Shattered Spring #SkywatchFriday #AtoZChallenge

This is not the "S" post I intended to post for Skywatch Friday or the Blogging from A to Z challenge.  But nature had other plans, as it has had for millions of others throughout the country. 

Monday, out of nowhere (or so it seemed), we suddenly had a forecast for five to eight inches (12.7 cm to 20.3 cm) of snow for the Southern Tier of New York.  And so it came to pass, except I think we had closer to six inches. It was the heavy, gloppy snow that brings down trees and power lines.   This is what I woke up to Tuesday morning.  Much of our county lost power.  We still have thousands without power.  My son's power isn't estimated to be restored until tomorrow.

We were so fortunate - our lights flickered but never went out. I know this is true because I was prepping for a colonoscopy (one that never happened because the hospital lost power and cancelled elective surgeries) and was up at 4:30 am.  I didn't feel like going outside in my condition so these pictures were taken from inside the house.

Wednesday morning, we ventured outside and there were heavy branches and parts of trees down all over our neighborhood.  All we lost was a lilac.  Again, we were so fortunate.

Let's take a walk (as we did Wednesday) on the Vestal Rail Trail.

Isn't it strange how the sun comes out and it looks so nice after something like this?  Well, nice, if you ignore the tree damage.

Trees shattered everywhere.  Snow blanketed the greened up grass.

Part of a tree down on the trail.  This wasn't the only one.  Behind us, a couple of town trucks were stopping and surveying the damage.

We're not loving it.

Many puddles due to minor flooding due to snowmelt reflect the sky.

Early Thursday, I needed to pick something up and in a shopping center parking lot we passed were tens of utility vehicles.  More were on the road.   We got behind one with Indiana plates.  Indiana is several hundred miles from us.  I wonder how many of those utility vehicles, come to help us, came from out of state. 

Later Thursday, spouse and I ventured into Binghamton, New York, just to our east.  The worst of the storm was to the east, and Binghamton had gotten more snow than Vestal, or we, had.  Again, trees and parts of trees were down. Twigs crunched under our feet.  We had to walk in the street in several places because tree parts blocked the sidewalk,   

We walked past one house where a tree in the back had come down on the roof and the upper part of the tree was resting on the homeowner's car.  (I did not take pictures in that neighborhood.)

It was scary.

Let us never forget, even as we watch the sky and admire the beauty around us, that we humans don't hold the power we think we do.

I want to end with a shoutout to all the area businesses and schools that have opened their premises as warming shelters, or are serving hot meals, or allowing people to charge their devices, or whatever else is needed.   This has become the biggest power failure in our county's history.

Joining Yogi and other sky watching bloggers for #SkywatchFriday.

"S" day in the Blogging from A to Z Challenge. My theme: "From Florida to Vermont With Stops In Between". Today, the stop was right on my doorstep.