Surviving Super-Storm Sandy (or, Why There Are No Breakfast Links This Week)

Isabella reporting:

I'm back on-line at last, and gratefully unscathed, too. My corner of Pennsylvania was directly in Sandy's path, but we were very lucky to suffer nothing worse than a few small branches down and a refrigerator full of spoiled food when we lost power for the better part of this week. My thoughts and sympathy are with all those in New York and New Jersey who lost so much. The images of the damage are staggering, and heartbreaking, too.

The reason for our power outage was instantly clear when I crept out to survey the damage on Tuesday morning. My house is at the dead-end of a rambling U-shape, and several very large, old trees were blown over, taking power poles, lines, and a couple of cars with them. Workers from the electric company, cable provider, telephone, and various tree surgeons and landscapers are still toiling today to clean up the mess.

One of the casualties was Halloween for trick-or-treaters. Although I stood at the end of my drive with a basket of candy and a flashlight, ready to deliver to this year's crop of princesses and pirates, most parents wisely kept their kids inside and away from downed wires and inky darkness.

But amidst all the gloom and destruction, there was one charmingly bright spot on our street. Power outage or not, one of my neighbors was clearly determined that his Halloween treat go as planned, below. I'm assuming that the fact that the pumpkins are still sitting before the house means she said yes!

Storm photographs copyright Jay Scott. 
Pumpkin photograph copyright Susan Holloway Scott.