Lightning Strikes

Well, suffice it to say it has been an interesting week around here, we had lightning strike the big tree right in front of the house, just off the deck, last Monday.  We were home and it was quite an experience.  Our computer (and satellite internet) has not yet recovered!  This photo shows one of the spots the tree was marked - there are two other areas near the top of the tree.

There have been all sorts of interesting things going on - large scale gardening, birds flying into our windows and subsequent bird rescues, lots of work for all of us, herb collecting and tincture making, several hikes, friends and family visiting, and yes, that lightning and the resulting fried hot water thermostat and water softener, burned up intenet connection and receiver, and our computer and printer.  E was outside when the lightning struck and he came roaring into the house just as W and I were racing out in fear the tree would crash through our big front windows.  There were bits of bark and strips of tree as far as 60 feet away and there were even chunks of bark thrown up onto our deck and onto a chair back.

Doing anything on the temporary computer/connection we have is agonizingly slow so I'll have to wait until we get  a new computer sorted out so that I can share some bird and garden pictures.  In the meantime I hope you have been having a slightly less eventful week than we have. ;-)