Things that go bang in the night

The power has been out for about an hour now. It meant that the calming sound of the wind rushing through the trees was joined by the battery back-up beeping sound from the living room. As if that wasn't enough to wake us from our troubled slumber, we then heard a loud intermittent banging sound. In the darkness it was difficult to see where the commotion was coming from, but a change in the light revealed a large object swinging against the garage - the garage door. The wind had pushed aside the deck post block weighing about 30 lbs as if were made of paper mache. The chicken coop door had also been blown open, and the hens were huddled inside looking somewhat confused.

After pulling the Vue into place to prevent the garage door from continuing its late night tug of war with Noel, I nailed the chicken coop door closed and then scanned the area for other signs of disturbance. The outdoor fireplace, once a single unit waiting for wood and some pyromaniacal attention, now lays in 2 parts, separated from each other by a gust or gusts unknown.

Everything else seems to be holding up. The old TV antenna, long since replaced by the pizza dish to space, can be seen shifting around on its wall anchors as the wind gusts through its skeletal form. The fire indoors occasionally falters as it fights with the forces acting upon the chimney.

In the darkness, and when the flashlight is off it is DARK, it's very eerie. There's a combination of fascination and danger. Listening to the wind through the trees, and visualizing the crowns being bent at extreme angles, is almost hypnotizing. Then the vision of the outdoor fireplace head flying through the air brings you back to reality and you quickly find the doorway to the warmth and safety of the laptop. Well, at least I do anyways.