This past week saw Meota and the area around the lake tormented by Mother Nature. On both Monday night and again Tuesday evening she attacked with fury, throwing rain and wind at us. The greatest negative about the storm was the power outage that started at about 11 a.m. Monday evening and progressed into the next day. Meota itself was without power for about six hours while Metinota had to tough it out longer; not getting its power restored until slightly after 11 a.m. the next day. Numerous trees were snapped off with trunks and branches spread across the highways and byways. With this, humanity kicked into action and our local heroes went out and put their proverbial shoulders to the grindstone to clean things up and make the village and surrounding areapassable.
I do not mention names often for the simple fact that, when there is reason to give thanks like this, there are those who added to the effort who are missed. In this case I have been asked (and convinced to do so by Councillor Ray Knowles) to mention some of those who really went the extra mile to help out. Brody Day, an 11-year-old, was out on his own clearing branches and refuse off of the road. Here is one of our future leaders, folks. Along with him our Mayor John MacDonald and Knowles were to be seen out there doing their bit as our present day leaders. Helping out by throwing their shoulders (and equipment) into service were Art Jones, Wally Johnson, Terry Shury, Rob Fegan and Josh Belland. Our man Orest, at the transfer sight, opened up on his days off to allow all of the others who had branches and junk to clean up around their yards to be able to get rid of everything in a timely manner.
I know that many other residents were out there cleaning up around their own yards and at the park as well as helping one another with the clean up. The thing that really stood out was how quickly things got going. I had a commitment to the hobby band to be there for practice Tuesday morning, but when we were finished at noon and I headed my way home the change was just phenomenal. On my way down to the Do Drop In for the practice the roads were such that I had to swerve my way around piles of broken branches and debris, but by the time I headed home just a couple of hours later, there was little left to show the severity of what had happened. There was the evidence of a community in action and again thank you to all who pitched in.
From some reports that I have, winds that first night, got up to around 150 kilometres per hour. There is the belief that there was a funnel touch down by the way some of the trees were twisted and other items moved around. To this point, I have not talked with anyone who actually saw one, so the jury is out at this point. It does seem that on the other side of the lake the damage was more severe at Chatfield and Day's beaches. There were homes with water damage being reported by some and roofs being damaged by others.
Mother Nature certainly gave us a sample of what she is capable of and we can maybe relate somewhat to those who have been hit even harder around the world. Sure we got a taste, but nothing like what some who have lost everything in hurricanes (or as they call them in the Pacific, typhoons) and tornadoes around the world or those who have been experiencing flooding. Yes, we are pretty lucky to live where we do where, as of yet, we have only seen good old Mother Nature slightly ticked off and not the full force of her anger.
July 14 in kaiser play, Beulah Corbeil took first place, Linda Ard came in second, Jean Gansauge placed third and Herman Hoogland landed fourth place. In contract bridge play July 18, Lucille Gregoire took first place and Linda Ard placed second. July 19, in duplicate bridge, the team of Marg Dyck took first with Marnie and Ray Davie taking second spot.
Quote:" If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous he will not bite you: that is the principle difference between a dog and a man." Who else but Mark Twain.
