When I read my last post it feels like I wrote that a million years ago, although in reality it was less than a month ago. Since that post, Hurricane Fiona decimated PEI. Considered the worst storm in recorded Atlantic Canadian History, damages could climb over a billion dollars.
We had many trees down and some minor damage to our deck. Our mast came down under the weight of a large tree and the giant spruce tree in our front yard fell toward the house coming within 2 feet of the front window. Though not affected as much as some, our power was out for 15 days which led to us throwing out all of our freezer and fridge food which really made the house stink.
I was amazed to see the mental toll it took on everyone as people were in a state of shock with the size of the devastation. It took Cheryl and I a few days to get our act together to start with cleanup. Initially we made a few calls and got on some lists, but it was just not enough. We had to get our mast down, tree cut, wire free, mast back up, internet back up, power back on along with 80,000 other people. Everyone was surviving by whatever means necessary. People were really good at sharing generators, food, ladders, chainsaws, gas etc., but after a few weeks it started taking a toll on most people.
The term micro-aggressions was bantered around as people started getting tired of being tired. People started getting crankier and less friendly which is only enhanced by living on a small island without power or internet.
In the end, we are still coming through the process with many trees still to come down including the hedge between our house and the neighbors, but we are moving forward a little more guarded and preparing for the next one as the next "unprecedented" event hits us.
I was impressed by how well Cheryl and I were able to work together on this as we are not used to having no one else around to help with jobs. We had to work together to get all the work done and in the end this re-shaping of our yard should allow us to re-build the yard we want going forward.
On a larger scale, I really believe PEI is in a transition period where we have to find new and better ways to exist in this new world.
