleared–and then came back into town.

And now my afternoon is free, too, because the event at the library was cancelled. No power, the library is closed.

When will the power at home come back?

About the author

I am the author of three novels--THE LAST BIRD OF PARADISE, OLIVER'S TRAVELS, and THE SHAMAN OF TURTLE VALLEY--and three story collections--IN AN UNCHARTED COUNTRY, HOUSE OF THE ANCIENTS AND OTHER STORIES, and WHAT THE ZHANG BOYS KNOW, winner of the Library of Virginia Literary Award for Fiction. I am also the co-founder and former editor of Prime Number Magazine and the editor of the award-winning anthology series EVERYWHERE STORIES: SHORT FICTION FROM A SMALL PLANET.

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