New Meaning to Spring Cleaning

Things are slowly trying to get back to normal. Thousands of us were affected by the winter storm. Some worse than others.

Some lost homes due to fires that started.  Others had holes in their roofs from big limbs falling.  Most of us were without power for a few days.

Power was finally restored to our house late Saturday afternoon.  We had lost power on Tuesday afternoon.  Tuesday night, while Lori and I were wearing heavy winter PJ's with an extra quilt on the bed, we heard the snap, crackle, pop of tree limbs coming down in our yard and up and down the block.

Limbs are still blocking the entrance to our home.  One limb sheared off the power line running from the power pole to the house.  One big limb is still on our roof.

One limb even went through our back deck.

We started a claim with our insurance company, and they gave us a list of stuff to document, such as:

• Missing work
• Keeping receipts of our hotel stay
• Keeping receipts of groceries we had to replace
• Receipts from an electrician
• Taking pictures of damage

Now, after a visit from an insurance adjuster, I can begin to move the debris and begin to clean up. For the time being, the city has asked folks not to park on the side of the street in front of any piles of branches.

Clean up is going to take some time, and parking in front of the branches will hamper any efforts in removing them properly and safely.

The snow will melt quickly.  Most of it already has.  The cleanup is definitely going to take much longer.