Storm Cleanup Time

Posted on by

For the man sound in body and serene of mind there is no such thing as bad weather; every sky has its beauty, and storms which whip the blood do but make it pulse more vigorously. ~George Gissing (English novelist), “Winter,” The Private Papers of Henry Ryecroft, 1903

It’s been kind of a rough spring here thus far.

We’ve run the gamut: high winds, thunder, lightning, heavy rain, and even tornadoes share the docket with practically perfect sunshine and calm. And the temperatures? If nothing else, Illinois in spring is erratic, ranging from the 40s to the 70s by day and the 20s to 50-ish by night.

But you’d like to see pictures, wouldn’t you? Okay, here goes:

This homeowner has a mess to clean up — downed limbs and an ongoing water/sewer project interrupted by weather, I imagine:

And somebody has a pile of limbs to cart off:

Here’s a tall tree with a limb barely hanging on:

And here’s a several days’ aftermath of nearly five inches of rain (no, it isn’t a lake; it’s a residential street):

And lest you think I escaped unscathed, here’s my backyard fence … with my neighbor’s tree collapsed on it:

How about a closeup, showing an opening that the Monk could squeeze through if he was so inclined:

At this point, about all we can do is be grateful it wasn’t worse and to hope things settle down soon!

18 thoughts on “Storm Cleanup Time”

  1. Debbie, I’ve been watching the weather online and have seen how extreme the weather has been in your area. As you know, the weather here has been bipolar as far as the temps go. Example: yesterday was in the high 80s and very humid. Today, it’s back in the low 60s and rainy.

    WOW, I can’t get over the damage of the trees in your neighborhood. It kind of reminds me of when I lived in Florida and what it would look like after a severe storm/hurricane. Florida gets a lot of flooding when it rains because it’s so flat, therefore, we would have huge “lake effects” in our streets (like the one in your photo).

    Hope things (weatherwise) settle down for you soon. Have a great Sunday and upcoming week, my friend! X

    • Ron, I took most of these photos in April, but our weather hasn’t improved much so I think they’re pretty representative of the kind of Spring we’ve had thus far. LOTS of rain (in fact, we’re getting rain all weekend), and pictures don’t show it, but it’s cool for May, too (we’re not expected to hit 50 today).

      It’s hard enough on me (since I love the sun so much!), but it’s so much harder on the Monk. He’s itching to get outside and chase something, only there’s nothing stirring and he’s not eager to get drenched. I’m eager to plant something, but I don’t want to stand outside and choose flowers and such in the rain!

      Oh, well, on the bright side — it gives us an opportunity to do inside things. Here’s hoping you have a wonderful week ahead! X

  2. It looks like you’ve had your share of nasty weather! It’s been wild all across the country this spring. We’ve had lots of rain and wind at our house, but thankfully no hail or tornadoes. I hope Monkey isn’t afraid of storms.

    • Oh, Kelly, the Monk is fearful in storms. He plasters himself right up next to me and refuses to go outside when it’s lightning and thundering. He must have a bladder the size of a watermelon, ha!

  3. I remember the Illinois spring. One day would be lovely and the next like a nightmare. Thanks for sharing your photos. I hope that neighbor gets on it and cleans up the mess.

    • I’m glad I could spark those memories for you, John (and probably make you appreciative of not having to endure an Illinois spring now!). Yes, one would hope the cleanup project would proceed, but I guess contractors have a ready-made excuse in the weather. Even the yard guys are having trouble getting lawns mowed because of the wet.

  4. We’ve had a couple of recent storms like that, although many people had to cope with huge hail, too. I suspect your rains won’t affect planting up there, since it’s still pretty early in the season, but the farm equipment’s on the roads around here now, and my half of the state is wet enough to do for a while. If only you and I could send a little extra rain to poor west Texas; those people are in serious drought. It’s a shame about your fence, but better a fence than a roof!

    As for contractors, have a little sympathy! If it rains, I can’t work, and the more the water flows, the less the cash flows. Most contractors (and fishing guides, and owners of tourist-related businesses) hate periods of extended rain as much as anyone; if I could figure out how to stop the rain, I’d make millons and not have to work!

    • Linda, it seems like I tell the Monk every day that I’m not in charge of the weather! Poor little guy, he wants to go outside and romp and play, but it’s just beastly. This is exactly the kind of weather I endured when I lived on the Texas (and Mississippi) coasts, but I didn’t have a dog then. It’s tough trying to explain rain to a pup!

      And yes, I do feel sorry for folks whose livelihoods depend on being able to work outdoors. I can remember years here when farmers would lose the first half of their crops due to soggy conditions and have to replant. Of course, that’s harder these days because of higher costs. I imagine you understand that all too well.

  5. Since we use wood for heat, windfall gives us free logs and kindling, but it is still work to process it. I’m glad the damage you had in your yard was not worse. I assume the neighbor is taking care of fixing your fence??

    • Yes, in theory. They had some guys come out and remove the downed tree — stump and all — but they basically slapped a Band-Aid on my poor fence. I’m giving it a bit more time (and hoping that when the weather improves, maybe they’ll come back and do the job right!)

  6. What a shame about the fence! We’ve had similar weather here in the sense of temperatures all over the place and alternating between the remnants of winter and occasional days that feel like midsummer. But we’ve been lucky enough not to have major storms.

    • I’m sorry you’ve had to share in this misery, FF. Personally, I just wish Mother Nature would make up her mind! I can acclimate to nearly anything (well, maybe not DAYS of rain!), but this see-sawing is getting tedious.

  7. Wow! Five inches of rain is a lot and the tree damage from the wind is impressive. So sorry to see your fence took a hit and your neighbor lost a tree. Did you hear it crash when it happened? Let’s hope Monk doesn’t even think about squeezing through that fence before you get a chance to have it fixed! I’m glad you’re okay.

    • Thank you, Barbara. Yes, safety of person (and dog) is most important. We didn’t hear the tree topple, but I’d been fearful of that happening for a while. It was some sort of apple tree, so not too tall, and I think my neighbor is just as glad it’s gone. ‘Tis a pity, of course, about the fence, but thankfully, the Monk doesn’t seem too inclined to investigate. I wonder if all that rain contributed to the weakening of the fence?

Comments are closed.